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 | |
| Heart's Cry, Makfi, Pride, Almond Eye, Equinox | |
Christophe Patrice Lemaire (born May 20, 1979) is a famous French jockey. He is especially well-known for his amazing success in horse racing in Japan. He has won the most races at Japan Racing Association tracks for five years in a row since 2017!
Contents
Christophe Lemaire's Racing Journey
Christophe Lemaire started his racing career in 1999. This was after he got his official license to be a jockey in France. From then on, he quickly became a top rider. By 2003, he was the seventh best 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 that allowed him to ride there. He mainly raced at local tracks like Chukyo Racecourse and Kokura Racecourse. It didn't take long for him to do well in Japan's biggest races. He finished second in the 2004 Autumn Tenno Sho and the 2004 Japan Cup. He also placed second in the 2005 Mile Championship.
First Big Wins
Christophe 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 win was very special because it broke the winning streak of Deep Impact. Deep Impact was a super famous horse who had won the Triple Crown that year. Christophe's win also marked the fourth year in a row that a foreign jockey won the Arima Kinen.
In 2006, he continued his success with Heart's Cry. They won the Dubai Sheema Classic together. He also rode a horse named Pride to win the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. They beat a very strong horse called Hurricane Run in that race.
In 2008, Christophe won another important race in England. He rode Natagora to victory in the 1,000 Guineas. This is one of England's most famous races.
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. Before he could start, he had a small issue. He was suspended for 30 days because he used Twitter the night before a race. JRA rules say jockeys can't have outside contact from 9 PM the night before a race until their last race is done. After his suspension, Christophe quickly got his first win as a full-time JRA jockey. He won the Osaka Hai on April 6.
Breaking Records in Japan
In 2017, Christophe made history. He became the first foreign jockey to be the leading jockey in Japan. He won an amazing 199 JRA races that year!
The next year, 2018, was even better. He won the Yushun Himba for the second time, right on his 39th birthday. In October 2018, he rode Almond Eye to win the Japan Fillies Triple Crown. He also broke a long-standing record held by Yutaka Take for the most wins in a year in Japan. Christophe had 215 wins, beating the old record of 212.
In 2019, he kept his title as Japan's top jockey for the third year in a row. He won five Grade 1 races and the Dubai Turf with Almond Eye. This was Almond Eye's first international Grade 1 win.
Christophe continued his winning streak in 2020, becoming the champion jockey for the fourth time. He won 204 races, 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. Thanks to Christophe, Almond Eye became the Japanese horse with the most Grade 1 wins ever (eight in Japan and one international). By the end of 2020, Christophe was ranked the number one jockey in the world! He held this top spot for five years in a row until 2021.
In 2022, he had major wins like the Tenno Sho (Autumn) and the Arima Kinen. However, he lost his top jockey title that year. But he made a big comeback in 2023! He won the JRA championship again and broke the record for the most prize money earned. This year was also special because of Equinox. This horse was named the worldwide horse of the year, and Christophe won four major Grade 1 races with him.
Recent Career and Injury
In early 2022, Christophe also started a fashion brand called CL by C.ルメール.
On March 30, 2024, Christophe was injured during a race in Dubai. He broke his collarbone and fractured a rib. Because of this, he couldn't ride two horses, Stars On Earth and Derma Sotogake, in their big races that night. Other jockeys rode them instead.
He came back to racing about a month later in Japan. He had his best success rate ever in Japan in 2024, winning 29.8% of his races. He also won three Grade 1 titles in Japan and finished second in the Breeders Cup turf. He claimed his seventh leading jockey title with 176 wins from 590 rides.
Major Wins Around the World
Christophe Lemaire has won many important races in different countries:
- Melbourne Cup - (1) - Dunaden (2011)
- 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)
- 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)
- Hong Kong Cup - (1) - Pride (2006)
Japan (the JRA)
- 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 - (3) - Admire Lead (2017), Almond Eye (2020), Gran Alegria (2021)
- 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)
Japan (the NAR)
- 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)
- Dubai Sheema Classic - (2) - Heart's Cry (2006), Equinox (2023)
- Dubai Turf - (1) - Almond Eye (2019)
- Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf - (1) - Flotilla (2012)
- Secretariat Stakes - (1) - Bayrir (2012)
