Mubtaahij calm and relaxed
April 28, 2015Sire Mullins Bay dies
April 29, 2015HEY, see who’s arrived in the US of A! Jockey Christophe Soumillon and his family landed in New York on Tuesday and spent a day in the Big Apple before travelling to Louisville, Kentucky, where he will be partnering Mubtaahij for Mike de Kock in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby.
In high spirits: Christophe Soumillon took in the Big Apple en route to Kentucky.
“We’ve arrived in the USA and had a great time with my family in New York City! Ready for the KY Derby!” tweeted the always-jovial Soumillon, who will be having his first ride in the great race. The Soumillon family will be joining Mike, Diane and Mathew de Kock in Louisville on Wednesday. Like Mike, one of the jockey’s greatest ambitions is to win the Kentucky Derby.
It’s been quite interesting to note a few of the queries about Soumillon on social media networks; some bloggers and tweeters not sure about his career record, others asking why Mike hasn’t engaged a US jockey for the ride.
And so, for the benefit of those who may have forgotten, here are a few facts about Soumillon, one of the best jockeys on the planet:
*He has won Gr1 races in 10 countries
*His big-race wins include the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on Dalakhani (2003) and Zarkava (2008); Dubai Duty Free (Terre a Terre, 2002), Dubai Sheema Classic (Dolniya, 2015), the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Hurricane Run, 2006); the Champion Stakes (Cirrus des Aigles, 2011); the Japan Cup (Epiphaneia, 2014); the Hong Kong Mile (Good Ba Ba, 2008), the Canadian International (Sarah Lynx,2011).
*He has ridden all over the United States, including at Churchill Downs- his biggest US win was aboard Shirocco in the 2005 Breeders Cup Turf at Belmont Park.
*He Gr1 successes for Mike de Kock thus far are Shea Shea (Al Quoz Sprint, 2013) and Vercingetorix (Jebel Hatta, 2014), with numerous other Gr 2 and Gr3 wins including Musir, Raihana, The Apache, Bold Silvano, River Jetez and of course Mubtaahij, on which he claimed the Gr2 2015 UAE Derby on World Cup night.
*De Kock and Soumillon came desperately close to clinching their first US Gr 1 in 2013, when The Apache was disqualified after winning the Arlington Million and placed second to Real Solution after an objection.
*Soumillon was rated 2nd on the log to Ryan Moore on the Logines Best Jockey Ratings of 2014.
At 34 years of age, Christophe Soumillon has won the French Jockey Championship six times, posting 226 in 2005 and 222 wins in 2011.
Our big-race rider is hardly an under-achiever. Sometimes, however, the critics forget how good he actually is!
3 Comments
I hope Christophe shows patience and gets Mubtaahij to relax early in the derby and rates the horse behind the first tier of front runners. The top 5 of the other horses have not rated at all and may burn out. This Derby sets up for Mubtaahij’s powerful late kick!! He kicked home HUGE in the UAE at 1 3/16 miles. No other horse in here has run past a 1 1/8 mile distance.
Christophe Soumillon is one of the world’s best jockey. As Mike already pointed out, having a top jockey like him makes things easier. Whatever be the tactics employed by Christophe, he will lived by that and so must we also. Christophe has won so many big events that I believe he will rise to the occasion one more time.
I am sensing history in the making.
Well traveled professional group take this home and on to Ascot! Mubtaahij’s the name no one can pronounce will run them all down late and win going away!!
Good Racing Luck to all