Horse Racing World Witness Grade 1 Winner Jockey Conquer ‘Japan’s Biggest’ Showdown

It’s been a dreamy last few horse racing seasons for one of Japan’s most successful jockeys. Having ridden over 1100 winners in his illustrious career, the 5 time Grade 1 winner continues to add more accolades to his name, and that too the biggest ones. Riding a 4-year-old 2023 Sprinted Stakes winner, he added one more glorious victory to his illustrious resume.

Earlier, the Japanese made his debut in the prestigious Melbourne Cup in November. While he produced a stellar ride aboard Breakup, he wasn’t able to finish among the winners. But the series Group 2 winner has now redeemed himself at the “Japan’s biggest” race.

Horse racing enthusiasts witness another glorious victory

In the latest update, World Horse Racing announced another glorious victory for Kohei Matsuyama in Japan’s biggest race. “Japan’s biggest 1400m race, the G2 Hanshin Cup, goes to WIN MARVEL and Kohei Matsuyama”, WHR tweeted. Matsuyama was drafted with the 4-year-old colt Win Marvel and the duo combined perfectly to secure the prestigious 1400m G2 event.

As the energetic equines left the saddle, Matsuyama rode perfectly in unison with several other rides. But as soon as the last 100 meters of the race were left, Matsuyama let Win Marvel loose to speed past the opponents in an exhilarating finish. The duo triumphed with a timing of 1.19.3 while the runner-up fell narrowly short with a timing of 1.19.4. Prior to this, Matsuyama was coming off a remarkable stint on Australian shores.

Kohei Matsuyama stars in Australian debut

Kohei Matsuyama has been nothing short of remarkable on his home soil, winning 5 Group races in Japan. A new challenge awaited him on Australian shores as he looked to triumph in the Melbourne Cup 2023. Given the fact that the last time a Japanese jockey held the Melbourne Cup trophy was in 2007, Matsuyama was determined to bring back the prestigious prize.

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Despite a nervy start, he was still able to produce a phenomenal performance, finishing 16th aboard Breakup. Speaking after the race, he expressed “He couldn’t break well from the gate and couldn’t get into a nice rhythm”. Without a Fight, ridden by Mark Zahra eventually emerged victorious in the $8 million race. Matsuyama will surely look to make a trip back to Australia later next year to end Japan’s 17-year Melbourne Cup drought.

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