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The Idol Horse team tackles the biggest events on the world horse racing calendar. Expect to hear interviews from the biggest names in the sport and insight, breaking news and forthright opinion from the Idol Horse team.
Michael Cox (00:02.146)
Welcome to the Idol Horse podcast. I'm Michael Cox, editor at Idol Horse.com. Today a very special guest. It's French jockey Christophe Lemaire. He's just celebrated his 100th group one winner and we're going to walk through the five wins that changed the course of this incredible career. From an amateur rider in France to a trailblazer in Japan. Coming up next, the Idol Horse podcast with Christophe Lemaire.
Michael Cox (00:43.576)
Welcome Christophe and congratulations on the personal milestone.
Christophe Lemaire (00:48.302)
Michael, great to be with you and to talk about some of the group ones that I won. Some of the very good memories for me having these hundred group ones all around the world. It was quite a long journey, but I'm glad to have a chat with you about this.
Michael Cox (01:09.794)
What we thought we'd do, we'd break it down into the five most memorable or meaningful of the wins out of the Group 1 wins. And not necessarily the most famous, but the most significant for you in the way that they changed the trajectory of your career and charted that journey from France to Japan. And the first one is the first one, Vespone. It's the first of your Group 1 winners. Tell us about this day and what this win meant for you when it came in there. How established were you as a jockey when this happened?
Christophe Lemaire (01:40.428)
Yeah, so that was back in 2000, I think, or 2002. I was riding at that time for Nicolas Clément. He's one of the top trainers in France. He gave me my chance to ride his horses. So we had the opportunity to have a Vespon, which was a Swiss bred horse. So it was not Galileo or some Sadler's Whale, so, you know, some
some big names in the breeding, but a beautiful horse and he won the Prix Jean Pratt, his first group one in May, and then won the Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp in July. So of course, the first group one for a jockey is a very special moment. I come from the gentleman riders side, so I was an amateur when I started my racing career and became a pro.
two years later. So I was already very, very happy to become a pro jockey, but to become a group one jockey, that was something very emotional for me because, you know, I am in horse racing since my very young age because my father was a jockey and I knew what group ones mean to jockeys and being one of the jockeys.
able to win a group one was a very, very special moment for me, especially coming from the amateur side. I considered it as a big achievement, even if I was young and many more to come. But at least I would have won a group one in my career. And that was very big for me.
Michael Cox (03:30.19)
It sounds like even if that is all you would have won, you would have been kind of content with that. Can you explain the difference with the culture of amateur writing? Is it uncommon to do what you had done in France? It's something in a lot of other countries they don't have.
Christophe Lemaire (03:46.956)
Yes, exactly. So when you are an amateur rider, you can go to school or have a job aside of horse racing and you not get paid even if you win, finish second, third or fourth. I mean, you just ride races for your pleasure and you must ride in some specific races reserved for amateur riders. So it's a real race.
I mean, you dress like a jockey, you act like a jockey, but you are an amateur. So you ride only, you know, few races in the months, maybe once a week during the weekends, and you just do it for your pleasure. So while I was still going to school, I used to go all around France to ride these specific races. I did it for two years. And then when I finished school, passed the baccalaureate.
I decided to become a pro jockey. You know, there's another very, very famous jockey who was an amateur before. It's Ryan Moore. So he used to ride amateur races in England and then became a pro and what a pro.
Michael Cox (05:04.482)
You don't get much better credentialled than that. I'm curious about what it is maybe that you gain from being an amateur writer compared to the more conventional path. Do you think it gave you some different attributes, different skills, different perspective?
Christophe Lemaire (05:22.412)
I think, as you say, different skills and perspective was mostly for my brain because I went to school until 19 years old, yes, and I had the time to grow as a teenager to an adult. I could also settle my passion for horse racing because sometimes, you you want something, you get it, and then you say, no, finally, it's not the path that I want to take.
And during these two years, you know, I really built my passion for horse racing, my passion to ride races all around the France. And after these two years, I knew that I would become a pro jockey and I would do my best to perform. But to be honest, to become a top jockey, it's better to start early, like in any sport, you know, when you start early, you can develop the skills and same for the languages. When you learn
early you learn faster and better. I mean, it was a different way of becoming a pro jockey, but I think for myself it was the right way.
Michael Cox (06:36.206)
Well, it certainly proved that way and you were well on your way to stardom when you won the next race on our list. Divine proportions, your first classic win. You're group one, that's one level. But to win these races in France, mean, explain to our global audience. I was looking at how old this race is, the history. Tell us about where these races, the French classics sit in terms of, it's not just a group one, right?
Christophe Lemaire (07:04.672)
Yeah, definitely. As soon as you write a classic, as you win a classic, you become... you start to be known more internationally, especially in Europe. The Prix de Diane is very famous race with a lot of history behind. And winning with Divine Proportions, which was the best two-year-old in Europe, who became the best three-year-old in Europe.
Michael Cox (07:30.286)
And he finishes well behind, big return from Payetam and divine proportion flies to champion in the right line of Chantilly.
Michael Cox (07:48.204)
to blow up competition.
Christophe Lemaire (07:55.182)
It was a big step for me in the jockey ranking and in my fame, at least in Europe. The horse was wearing the colours of the famous Niacos family, which had multiple winners in the past. And wearing these colours for the Prix de Diane and winning with such a tremendous filly, was Divine Proportions, that was really a special moment for me.
And more personally, my whole family was in Chantilly race course. It was a beautiful day. The Prix de Diane has always this elegant atmosphere with a lot of ladies wearing hats and beautiful dresses. It was a marvelous day for me and of course great memories.
Michael Cox (08:50.624)
The third one on our list is a really interesting choice and one completely out of left field I want to get into. Now we talk about this saying, big in Japan, know, a foreigner that's achieved great fame in Japan and that is you, you're the personification of that and all your history there, but you're also famous in Australia, my homeland. And I was here this day, the day you won the Melbourne Cup on Dunedin.
Tell me what you knew about the Melbourne Cup before you won it and then what you found out after you won the Melbourne Cup.
Christophe Lemaire (09:27.278)
Actually, I heard a lot about the Melbourne Cup when the previous year, American and Gerald Mosse won the Melbourne Cup because there was many articles about it in France. know, it was a, it's a big task for big challenge for French horse to run in Australia, especially the Melbourne Cup. you know, we talk a lot about the Melbourne Cup when American won. So I heard that.
It was a great atmosphere. was the race who stopped the nation. And Gérald had a lot of positive words about the Melbourne Cup. He said the atmosphere was just amazing. even with his experience, he couldn't expect such a great atmosphere. So, you know, I was a bit curious about it. And then I had that...
that offer, that late offer from Michel Delzong to ride the horse in the Melbourne Cup because Greg Williams get suspended the week before. And at that time I was in Japan and I knew the horse because I rode him once or twice in France. And I had good collaboration with Michel Delzong as well. And I was in Japan, not too far from Australia. So I was able to come quick.
And when I reached Melbourne airport, I wasn't sure 100 % to ride the horse because Greg Williams was on court the day before to try to cancel the suspension. But anyway, said, okay, Michael, I go to Australia, whatever, if I ride or not, at least I will witness the Melbourne Cup at least once in my life. And I was very happy to go there.
and I would have supported Duna Den, of course, if I wasn't able to ride. well, Craig Williams couldn't cancel the suspension, so I had to ride the horse. And so on the morning, I walked the track with John Marshall, a former Melbourne Cup winner jockey. He was so great to me, and every time I talk about Melbourne Cup, I have a thought.
Christophe Lemaire (11:46.346)
about him because that was amazing. He just tell me the way to win the Melbourne Cup. And if I had to draw a pass on the track with some painting, I followed exactly what he told me, which pass he told me. And I won the race by the shortest margin in Melbourne Cup.
Michael Cox (12:25.23)
It's nearly a dead heat. Number three is the winner.
Christophe Lemaire (12:36.28)
So I can imagine without his advices, if I would have been a little bit wider or if I had made the move a little bit earlier or later, I would have lost the race and we wouldn't talk about it today. So riding the race and winning it, of course, was a great moment in my career. And the day after as well was just amazing when I flew back to Japan.
I took pictures with the crew in the airplane and everybody, every single person in the plane say a word to me, well done for the winner yesterday. It's amazing. And still now when I talk with Australian people who doesn't know about horse racing, when I say that I'm a Melbourne Cup winner jockey, they are just in wow. And they want to take a picture with me and everything, you know, so.
I still have the benefits of that winner and that was an amazing experience.
Michael Cox (13:42.336)
so much uncertainty from arriving and firstly finding out so close to the race that you might be riding, not knowing if you're going to ride. Going into the race, first ride at Flemington and then winning and not knowing, I guess, that you had won. Tell me about the time between crossing the line and finding out that you had won. It took a long time for the photo to come back. It was incredibly close. What was that?
period like.
Christophe Lemaire (14:14.552)
quite stressful because you know, if the coin goes to one face to another, can change your life, can change your day, can change your day and can change your life. And the coin went to the right side. it took a long time to develop the photo finish, but I was still on the horse, still on the track when the result came out. And I was
a bit disappointed firstly because the pony with the mic went straight away to, was it Rod? Jockey Rod? Michael Rod. Yeah. Yeah. And they went straight to him. So I thought, my gosh, I lost the race. We are second. And then when I passed the big stand where people were drinking and shouting and everything,
Michael Cox (14:55.968)
Michael Rod, and
Christophe Lemaire (15:13.804)
They started to congratulate me. So I didn't know if they congratulated me for having such a match race in the last yards or because I was the winner. So you can see on some footage that I'm pointing myself saying, is it me? I am the winner. Am I the winner? And people were, you're the winner. You're the winner. So that was...
Michael Cox (15:39.27)
Yeah, and by the way, you're asking an official, you're asking like tens of thousands of drunk Australians whether you want. Like, they don't know that they're the best judge.
Christophe Lemaire (15:51.294)
Yeah, so that's why it took me few minutes maybe to consider it and to realize that I was the winner, you know, and then when the number appeared on the board, wow, that was just, I was relieved and also I started to enjoy the victory, you know. That was such a big moment. Yeah, incredible.
Michael Cox (16:19.79)
We're going to go back to Japan just before before this. And I think this this win hearts cry in the Arima Kennan in 2005 is one that's I don't know. It's it's it's something as time goes by for me something that becomes even more profound or iconic. Yeah. As as deep impact legacy grows this this win by hearts cry defeating deep impact in front of
An enormous crowd, hard to imagine, 160,000 people, a long odds on favourite. This is one where I really want to hear from you, like what it was like at the time, what it was like, the atmosphere to return after this win.
Christophe Lemaire (17:04.877)
you
Christophe Lemaire (17:35.342)
Yeah, to explain the situation, Deep Impact was the new star in Japanese horse racing. was the Triple Crown winner. Such an amazing horse. When you see him galloping, he was just like a ballerina, know, running without doing any effort. So he was definitely the star of the moment. And before the Arima-Kinen, I just got beat in the Japan Cup by Al Kased, turned by a nose, in record time.
2,400 meters world record. So I was very happy with Heart's Cry, but so, so disappointed to lose the Japan Cup by a nose. I was not even a group two or group three winner jockey in Japan at that time, after three years that I spent in Japan. And I was so frustrated. And Nakayama Riscourse is a bit tricky track. The straight is not very long.
But I told myself, if Hatskrai runs the same race than in the Japan Cup, I mean, at the same level, if I can put him in the right spot at the right time, maybe deep impact coming from back of the rear, he won't have time to catch me. And the race went perfectly.
I motivated a bit the hard scribe before the start, you know, to jump quicker than usual from the gates, from the starting gates. And he did well. So I sit in third position and then I used his long acceleration. I used his stamina, you know, to make the difference. And obviously, deep impact, running as usual from the back, didn't have time to catch me.
And it was a big shock for the crowd who was there on Nakayama race course and a great achievement for me in Japan. And maybe the race where everybody considered Mr. Le Maire as a good jockey in Japan.
Michael Cox (19:51.438)
elevated your status and helped you move on maybe, I guess is a natural progression to the fifth moment or horse group one win that you've named on your list and that is Equinox in the Dubai Shema Classic. This was another one that I was there for is just effortless, looked effortless, just a beautiful moving horse and an iconic moment for a horse with many great moments.
Winox is still going strong and he's lengthening his lead down to the 16th pole. Here is the Titan of...
Inflinox, scores for Japan by four lengths on the wire.
Out of all of his performances, what was it about this one that made you choose this particular performance in Dubai?
Christophe Lemaire (20:49.71)
This one because on that occasion Equinox had so much impact worldwide, even in America, because, you know, in America they talk about American racing, Kentucky Derby, Britska, blah, blah. But they don't talk much about foreign horses or foreign races. But even when I went to America afterwards, everybody came to me and talk about Equinox. So it means it means the impact that he had. I mean,
Everybody was in wow watching his performance on that day with such strong field and such a beautiful horse running. And also the call of Larry Colmus, which is a famous American racing caller and naming Equinox as the the Titan of the turf. I mean, that was, wow, amazing. It's like watching the
Diego Maradona's goal against England in the World Cup with that call, know, ta ta ta ta ta. Goal! I mean, this is all the scenery which makes this race very special to me and also to horse racing lovers.
Michael Cox (22:06.926)
He was a beautiful mover and a great race horse. What was it about Equinox that you think as a horse, whether it was his physical attribute, his mind, or what was it about him when he got to his peak? It took a little while to get there. He wasn't the Derby winner, but through the end of that three-year-old year and his four-year-old year, he was such an impeccable race horse. Tell me about what made him special.
Christophe Lemaire (22:36.91)
Yeah, I mean, he had all the qualities to all the abilities to to become a nearly perfect athlete. I mean, he was made to run. His physical allowed him to gallop without doing too much effort. He was light enough to to have stamina. He was strong enough to to have a strong acceleration who would just kill the other opponents. And he had
Also this mentor, this fighting spirit and maybe his natural abilities to be a race horse, you know, it was in his genes. And the DNA that he had was maybe different compared to other horses. And yeah, it made him the perfect athlete for this sport.
Michael Cox (23:32.43)
Thank you so much for your insight and that journey through these these five moments. I think it's a beautiful way to tell the story of your your career and your great achievements. But before you go, I just want to ask like, you know, 100 down, how many more to go? Like, what does the future hold for for Christophe Lemayre? We're not looking for a retirement announcement right here, but we just want to know like how you feel about how you feel about looking back at 100. That's a lot.
How much more you want in the future and what drives you now?
Christophe Lemaire (24:04.182)
Yeah, I can be 99 % sure that there won't be 100 Group 1s again in the future, but a few, I hope. No, I'm still confident that I will ride some good horses to win Group 1s again. I have great support here in Japan from the big owners and the big farms. So I'm very happy with my condition right now, physical condition and mental
condition. Of course, I am more at the end of my career than at the beginning. I won't go until my 55, I guess. I still have a few years to go, but I can't say next year or in two years time. You know, it will happen when I will feel that it's the right moment. But so far so good. I'm still focused on my races, every single races I want to win.
Actually, this year I'm doing my career best in Japan with 76 winners so far. Three group ones. Never happened in the last 10 years for me. So it means I'm still competitive. I still want to win races and big ones. So I'm still here for a while.
Michael Cox (25:26.958)
Long may it last. Thank you so much for joining us on the Idol Horse Podcast, Christophe, and good luck for the remainder of the season. Thanks for joining us.
Christophe Lemaire (25:37.016)
My pleasure. Thank you very much, Michael.