Hello everyone.
This week's Takarazuka Kinen will conclude the spring G1 series. Due to renovations at Hanshin Racecourse, this year's Takarazuka Kinen will be held at Kyoto Racecourse. Christophe will be riding Justin Palace. This will be his first time pairing with Justin Palace since their victory in the 2023 Tenno Sho Spring, and they have an excellent chemistry, having ridden each other four times to date, with four wins. Last week, Christophe rode Justin Palace in a week-to-date workout at Ritto Training Center. "He was full of energy and power, and above all, his footwork was light. This was his first race since his trip to Dubai, but he ran very well in the workout," he said. Justin Palace has three graded stakes wins, including the Kobe Shimbun Hai, the Tenno Sho Spring, and the Hanshin Daishoten, among other long-distance races. "Of course, Justin Palace's strengths are his stamina and his ability to use his legs for long periods of time, and in last year's Takarazuka Kinen he came in third, not far behind Equinox, whom I rode. This year's race will be on the outer course at Kyoto Racecourse, so I think the conditions will be good. I'm looking forward to this week's race," he said in a positive comment. We hope to see him win another G1 race following the Oaks.
This week's Takarazuka Kinen will conclude the spring G1 series. Due to renovations at Hanshin Racecourse, this year's Takarazuka Kinen will be held at Kyoto Racecourse. Christophe will be riding Justin Palace. This will be his first time pairing with Justin Palace since their victory in the 2023 Tenno Sho Spring, and they have an excellent chemistry, having ridden each other four times to date, with four wins. Last week, Christophe rode Justin Palace in a week-to-date workout at Ritto Training Center. "He was full of energy and power, and above all, his footwork was light. This was his first race since his trip to Dubai, but he ran very well in the workout," he said. Justin Palace has three graded stakes wins, including the Kobe Shimbun Hai, the Tenno Sho Spring, and the Hanshin Daishoten, among other long-distance races. "Of course, Justin Palace's strengths are his stamina and his ability to use his legs for long periods of time, and in last year's Takarazuka Kinen he came in third, not far behind Equinox, whom I rode. This year's race will be on the outer course at Kyoto Racecourse, so I think the conditions will be good. I'm looking forward to this week's race," he said in a positive comment. We hope to see him win another G1 race following the Oaks.
Now, at this time of year, many two-year-old horses are making their debuts. When I was still active, I would help trainers with gate practice at the training center, and I would get the opportunity to race. I remember it was an exciting time, thinking, "This young horse is going to be a great horse in the future." Christophe has ridden many two-year-olds, and has already won maiden races with Winter Belle and Pretty Diva. "Riding maiden races is really fun. It helps me decide which horse to enter in the classics the following year, and it's a chance to meet a champion horse. Since I often ride a horse for the first time on race day, I ask the trainer for detailed information about the horse's habits and type. Then, during the warm-up, I get a feel for the canter and understand the horse's mind." We also learned how he approaches bringing out the horse's strengths in the limited time on race day. Sometimes, there are multiple horses riding in the same two-year-old race. How do you make that decision? "I place great importance on the 'feeling' I get when I ride. For example, Almond Eye came in second in her maiden race. But at the time I felt, 'Wow! This is the horse!' so I remember telling Mr. Kunieda, 'Don't worry, Mr. Kunieda. He lost today, but this horse will win many races from now on.'" For fans and those involved, this is an important time to discover future champions, so they cannot take their eyes off the two-year-old horse races.
Finally, regarding the Instagram Live broadcast yesterday, he said, "It's a place where I can communicate with my fans and everyone who follows 'CL by C. Lemaire.' At the racetrack on weekends, I can only meet my fans in very limited places, such as the winners' circle. However, I really enjoy being able to share about my horse racing and the 'CL by C. Lemaire' brand through autograph sessions at the pop-up store and Instagram Live." His constant love for his fans is evident. The new color jacket shown in this Instagram Live was photographed with his daughter, Andrea. Images that convey the close relationship between father and daughter can be seen on the website.
When I ask Christophe a question, he answers it very carefully, including about the races. I wish I had asked him more about horse racing when I was still an active jockey, but I would like to continue to share Christophe's deeper thoughts. By the way, I would like to thank the people who provided the photos for this blog. Thank you to Takahashi for the photos of Justin Palace, and to Goto for the photos of the two-year-old horse Pretty Diva.
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藤井勘一郎
こんにちは、藤井勘一郎です。このたび『CL by C.ルメール』のホームページでクリストフ・ルメール騎手のブログを担当させていただく事となりました。毎週金曜日、私からの視線でルメール騎手の魅力や競馬の話、そして『CL by C.ルメール』に対しての情熱を書いていくつもりです。文章を書くことは私にとって新しいチャレンジですが、引き受けたからには皆さんにも楽しく読んでもらえるように頑張ります。よろしくお願いします！
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