Christophe Lemaire facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Christophe Lemaire |
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Lemaire in 2023 (Takarazuka Kinen)
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| Occupation | Jockey |
| Born | 20 May 1979 Gouvieux, France |
| Career wins | 1,800+ (Japan) 718 (France) |
| Racing awards | |
| JRA Award for Best Jockey (races won) (2017-2021, 2023) JRA Award for Best Jockey (winning average) (2015, 2016, 2018) JRA Award for Best Jockey (money earned) (2016-2021, 2023) Most Valuable Jockey (2017-2021) JRA Grand Prize Jockey (2018) |
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| Significant horses | |
| Divine Proportions, Heart's Cry, Makfi, Pride, Satono Diamond, Almond Eye, Gran Alegria, Equinox, Cervinia, Urban Chic | |
Christophe Patrice Lemaire (Japanese:クリストフ・ルメール (Kurisutofu Rumeru)) was born on May 20, 1979. He is a very successful jockey from France. He has achieved many wins in horse racing in Japan. In fact, he was the top jockey at Japan Racing Association (JRA) racetracks for five years in a row, starting in 2017.
Christophe Lemaire's Racing Journey
Christophe Lemaire started his professional racing career in 1999. This was after he earned his license to be a jockey in France. From the very beginning, he showed great skill and quickly became one of the top jockeys. By 2003, he was the seventh leading jockey in France. That same year, he won a big race called the French Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris.
Early Success in Japan
In 2002, Christophe also began racing in Japan. He used a special 3-month license called a tanki menkyo. He mostly raced at local tracks like Chukyo Racecourse and Kokura Racecourse. It didn't take long for him to start placing in Japan's biggest races, known as Grade 1 stakes.
For example, he finished second in the 2004 Autumn Tenno Sho race. He also came in second in the 2004 Japan Cup and the 2005 Mile Championship.
First Big Win in Japan
Christophe Lemaire got his first major win in Japan in 2005. He rode a horse named Heart's Cry to victory in the Arima Kinen race. This was a huge win because it ended the winning streak of Deep Impact. Deep Impact was a famous horse who had won the Triple Crown and was named Horse of the Year. Christophe's win also marked the fourth year in a row that a jockey from another country won the Arima Kinen.
International Victories
Christophe Lemaire's success wasn't just in France and Japan. In 2006, he rode Heart's Cry to another big win in the Dubai Sheema Classic. He also won the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud with a horse named Pride, beating a very strong favorite.
In 2008, he won England's second major classic race, the 1,000 Guineas, riding Natagora. Later, in 2011, he won the famous 2011 Melbourne Cup in Australia by a very close finish, riding a horse named Dunaden.
Becoming a Full-Time Jockey in Japan
In February 2015, Christophe Lemaire became a full-time jockey for the Japan Racing Association (JRA). This was a big step in his career. However, he faced a short suspension early on for using social media when he wasn't supposed to. After his suspension, he quickly got his first win as a JRA jockey in April 2015.
Breaking Records in Japan
In 2017, Christophe Lemaire made history. He became the first jockey from another country to be Japan's leading jockey. He won an amazing 199 JRA races that year!
In 2018, he won the Yushun Himba race for the second time. In October 2018, he rode a horse named Almond Eye to win the Japan Fillies Triple Crown. He also broke a long-standing record for the most wins in a year in Japan, with 215 victories.
Christophe continued his winning streak, keeping his title as Japan's top jockey for three years in a row by 2019. He won five Grade 1 races that year, plus an international race in Dubai. In 2020, he won the championship for the fourth time in a row, with 204 JRA wins, including eight Grade 1 races. He also set a new record by winning the Emperor's Cup (Tenno Sho Autumn) five times in a row. This made Almond Eye the Japanese horse with the most Grade 1 wins. By the end of 2020, Christophe Lemaire was ranked the number one jockey in the world! He held this top spot for five years, until 2021.
In 2022, he had major wins in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) and the Arima Kinen, but he didn't keep his top jockey title. However, 2023 was a huge comeback year for him. He not only won the JRA championship again but also broke the record for the most prize money earned. This year was also special because of the incredible horse Equinox. Christophe Lemaire rode Equinox to win four major Grade 1 races, and Equinox was named the worldwide horse of the year.
In early 2022, Christophe also started a fashion brand called CL by C.ルメール, alongside his racing career.
Recent Racing and Achievements
On March 30, 2024, Christophe Lemaire had a fall during a race in Dubai. He broke his collarbone and fractured a rib. Because of this, he couldn't ride some horses he was scheduled to. However, he made a quick comeback about a month later in Japan. In 2024, he achieved his highest-ever success rate in Japan, winning 29.8% of his races. He also secured three Grade 1 titles in Japan and a second place in the Breeders' Cup Turf. He claimed his seventh leading jockey title with 176 victories from 590 races.
Major Race Wins
Christophe Lemaire has won many important races around the world. Here are some of his biggest victories:
Wins in Australia
- Melbourne Cup - (1) - Dunaden (2011)
Wins in France
- Grand Prix de Paris - (1) - Vespone (2003)
- Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud - (2) - Pride (2006), Sarafina (2011)
- Poule d'Essai des Pouliches - (3) - Divine Proportions (2005), Elusive Wave (2009), Flotilla (2013)
- Prix d'Astarté - (1) - Divine Proportions (2005)
- Prix de Diane - (3) - Divine Proportions (2005), Stacelita (2009), Sarafina (2010)
- Prix d'Ispahan - (1) - Never on Sunday (2009)
- Prix Jean Prat - (1) - Vespone (2003)
- Prix du Jockey Club - (1) - Le Havre (2009)
- Prix Marcel Boussac - (2) - Denebola (2003), Divine Proportions (2004)
- Prix Morny - (1) - Divine Proportions (2004)
- Prix du Moulin de Longchamp - (1) - Starcraft (2005)
- Prix de l'Opéra - (1) - Ridasiyna (2012)
- Prix Royal-Oak - (1) - Gentoo (2010)
- Prix Saint-Alary - (4) - Coquerelle (2007), Belle et Celebre (2008), Stacelita (2009), Sagawara (2012)
- Prix Vermeille - (2) - Stacelita (2009), Shareta (2012)
Wins in Great Britain
- 1,000 Guineas - (1) - Natagora (2008)
- 2,000 Guineas - (1) - Makfi (2010)
- Champion Stakes - (2) - Pride (2006), Literato (2007)
- Cheveley Park Stakes - (1) - Natagora (2007)
- King's Stand Stakes - (1) - Chineur (2005)
- Queen Elizabeth II Stakes - (1) - Starcraft (2005)
- Sun Chariot Stakes - (1) - Sahpresa (2011)
- Yorkshire Oaks - (1) - Shareta (2012)
Wins in Hong Kong
- Hong Kong Cup - (1) - Pride (2006)
Wins in Japan (JRA Races)
- Arima Kinen - (3) - Heart's Cry (2005), Satono Diamond (2016), Equinox (2022)
- Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup - (3) - Little Amapola (2008), Lucky Lilac (2020), Brede Weg (2023)
- Champions Cup (former Japan Cup Dirt) - (2) - Kane Hekili (2008), Belshazzar (2013)
- Japan Cup - (4) - Vodka (2009), Almond Eye (2018, 2020), Equinox (2023)
- Hanshin Juvenile Fillies - (2) - Major Emblem (2015), Soul Stirring (2016)
- NHK Mile Cup - (2) - Major Emblem (2016), Schnell Meister (2021)
- Kikuka-shō - (3) - Satono Diamond (2016), Fierement (2018), Durezza (2023), Urban Chic (2024)
- Victoria Mile - (4) - Admire Lead (2017), Almond Eye (2020), Gran Alegria (2021), Ascoli Piceno (2025)
- Tokyo Yūshun - (1) - Rey de Oro (2017)
- Yushun Himba - (3) - Soul Stirring (2017), Almond Eye (2018), Stars On Earth (2022), Cervinia (2024)
- Shuka Sho - (2) - Deirdre (2017), Almond Eye (2018), Cervinia (2024)
- Oka Sho - (2) - Almond Eye (2018), Gran Alegria (2019)
- Yasuda Kinen - (1) - Mozu Ascot (2018)
- Tenno Sho (Autumn) - (5) - Rey de Oro (2018), Almond Eye (2019, 2020), Equinox (2022, 2023)
- Japan Breeding farms' Cup Sprint (held by the JRA) - (1) - Graceful Leap (2018)
- Satsuki Sho - (1) - Saturnalia (2019)
- Tenno Sho (Spring) - (3) - Fierement (2019), Fierement (2020), Justin Palace (2023)
- February Stakes - (2) - Mozu Ascot (2020), Cafe Pharoah (2021)
- Sprinters Stakes - (2) - Tower of London (2019), Gran Alegria (2020)
- Mile Championship - (1) - Gran Alegria (2020)
- Takarazuka Kinen - (1) - Chrono Genesis (2021), Equinox (2023)
- Hopeful Stakes - (2) - Rey de Oro (2016), Regaleira (2023)
Wins in Japan (NAR Races)
- Kawasaki Kinen - (3) - Vermilion (2007), Kane Hekili (2008), All Blush (2017)
- Tokyo Daishōten - (1) - Kane Hekili (2008)
- Japan Dirt Derby - (1) - Nonkono Yume (2015)
- Kashiwa Kinen - (2) - Gold Dream (2018, 2019)
- Teio Sho - (1) - Gold Dream (2018)
Wins in United Arab Emirates
- Dubai Sheema Classic - (2) - Heart's Cry (2006), Equinox (2023)
- Dubai Turf - (1) - Almond Eye (2019)
Wins in United States
- Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf - (1) - Flotilla (2012)
- Secretariat Stakes - (1) - Bayrir (2012)
