March 14, 2025

Hello everyone.

Christophe rode Sixpence to a stunning victory in the Nakayama Kinen held on March 2nd. He showed off his sharp finishing speed in the straight, overtaking Ecolovalz, ridden by jockey Mirco Demuro. "I was pleasantly surprised by Sixpence's performance. It was his first race in about five months since his victory in the Mainichi Okan, and he was 10kg heavier. The race unfolded vertically, with a steady pace, but we were able to keep a good rhythm. When Ecolovalz made his move in the straight, I thought for a moment that he might not be able to catch up, but he was able to pull ahead. This victory has given me confidence," he said, reflecting on the race.
Sixpence's next race will be the Osaka Hai. This will be his sixth career race and his second attempt at a G1 race, following the Japanese Derby. "I felt that 2,400m was a little long for the Derby, but the 2,000m Osaka Hai is probably the best distance for this horse. If he can show the same finishing speed as he did in the Nakayama Kinen, he should be able to fully demonstrate his G1-level ability. However, I have riding appointments in Dubai that same week, so it's unfortunate that I won't be able to ride Sixpence," he said, revealing his regret.

Christophe rode at Hanshin Racecourse for the first time in a long while. Hanshin Racecourse will undergo renovations starting in the fall of 2023, and reopened in March of this year. Previously, he sat next to jockey DeMuro in the jockey room, but "the seats were rearranged during the renovations, so I'm no longer next to Mirko. Previously, the space was small, and it was difficult to organize the horse equipment, so it's good that it's now spacious." Regarding his impressions of riding, he commented, "The atmosphere in the paddock was different from before, and felt warmer." That day, he rode GT Darling to Hanshin Racecourse's first win since its renovation.

The long-awaited pop-up store will open at the Hankyu Umeda Main Store on Wednesday, March 19th. I'll be appearing in a talk show with former jockey Tetsuzo Sato on Thursday, March 20th (national holiday). At last year's Umeda and Nagoya events, I was able to meet many people and enjoy a friendly atmosphere. Christophe said, "I'm looking forward to interacting directly with fans at the autograph session." When asked about the most surprising request he's received, he shared, "Someone asked me to sign the headrest of their car seat (laughs). I asked them, 'What would you do if you sold your car?' They said, 'I'll just remove the headrest and keep it.'" Who knows, someone might bring an unexpected item to the Umeda event.

New items from "CL by C. Lemaire" are also available!
The event will be held from Wednesday, March 19th to Tuesday, March 25th at Kotokoto Stage 81 in GREEN AGE on the 8th floor of Hankyu Umeda Main Store. All the staff look forward to seeing you there.

Article written by

藤井勘一郎

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