Lemaire excited for Queen Elizabeth Stakes hit-and-run mission
Champion jockey Christophe Lemaire, with nearly 100 Group One victories across seven countries, is set to ride in Sydney for the very first time when he partners Japanese runner Rousham Park in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) this Saturday.
While Lemaire is already known to Australian fans for his win aboard Dunaden in the 2011 Melbourne Cup, this weekend will mark his introduction to the Sydney racing scene.
Turning down a major engagement in Japan, Lemaire saw the Randwick ride as an unmissable opportunity.
“I have never had the opportunity (before). With the French horses, no opportunity and with the Japanese, no opportunity,” Lemaire said.
“There is also a big race in Japan this weekend but for me to ride in Sydney will be a new experience and this is very important for me.
“I always like to travel around and I think riding in Sydney, at least once in a jockey’s career, it’s something important.
“I’m lucky enough, I won the Melbourne Cup once. Sydney is also a major city for horse racing in Australia and here are the best jockeys and the top horses so I’m really looking forward to riding here.”
Rousham Park enters the race off the back of a solid international campaign. The six-year-old entire, trained by Hiroyasu Tanaka, was a close second to Rebel’s Romance in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, with Lemaire aboard.
“It was a very good experience for him travelling to America,” Lemaire said.
“He performed very well in the Breeders’ Cup. He is used to racing on a right-hand racecourse. He is quite adaptable.”
Following his recent victory in the UAE Derby, Lemaire arrived in Sydney this week and got reacquainted with Rousham Park during a Wednesday gallop at Canterbury. He’ll be focused on just one mount this Saturday—his Queen Elizabeth Stakes hope.
“I have a very good souvenir from Australia winning the Melbourne Cup in 2011 with Dunaden,” he said.
“Hopefully this weekend it will again be a good result for Rousham Park and all the connections.”
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