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LEGENDSOF JAPANESE RACING

THE ARCHIVE — JOCKEYS

TheJockeys

For every great horse, a great rider.

Active, retired and now-training riders are labelled. Career totals for active riders change weekly and are not shown.

ACTIVE
Yutaka Take
武豊
Born 15 Mar 1969
Eighteen-time JRA leading jockey and a record six-time winner of the Japanese Derby — a living legend of Japanese racing.
RETIRED
Yukio Okabe
岡部幸雄
Born 31 Oct 1948
Symboli Rudolf’s regular rider — a pioneer of freelance riding who championed a “horse first” philosophy.
ACTIVE
Christophe Lemaire
クリストフ・ルメール
Born 20 May 1979
A French-born JRA jockey who set the Japanese single-season record with 215 wins in 2018.
ACTIVE
Norihiro Yokoyama
横山典弘
Born 23 Feb 1968
The veteran who won the Takarazuka Kinen and Tenno Sho (Spring) on Gold Ship — and the Japanese Derby in 2024.
ACTIVE
Kenichi Ikezoe
池添謙一
Born 23 Jul 1979
Orfevre’s Triple Crown partner, dubbed “the Grand Prix Man” for seven combined wins in the Arima Kinen and Takarazuka Kinen.
NOW A TRAINER
Yuichi Fukunaga
福永祐一
Born 9 Dec 1976
Son of the jockey once called a “genius”, Yoichi Fukunaga — now a trainer after a long riding career.