Kawada wins World All-Star Jockeys, Teetan ranks joint third

Hong Kong representative Karis Teetan was unable to notch a win on the second and final day of the JRA World All-Star Jockeys series at Sapporo Racecourse, Japan today (Sunday, 25 August), but a creditable second in the third leg helped him finish joint third behind eventual winner Yuga Kawada. 

Teetan had scored 31 points in Saturday’s two heats to sit joint-second at the half-way point. In the third leg over 1700m on dirt today, the Mauritian rider settled his mount Realist ahead of mid-field after a good jump from gate five. Turning to the homestraight Teetan moved to outside and his mount accelerated well. Race winner Suave Aramis, ridden by French star Mickaelle Michel, never looked under threat but Realist finished clear of other rivals to run second, beaten by two lengths.

That second left Teetan in second place ahead of the final leg, a turf race over 1800m. However, Teetan’s ride Jo Book Kommen could only finish ninth. In total, he amassed 53 points in the series to finish level with Michel. The victorious Kawada scored 70 points to take the overall title, thanks to his win atop Precious Blue in the final leg. Christophe Lemaire was runner-up with 58 points.

In the team contest, Team JRA took the plaudits with an overall tally of 246 points to Team World All-Stars 202 points. legs of the World All-Star Jockeys contest will continue at Sapporo on Sunday (25 August) afternoon. Teetan will team up with Realist in the third leg, a 1700m dirt event, before climbing aboard Jo Book Kommen in the concluding leg, an 1800m event on turf.ack,” he said, “I’ve been to Sapporo twice and although the draw of which horses I will ride is all down to luck - I’m still going there in a good frame of mind. It’s not going to be something new to me, I’m really hoping that everything can go my way and I do well.”

The contest, spanning two race days, begins with two races on Saturday, 24 August when Teetan will partner King King King in a 1200m contest and Win Exceed over 2000m. His challenge will continue on Sunday, 25 August with Realist in a 1700m race and will conclude in the fourth and final leg over 1800m aboard Jo Book Kommen.

Teetan will face-off against 13 other riders for the individual title, he being one of five invited overseas jockeys. His rivals include Japanese legend and past WASJ winner Yutaka Take, Japan’s current champion jockey and another past victor Christophe Lemaire, and US Eclipse Award winner Julien Leparoux.

He will join Leparoux, New Zealander Lisa Allpress, Irishman Colm O’Donoghue, France’s Mickaelle Michel and local NAR riders Fumio Matoba and Tomohiro Yoshimura to compete against seven JRA jockeys for the team title.

Teetan anticipates that the experience, one week before the start of the Hong Kong season, will sharpen him for the 88 race-meeting challenge which lies ahead.

“It’s good for me and it’s going to get me going early because I’ll be riding a week before, he said. “Riding in Hong Kong, you come up against so many competitive jockeys and although I’m in my seventh year, I’m always trying to learn and get better all the time. I think going to Japan now and competing against the jockeys there, it can only be good for me.”

The 2019/20 Hong Kong season commences at Sha Tin on Sunday, 1 September.