Lemaire, Tosaki Battling for Japan’s Leading Rider
A fierce battle continues for the top spot on the jockeys’ leaderboard between Christophe Lemaire and Keita Tosaki. When the race meet at Kyoto Racecourse came to an end, both Lemaire and Tosaki had each won 119 races on the year.
While Tosaki had a good start, Lemaire got off to a slow start early in the season. At the end of March, Tosaki led the table with 34 wins, and Lemaire ranked 12th with 22 wins.
Though Lemaire made up the gap during the summer, Tosaki was still atop the standings with 63 wins, and Lemaire ranked third with 59 wins at the end of June. Tosaki put the pressure on during the third quarter and expanded his lead. By the end of September, Tosaki led the table with 105 wins, while Lemaire ranked sixth with 85 wins. Then it was Lemaire’s turn to launch a fierce attack in October and November. The gap narrowed, and now the two jockeys are tied for the top spot.
Thirteen race days remain until the Japan Racing Association conducts its final meeting in 2025 at Nakayama and Kyoto which ends Dec. 28.
Should Tosaki be crowned as JRA’s leading jockey, it will be his fourth title and first since 2016, having won three straight years in 2014-16. Lemaire was crowned as the leading jockey eight times in the last nine years.
