Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], August 24 (ANI): Suraj Narredu has created historical past in Japan, turning into the primary Indian jockey to register a victory on the Japan Racing Association (JRA), after guiding Fier Chanter to victory at Sapporo Racecourse.
According to a press launch, the landmark victory is available in a defining 12 months for the Indian jockey. Earlier this 12 months, Narredu grew to become the primary Indian jockey to surpass 2,500 profession wins, including one other milestone to a profession that has already established him amongst India’s most achieved riders. He has additionally recorded greater than 250 home graded-race victories and over 100 basic titles.
Making his much-anticipated Japan debut as one among six abroad jockeys chosen for the celebrated 2026 World All-Star Jockeys (WASJ), Narredu produced the historic outcome on solely his second mount in Japan. Partnering three-year-old Fier Chanter over 2,600 metres, he secured the win with a horse that was the sixth alternative within the area, making the outcome much more vital.
The victory got here in a extremely aggressive worldwide surroundings, with Narredu sharing the stage with main jockeys from Australia, South Africa, France and Canada, alongside Japan’s high riders.
Speaking after the race on Saturday, Narredu mentioned, ‘To trip in Japan was an enormous dream for me. It feels very particular to win on my very first day, and to do it in entrance of my household is at all times a really particular second. It’s a really particular second for India as nicely. I thank the followers for his or her heat messages on social media and those that are right here as we speak waving the Indian flag.’
The JRA victory provides one other worldwide milestone to Narredu’s two-decade profession on the highest degree of Indian racing.
A four-time Indian Derby winner and four-time Champion Jockey of the Year, Narredu has constructed an intensive worldwide racing resume, having competed throughout jurisdictions together with Australia, France, Dubai, Ireland, Macau, Malaysia, Mauritius and the United States.
His worldwide profile obtained a serious increase together with his breakthrough look on the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup at Ascot in 2025, the place he represented Team Asia, recorded a race victory and helped his group declare the general title. He returned to Ascot this 12 months as a part of the Rest of the World Team earlier than travelling to Japan for his JRA debut.
His choice for the 2026 WASJ marked one other vital recognition, with Narredu chosen amongst simply six abroad jockeys for the celebrated worldwide competitors.
Narredu’s victory represents greater than a person achievement. It marks a major second for Indian horse racing, with an Indian rider succeeding in Japan’s extremely regarded racing surroundings.
What makes the achievement notably notable is the style through which it was delivered: Narredu arrived in Japan as a first-time JRA rider, competing towards an elite worldwide area, and inside simply two rides secured a victory aboard a horse that was not among the many race favourites.
From Ascot to Sapporo, Narredu’s current worldwide marketing campaign has taken Indian racing to 2 of the game’s most recognised international phases.
For Narredu, the victory provides one other defining chapter to a profession that has persistently pushed the boundaries of Indian horse racing. For Indian racing, it represents a second of worldwide recognition – and a reminder of the expertise able to carrying the nation’s colors onto the world’s largest racing platforms.
Suraj Narredu has made historical past in Japan, including one other landmark achievement to a rare profession and taking Indian horse racing one step additional onto the worldwide stage. (ANI)