Christophe Patrice Lemaire (Japanese:, born 20 May 1979) is a

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

-born jockey. He has enjoyed much of his success on the Japanese flat racing circuit, with the most wins at

Japan Racing Association The Japan Racing Association ( ja, 日本中央競馬会 Nippon Chūō Keiba Kai, or JRA) is a public company established to operate Chūō Keiba (中央競馬 Central horse racing) and to manage racecourses, betting facilities, and horse-training ...

racetracks for five consecutive years since 2017.

Career

Lemaire began racing in 1999, after he obtained the license required for a French jockey. From there, he has steadily built up a good track record, becoming the seventh leading jockey in 2003, and winning the French Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris in the same year. In 2002 he also began racing in

races using the 3-month system, taking part mainly at local racecourses such as Chukyo Racecourse and Kokura Racecourse. Within a few years he had already placed in Japan's major

Grade 1 First grade (also called Grade One, called '' Year 2'' in England or Primary 2 in Scotland) is the first grade in elementary school and the first school year after kindergarten. Children are usually 6–7 years old in this grade. Examples b ...

stakes races, finishing second in the 2004 Autumn Tenno Sho on Dance in the Mood, second in the 2004 Japan Cup on Cosmo Bulk, and second in the 2005 Mile Championship on Daiwa Major. Lemaire secured his first Japanese graded stakes victory, and first Japanese Grade 1 win, aboard Heart's Cry in the 2005

Arima Kinen The Arima Kinen (有馬記念) is a Grade I flat horse race in Japan open to Thoroughbreds which are three-years-old or above and the world's largest betting horserace.

. The victory broke the winning streak of Triple Crown winner and eventual Horse of the Year Deep Impact. It was also the fourth straight year that a foreign jockey won the Arima Kinen, following three consecutive wins by

Olivier Peslier Olivier Peslier (born 12 January 1973 in Château-Gontier) is a French thoroughbred horse racing jockey. Peslier competes in flat racing mainly in France but travels often around the world for the big international races. He was a retained joc ...

. In 2006 he rode Heart's Cry to victory in the Dubai Sheema Classic. He also rode Pride in the

Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud The Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Saint-Cloud over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles), and it i ...

, beating the favourite,

Hurricane Run Hurricane Run (2002–2016) was a world champion Irish-bred thoroughbred racehorse. He was the second French-trained horse, after his sire Montjeu, to win both the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. H ...

. In 2008 he rode the winner of England's second classic of the year, the

1,000 Guineas The 1000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,6 ...

, aboard the Pascal Bary-trained Natagora. In September 2009, he was chosen by the

Aga Khan Aga Khan ( fa, آقاخان, ar, آغا خان; also transliterated as ''Aqa Khan'' and ''Agha Khan'') is a title held by the Imām of the Nizari Ismāʿīli Shias. Since 1957, the holder of the title has been the 49th Imām, Prince Shah Kari ...

as first jockey. He won the

2011 Melbourne Cup The 2011 Emirates Melbourne Cup, the 151st running of Australia's most prestigious Thoroughbred horse race, was held on Tuesday, 1 November 2011 at 3:00 pm (AEDT), at Melbourne's Flemington Racecourse. Dunaden won in a photo finish over ...

in a photo-finish riding Dunaden. Lemaire was scheduled to resume riding in Japan in March 2015 after falling at Kyoto Racecourse in November 2014. However, he was suspended by stewards of the

(JRA) for 30 days after he used

Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

the night before he was scheduled to participate in races at

Hanshin Racecourse is located in Takarazuka, Hyogo, Japan. It has a capacity of 139,000 and it is used for horse racing. The land was originally owned by Kawanishi Aircraft Company, which manufactured combat planes during World War II. After the World War II, ...

. JRA regulations bar any outside contact by jockeys from 9 PM the night before racing until after they have ridden in their final race of the day. In 2017, he became the first foreigner to be Japan's leading jockey, winning 199 JRA races in the year. In 2018, he won Yushun Himba for the second time, on his 39th birthday. In October 2018, he rode

Almond Eye Almond Eye ( Japanese アーモンドアイ, foaled 10 March 2015) is a champion Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Japanese Fillies' Triple Crown in 2018, and holds a world record over 2,400 meters on turf. She is also a two-time winn ...

to her victory at the Japan Fillies Triple Crown and won the championship for the second consecutive year, breaking

Yutaka Take (born March 15, 1969 in Kyoto, Kyoto) is a Japanese jockey. A legend in Japan, Yutaka Take made his riding debut in 1987 and currently holds seven all-time records in his native country. Take has won at least one Grade 1 races for 23 straigh ...

's long standing record for wins in a year in Japan (215 wins vs 212). In 2019, he retained his title in Japan for the third consecutive year, winning 5 G1 races as well as the Dubai Turf, the first international G1 win of Almond Eye. In 2020, he again won the championship–for the 4th consecutive time–by winning a total of 204 races in JRA including 8 G1. He also established a new record of consecutive wins at the Emperor's cup (Tenno Sho Autumn) by winning this bi-annual race (spring and autumn) for the fifth consecutive time. This meant that Almond Eye became the Japanese horse with the most G1 wins (8 in Japan and 1 international). At the end of the 2020 season, Lemaire was ranked number 1 in the world, according to the TRC Global Jockey Ranking, taking the lead from Frankie Dettori.https://www.thoroughbredracing.com/rankings/category/jockey/

Major wins

Australia *

Melbourne Cup The Melbourne Cup is a Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne, Australia. It is a 3200-metre race for three-year-olds and over, conducted by the Victoria Racing Club on the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Victoria as part of the Me ...

- (1) - '' Dunaden (2011)'' ----

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

* Grand Prix de Paris - (1) - ''Vespone (2003)'' *

- (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 ''StarCraft'' is a military science fiction media franchise created by Chris Metzen and James Phinney and owned by Blizzard Entertainment. The series, set in the beginning of the 26th century, centers on a galactic struggle for dominance am ...

(2005)'' * 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)'' ----

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

1,000 Guineas The 1000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,6 ...

- (1) - ''

Natagora Natagora was a French champion Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare, named after a Belgian NGO. She won five of her seven starts as a two-year-old including the Group One Cheveley Park Stakes and the Group Two Prix Robert Papin. She was named E ...

(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 Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...

* Hong Kong Cup - (1) - ''Pride (2006)'' ---- Japan ( the JRA) *

Arima Kinen The Arima Kinen (有馬記念) is a Grade I flat horse race in Japan open to Thoroughbreds which are three-years-old or above and the world's largest betting horserace.

- (3) - '' Heart's Cry (2005)'', ''

Satono Diamond Satono Diamond ( ja, サトノダイヤモンド, link=no, foaled 30 January 2013) is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. He showed promise as a juvenile in 2015 when he won both of his races. In the following year he developed into a top-class ...

(2016)'', ''Equinox (2022)'' * Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup - (2) - ''Little Amapola (2008)'', ''Lucky Lilac (2020)'' * Champions Cup (former Japan Cup Dirt) - (2) - '' Kane Hekili (2008)'', ''Belshazzar (2013)'' * Japan Cup - (3) - ''

Vodka Vodka ( pl, wódka , russian: водка , sv, vodka ) is a clear distilled alcoholic beverage. Different varieties originated in Poland, Russia, and Sweden. Vodka is composed mainly of water and ethanol but sometimes with traces of impuriti ...

(2009)'', ''

(2018)'', ''

(2020)'' * Hanshin Juvenile Fillies - (2) - ''Major Emblem (2015)'', ''Soul Stirring (2016)'' * NHK Mile Cup - (2) - ''Major Emblem (2016)'', ''Schnell Meister (2021)'' *

Kikuka-shō The is a Japanese Grade 1 flat horse race in Japan for three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies run over a distance of 3,000 metres (approximately 1 7/8 miles) at the Kyoto Racecourse, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture in October. ...

- (2) - ''

(2016)'', '' Fierement (2018)'' * Victoria Mile - (3) - ''Admire Lead (2017)'', ''

(2020)'', ''

Gran Alegria Gran Alegria ( ja, グランアレグリア, link=no, foaled 24 January 2016) is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse. After winning a minor race on her debut in 2018 she won the Saudi Arabia Royal Cup before running third in the Asahi Hai Futur ...

(2021)'' * Tokyo Yūshun - (1) - ''Rey de Oro (2017)'' * Yushun Himba - (3) - ''Soul Stirring (2017)'', ''Almond Eye (2018)'', ''Stars On Earth (2022)'' * Shuka Sho - (2) - ''Deirdre (2017)'', ''

(2018)'' *

Oka Sho The is a Japanese Grade 1 flat horse race in Japan. The race is restricted to three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies and is run over a distance of 1,600 metres (approximately 1 mile) at the Hanshin Racecourse, Takarazuka, Hyōgo in April. It ...

- (2) - ''Almond Eye (2018)'', ''

(2019)'' * Yasuda Kinen - (1) - ''

Mozu Ascot Mozu Ascot ( ja, モズアスコット, link=no, foaled 31 March 2014) is an American-bred Japanese-trained Thoroughbred racehorse who won Grade 1 races on turf and dirt. He did not race as a two-year-old in 2016 but in the following year he won ...

(2018)'' *

Tenno Sho (Autumn) The is a horse race held twice a year in Japan, once in the spring and once in the autumn. "Tenno" means " Emperor of Japan". The races are both International Grade I races. Prior to the 2007 races, both Tenno Sho races were Japanese domestic Gr ...

- (3) - ''Rey de Oro (2018), Almond Eye (2019), Almond Eye (2020), Equinox (2022)'' * Japan Breeding farms' Cup Sprint (held by the JRA) - (1) - '' Graceful Leap (2018)'' * Satsuki Sho - (1) - ''

Saturnalia Saturnalia is an ancient Roman festival and holiday in honour of the god Saturn, held on 17 December of the Julian calendar and later expanded with festivities through to 23 December. The holiday was celebrated with a sacrifice at the Temple o ...

(2019)'' * Tenno Sho (Spring) - (2) - ''Fierement (2019)'', '' Fierement (2020)'' *

February Stakes The is a Grade 1 flat horse race in Japan for four-year-old and above thoroughbreds. It is run over a distance of 1,600 metres (approximately 8 furlongs) at Tokyo Racecourse in late February. It was first run in 1984 as February Handicap, and was ...

- (2) - ''

(2020)'', '' Cafe Pharoah (2021)'' * Sprinters Stakes - (2) - ''Tower of London (2019),

(2020)'' * Mile Championship - (1) - ''

(2020)'' * Takarazuka Kinen - (1) - '' Chrono Genesis (2021)'' ---- Japan ( the NAR) *

Kawasaki Kinen The Kawasaki Kinen (Kawasaki Memorial) (川崎記念) is a Japanese thoroughbred horse race on dirt track for horses aged four years or older. It was graded as a domestic grade 1 race in 1998. It is held in January, so it is the first (domestic) ...

- (3) - ''

Vermilion Vermilion (sometimes vermillion) is a color, color family, and pigment most often made, since antiquity until the 19th century, from the powdered mineral cinnabar (a form of mercury sulfide, which is toxic) and its corresponding color. It i ...

(2007)'', '' Kane Hekili (2008)'', '' All Blush (2017)'' * Tokyo Daishōten - (1) - ''Kane Hekili (2008)'' *

Japan Dirt Derby The is a Japanese Domestic Grade 1 flat horse race Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It ...

- (1) - '' Nonkono Yume (2015)'' * Kashiwa Kinen - (2) - ''

Gold Dream Gold is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a Brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, s ...

(2018, 2019)'' * Teio Sho - (1) - ''Gold Dream (2018)'' ----

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia ( The Middle East). It is located at ...

* Dubai Sheema Classic - (1) - ''Heart's Cry (2006)'' * Dubai Turf - (1) - ''Almond Eye (2019)'' ----

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf The Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf is a one-mile turf stakes race for thoroughbred fillies two years old. As its name implies, it is part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, the ''de facto'' year-end championship for North American thoro ...

- (1) - ''Flotilla (2012)'' * Secretariat Stakes - (1) - ''Bayrir (2012)'' ----

Year-end charts in the United States

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lemaire, Christophe French jockeys 1979 births Living people Sportspeople from Oise French expatriate sportspeople in Japan