Tag Archive for: Christophe Lemaire

Lemaire banking on Durezza’s stamina coming to the fore

Christophe Lemaire believes the long home straight at York will play to the strengths of Durezza, his Japanese-trained mount in an intriguing renewal of the Juddmonte International next week.

Lemaire used to be a far more frequent visitor to the UK due to a successful link-up early in his career with Luca Cumani, but he is no stranger to York, winning the Yorkshire Oaks on Alain de Royer-Dupre’s Shareta in 2012.

Few jockeys on the world stage can match Lemaire’s list of achievements. The Frenchman has won the Prix du Jockey Club, Prix de Diane and Poule d’Essai des Pouliches in his homeland, among many other Group Ones.

In the UK, he has won both Guineas, the Champion Stakes and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, while Hong Kong Cup and Melbourne Cup triumphs also feature on his CV.

After being a fleeting visitor to Japan, winning several of their biggest races, he moved full time to that country in 2015 and his success has been dominant.

He won the Kikuka-Sho, the Japanese St Leger, on Durezza last year and feels that the stamina his mount possesses could come into play against a talented field, although he is well aware of the standard of opposition he is facing.

“Durezza is a horse that gradually steps up his game, and his strengths lie in his stamina. York Racecourse is relatively flat, with a long straight, so I think he’ll be able to fully demonstrate his abilities,” said Lemaire on www.c-lemaire.co.jp.

“I’ve been checking the training footage since he moved to the UK. I saw him being trained on Warren Hill, a famous hill gallop. I’m also keeping an eye on the weather forecast, but fortunately there’s no rain in the forecast, so the ideal situation would be to race on a good track.

“The strong European horses will be there, and we are preparing for the race by studying the opposing horses using replays and other methods.

“Several horses from the (Aidan) O’Brien stable are also scheduled to run, so we will pay attention to the tactics of the race, which are different from those in Japan.”



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Lemaire salutes Equinox – officially the world’s best

Equinox has been crowned the world’s best racehorse of 2023 – and with it the highest-rated Japanese horse of all time.

A year that started with a brilliant three-and-a-half-length beating of Westover in the Dubai Sheema Classic featured another three Group Ones, culminating in his farewell to the track in the Japan Cup.

Trained by Tetsuya Kimura, Equinox was only beaten twice in his 10-race career, winning six Group Ones in total.

He was given a rating of 135 in the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings, which are compiled by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities.

Team Equinox on stage in London
Team Equinox on stage in London (PA)

His figure is 5lb below the 140 awarded to Flightline 12 months ago, which equalled the benchmark under the current system set by Frankel in 2012, but he sits 7lb ahead of last year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Ace Impact and dual Group One victor Mostahdaf, who were both rated 128.

Christophe Lemaire rode Equinox in every start and he attended a glittering ceremony in London on Tuesday afternoon to celebrate the son of Kitasan Black’s achievement.

Asked what it was like to ride Equinox, Lemaire joked: “To be honest it was quite enjoyable!

“Each time he ran there were big expectations, but I had so much confidence in the horse that I had no fear. To ride him, it was just a pleasure to be on a galloping horse.

“The way he ran was just amazing. Of course, I tried to do my job as well as possible and it was a great journey – I will miss him a lot.

“As have most top athletes, he had a combination of physical strength and mental strength. His physical allowed him to run fast and further using his beautiful stride, very well balanced and also he was very clever, so he understood very quickly what he had to do to win the race.

“My job was just to take a good start and put him in the right position to let him express his talent.

“He was nearly the perfect racehorse and we have to congratulate the breeder (Northern Farm) who could produce such a beautiful horse and the trainer for getting him mature to compete at the best level.

“Just after his debut, I could feel he was special, the way he moved, his acceleration, his attitude on the track – I could feel very quickly he would become a very good horse. Most other people discovered him in Dubai, but in Japan he was already a rising star.”

Equinox officially retired at the end of November, with thousands of people attending a ceremony for the horse in mid-December before he headed to his new role at Shadai Stallion Station, where he will stand for ¥20 million – just over £106,000.

Speaking through a translator, Kimura said: “I wasn’t prepared for it all (the praise he received after Dubai), I feel like I’ve still been in a dream since then.

“The expectations were very high (before the Japan Cup) and it was very difficult to stay calm, but Equinox showed an amazing start and he has the most beautiful stride in the world and he managed to beat all his rivals with his amazing stamina, so I have nothing else that I wanted from him at all.”

To add to the Japanese laurels, the Japan Cup was named the best race in the world for the first time, with a rating assigned on the first four finishers.



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Superstar Equinox sparkles with Japan Cup glory

Equinox, the world’s highest-rated horse, delivered a dominant performance to win Sunday’s Japan Cup.

The four-year-old has not been beaten since finishing second in the Japanese Derby in May 2022, winning two Grade One contests at home at the end of last year before easily seeing off Westover when claiming the Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan in March.

Tetsuya Kimura’s charge won two more Grade Ones since that effort and was a long odds-on favourite for the Tokyo highlight, which featured a clutch of previous top-level victors, including leading three-year-old filly Liberty Island.

Saudi Cup winner Panthalassa took up his usual position at the head of affairs, setting a testing gallop that saw him build up a huge advantage at the top of the straight.

Christophe Lemaire had been happy to sit in the pack aboard Equinox, rounding the final bend in third before giving his mount the signal to set out in pursuit as Panthalassa’s stride began to shorten.

The response was immediate and Equinox sprinted to the lead over a furlong out and Lemaire just had to use hands and heels to steer him to a four-length verdict over Liberty Island.

The William Buick-ridden Stars On Earth was third, with last year’s race winner Vela Azul coming home seventh under Hollie Doyle, one place ahead of Tom Marquand’s mount Studley.

Equinox received a hero’s welcome from the massive crowd packed into the Tokyo stands and Lemaire admitted to a measure of relief after the son of Kitasan Black further cemented his stellar reputation.

He said: “I felt happy and relieved. Many emotions came to my mind because it was an unbelievable race. Horseracing fans and lovers were able to see something very special.

“He is a top horse and can adapt to any kind of race or surface. When we came back in front of the huge, happy crowd who witnessed the race, I became very emotional.

“As a professional jockey for many years, I work hard to ride to perfection, so today was very special. Equinox is easy to ride – he knows his job very well and he doesn’t use too much energy – so riding a horse like him is a pleasure and I felt very privileged to be in the saddle of such a fantastic horse.”

Kimura had felt the pressure of the colt’s superstar status ahead of his Japan Cup date.

He said: “Equinox was able to come into the race in good condition. He was aggressive from the start and was relaxed during the race despite the fast pace of the frontrunner.

“With Equinox extending his Grade One winning streak for over a year, the pressure was so great before the Japan Cup that I felt relieved when he won the race.

“He is a very well-balanced horse – shape of his hooves, bone structure and firm muscle – everything is perfectly balanced. It’s a miraculous combination. So, we try to maintain this balance when we train him.”



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Through Seven Seas sets sail for Arc glory for Japan

Trainer Tomohito Ozeki expects Through Seven Seas to do Japan proud in Sunday’s Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp.

Japan currently boasts the top-rated horse in the world in Equinox, a four-time winner at the highest level who easily accounted for Arc contender Westover in the Sheema Classic at Meydan back in March.

He beat Through Seven Seas by a neck when the pair clashed in the Takarazuka Kinen, but connections had already ruled out an Arc trip for their superstar by that point.

Japan has come close to Arc victory in the past, with El Condor Pasa memorably caught by Montjeu with the post in sight back in 1999 while Nakayama Festa was beaten just a head by Workforce in 2010. Deep Impact and dual runner-up Orfevre were two other giants of the Japanese racing scene to line up in Paris.

Titleholder was well fancied last year but failed to shine as the rain poured down, with similar comments applying to Chrono Genesis the year before and Ozeki thinks ground conditions have now become a factor in the decision-making process, with the race usually staged on testing ground.

Ozeki said: “There’s a lot of thought going on in Japan at the moment in the sense of which horse could adapt to the ground in the Arc – that is the major thing people think about. It was the same for Through Seven Seas, the owners and breeders sat together for long discussions before they decided to come here.

“Personally I believe at the moment the mare is the best horse the Japanese could have sent over to run in the Arc.

“Obviously for the last three or four years Japanese horses have found it very difficult to run in the Arc because the ground has been very soft, even heavy last year. This mare could adapt to soft ground but as conditions are expected to be better, I’m not worried about it.”

The five-year-old Through Seven Seas has yet to strike in Group One company and has not run since that June defeat at the hands of Equinox, but Ozeki retains plenty of faith and thinks she is on an upward curve.

He said: “She was quite tiny, quite skinny, she didn’t eat a lot and she was a bit of a difficult character, but has matured and started to put on weight. Last summer she had a long stretch without running and that did her a lot of good. She has just grown stronger as the year has progressed.

“She is a mare that needs a little bit of time between her races, probably longer than other horses, so if you look at the time between her Grade Three win and her Grade One run, it is the same time period to the Arc and I think that is ideal for her.

“For every trainer the Arc is a big target in your career. It’s usually a target that is very far away, but now it’s here and I’m finding myself with this race in front of me and I have to be me on the day. But it would mean a lot to me as a trainer.”

Christophe Lemaire takes the ride on the daughter of Dream Journey and he too would relish chalking up an inaugural win for Japan.

He said: “As a jockey you dream about winning the Arc, for me especially with a Japanese horse as you can imagine considering my history with Japan, it would mean a lot to win the Arc with a Japanese horse.

“It would be such an event if I were to win the Arc with a Japanese horse, so I’m going to give everything I have.”

The mare enjoyed a spin on Wednesday morning and while Lemaire was not in the plate, he was delighted with what he saw and feels Through Seven Seas certainly merits her place.

He added: “I saw the Through Seven Seas that I recognised – she had her usual good, big stride. I thought she was very fit and this morning she worked on soft ground and I thought she was very fluid in her action and she worked with a lot of power, so I was very satisfied with what I saw.

“When I won the Grade Three I was quite impressed because she actually won very easily and I could feel that she had improved a lot since last year. She then confirmed that form when she finished second to Equinox, so she has developed into a Group One contender and certainly has the right to run in the Arc and produce a good performance.”



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Equinox stars again with striking Takarazuka Kinen verdict

Equinox made a blistering return to action, coming with a scything run to land the Takarazuka Kinen at Hanshin racecourse on Sunday.

The Japanese star was sent off a hot favourite on his first start since romping to a wide-margin success in the Dubai Sheema Classic in March.

That three-and-a-half-length victory over Westover at Meydan established the Tetsuya Kimura-trained Equinox as the top horse on the planet according to the Longines World Best Racehorse standings.

On his return, Christophe Lemaire was patient towards the rear of the 17-strong field in the 11-furlong Grade One contest and was still at the back of the pack turning for home, having suffered a wide trip.

Yet the son of Kitasan Black always travelled sweetly and cruised into the lead approaching the final furlong.

Though he had just a neck to spare from outsider Through Seven Seas, the official margin was no reflection of the dominant performance, with his French rider having to pose few questions of the colt.

“Though we were unable get a good position toward the front due to the fast pace at the beginning, the horse was relaxed in the rear and I wasn’t worried at all,” said Lemaire.

“As the inner track condition was not so good, we made bid from the outside early and turned wide to the straight, where he stretched really well.

“Hanshin’s inner course is tricky and (the) Takarazuka Kinen is a difficult race to win, even for champion horses, so I’m very happy that I was able to win the race with the number one horse in the World’s Best Racehorse Rankings. I realised again how strong he is. I hope to win more big races with him in the autumn.”

Equinox was completing his fourth successive top-class success, having previously taken the Tenno Sho and Arima Kinen last year before his Sheema Classic success.

Victory gives the four-year-old automatic entry to both the Cox Plate at Moonee Valley later this year, and the Breeders’ Cup Turf. It is unlikely that Equinox will be seen by British racegoers, however.

Nick Smith, Ascot’s director of racing and public affairs, poured cold water any thoughts of the possibility he could turn up the Berkshire track.

He said: “Sadly, the Japanese do not appear that interested in coming over. It is a shame, but we will still continue to strive to attract the best international runners to Ascot.”



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Meydan magic from Equinox in Sheema Classic

Equinox justified his status as the best turf horse in the world, smashing the Meydan mile-and-a-half track record in landing the $6million Longines Dubai Sheema Classic.

Christophe Lemaire’s mount did it the hard way, his white face leading all the way and stretching to a scintillating three-and-a-half-length victory.

The Tetsuya Kimura-trained colt, a son of Japanese sire Kitasan Black, had won the Tenno Sho in Tokyo in October and was having his first run since landing the Arima Kinen on Christmas Day.

But that pair of Group One successes paled into insignificance as Lemaire’s charge cruised on the front end, tracked by the John and Thady Gosden-trained Mostahdaf under Jim Crowley.

Lemaire always had any move covered, though, and he kicked clear with two furlongs to run and, eased down, lowered the track record by over a second.

Ralph Beckett’s Irish Derby winner Westover, who had got warm beforehand, made up some ground and finished with a flourish, but the bird had long since flown. Zagrey stayed on to pip Mostahdaf for third, but this was all about the brilliance of the winner.

Kimura said: “I have never seen such a strong horse and I am surprised as well.

“I really appreciated it that the Dubai Racing Club have invited us and I really appreciate it.

“I didn’t think about the tactics. My concern was just to get my horse in the best condition.

“He was just brilliant when he came into my yard as a two-year-old. I am not sure where he will run next.”

Lemaire first won the Sheema Classic in 2006 aboard Heart’s Cry at Nad Al Sheeba and his latest success proved poignant.

He said: “He is a fantastic horse. He is getting better race after race. Today he was a little bit fresh and keen, but OK, I rode the best horse and I had no fear to make the pace.

“I am so happy for connections. It has been a long time since I won the Sheema Classic. The last time was with Heart’s Cry and he passed away two weeks ago, so I am very grateful to this horse. Today, it is a nice tribute to him.

“Race after race he is going up on my ranking and today was a great performance against these kind of horses at the top level. I’m really glad.”

He added: “There was no strategy, I rode him by myself.

“He was fresh and quite keen, so I decided to let him go, then I slowed it down.

“He was running good and so relaxed, then when I let him go he just stretched away. He’s a fantastic horse.”

Beckett was thrilled with Westover, and can look forward to a big season ahead.

He said: “We just got beaten by a very, very good horse. He appears to be the best around, so to finish second to him is everything we could have hoped for.

“The Coronation Cup is a possible target, but I wouldn’t rule out dropping him back to 10 furlongs for an Eclipse or a Tattersalls Gold Cup.”



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Derma Sotogake roars into Kentucky Derby reckoning

Derma Sotogake dominated the UAE Derby – and booked his Kentucky Derby ticket – as Japanese raiders annexed the Group Two contest, providing the first four home.

Christophe Lemaire had the rail draw in the extended nine-furlong dirt contest and there was no hanging about on the Hidetaka Otonashi-trained son of American sire Mind Your Biscuits.

The lightly-raced colt had three dirt wins between a mile and nine furlongs in his home country, including taking a Group One at Kawasaki in November.

A staying-on third in the Saudi Derby, Lemaire put his stamina to good use in a race that very few got into.

Derma Sotogake (4-1) travelled very sweetly on the front end, followed by Dura Erede, with Continuar tracking the first two and it remained that way throughout, as the Aidan O’Brien-trained Cairo failed to live with them when they kicked off the back stretch.

The winner left little doubt and Lemaire had barely moved a muscle with two furlongs to run, and his mount strode impressively clear for a five-and-a-half-length success.

Lemaire, who plies his trade in Japan, said the win was as comfortable as it looked.

“I had a nice cruise, and in the straight he reacted well,” he said.

“I didn’t know where the other horses were, but when I turned round we were clear and I was able to enjoy the crowd.

“I was happy with his condition and thought two corners would suit him, but it was important that from the inside I got a good start.

“I think the Japanese horses (three-year-olds) are really good. It means something when you win a Derby by such a big margin.”

Otonashi said: “It went as we hoped, but I didn’t think he was that strong. It was a different jockey, different ground and a first time here.

“He will go straight to Kentucky now, and Christophe will probably ride him.”



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Lemaire has designs on World Cup glory with Geoglyph

Christophe Lemaire, the French jockey who has carved a niche for himself in Japan over the past nine seasons, has made clear his desire to add the Dubai World Cup to his already enviable CV.

The Frenchman partners the Tetsuya Kimura-trained Geoglyph in Saturday’s renewal, a colt by Drefong who finished out of the money in the Tenno Sho and the Hong Kong Cup at the end of last year, before bouncing back with fourth place in the Saudi Cup.

Lemaire is encouraged that Riyadh was his mount’s first run on dirt and he explained: “I very happy with his trial in Saudi when it was his first run on the surface. It was a great effort, even though he tired in the last 100 metres.

“I’m hoping in the World Cup he can do much better than last time. It’s a strong race, but if he can grab a place it will be very exciting.”

Lemaire is also looking forward to renewing his acquaintance with Equinox in the Sheema Classic, following victory in the Tenno Sho and the Arima Kinen on Christmas Day in the duo’s last two starts.

He said: “It’s his first race outside Japan, but he’s settled in well and his demeanour is perfect.

“He won two of Japan’s leading races for older horses including the Arima Kinen and became (2022) Horse of the Year. He was second in the Derby over a mile and a half, and I’m in no way afraid about the trip for him. He will stay.”

In his time in Tokyo, Lemaire has learned to speak fluent Japanese as well as seeing the meteoric rise on the global stage of the nation’s racing industry.

This has happened to such effect that this year there are a record 27 horses representing the country at the World Cup fixture.

Lemaire said: “From a young age I always wanted to become a jockey, and it was a dream come true to establish myself in France and then to do so abroad.

Christophe Lemaire has every confidence in his Dubai runners
Christophe Lemaire has every confidence in his Dubai runners (John Walton/PA)

“You need confidence and hard work combined with that little bit of talent, and since moving to Japan I have become used to competing in their big racing events, while it’s always a pleasure to be on such good horses.

“I love to win cup races and especially to win the Dubai World Cup one day. Japanese horses like the track and the conditions, and usually perform well.

“It’s very important to communicate with the horse connections, in your daily life as well as on the racecourse, which is why it’s so good to have a reasonable grasp of the language.”



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Lemaire confident Songline can defend Sprint crown

Songline will spearhead a strong Japanese challenge at the Saudi Cup meeting this weekend, with jockey Christophe Lemaire confident she can retain her 1351 Turf Sprint title.

Trained by Toru Hayashi, she won the Group Three seven-furlong contest last year, part of a fantastic four-timer for the French-born rider, who is a multiple champion in Japan.

Songline will take on 10 rivals on Saturday, including the Richard Hannon-trained Happy Romance and the Charlie Hills pair of Pogo and Garrus.

Yet after partnering the five-year-old in morning work at the King Abdulaziz Racecourse on Wednesday morning, Lemaire says it will take a good one to beat her.

“I rode her this morning and she looks in great condition, “ he said.

“I am very happy with her and so is her trainer. She will be the one to beat again this year, I think.”

The daughter of Kizuna went on to win the Grade One Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo in June, but has not run since disappointing in a Grade Two in September.

Lemaire thinks she can return to her true form and added: “Songline has shown some good form and some bad since winning here last year.

“Coming back from Saudi, she produced some very good results. In the autumn she had an issue and could not perform well. It looks like she is all fine from what I have seen and I hope she will race as well as last year.”

Though a four-time winner at last year’s meeting, Lemaire has just two booked rides this time, with Geoglyph his big-race mount in the $20 million Saudi Cup.

Geoglyph/Riyadh
Lemaire feels Geoglyph will handle the dirt on Saturday (Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia)

Trained by Tetsuya Kimura, Geoglyph took the scalp of stablemate and subsequent dual Grade One winner Equinox at Nakayama last April and while he takes on the might of Country Grammer and Emblem Road in the feature, Lemaire feels he will hold a major chance if he takes to a dirt surface, which he faces for the first time.

“He has a lot of potential. It is hard to predict how he will react on this new surface, but in terms of quality, he has a good chance,” said the rider.

“I have not ridden him on dirt yet and will not until Saturday. I give all my trust to the trainer and the staff.

“He is by Drefong, an American horse, so we expect him to run good and to adapt to the surface.

“It is always a big change for the horses. He is a Grade One winner in Japan and he beat Equinox, which is the new superstar in Japan, so it shows how good Geoglyph is and if he likes the ground, the surface, I think he will cause a big surprise.”

Sixth in the Hong Kong Cup on his last start in December, Geoglyph did not get a clear run under William Buick, yet Lemaire feels the experience of travelling will stand him in good stead.

He added: “He travelled to Hong Kong, so it is always a good experience for horses to travel. It will be his second travel in a couple of months, but he is an easy horse and can adapt.

“In Hong Kong he was a bit unlucky in the race and he did not show his best, but hopefully on Saturday he will show people what he is able to do.”

Songline/Riyadh
Songline looks in great shape ahead of her 1351 Turf Sprint engagement (Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia)

Lemaire feels there will be no excuses for either the American or Japanese horses in the big race, despite modifications to the dirt track.

“I agree that this is the best dirt track in the world,” added Lemaire.

“There was a little change between the first edition of the Saudi Cup three years ago.

“It looks like the ground is now a little bit deeper than it was before, but the quality of the sand is still good. It is a little bit different.

“It looks a little bit tougher for the horses to finish quick. The Saudi Cup winner came from behind last year. I think it looks like more of a front-runners’ track now.

“It is a little between the very quick American dirt and the deeper dirt track in Japan for example. We are somewhere in the middle. Both American horses and Japanese horses can adapt to this track.”



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