Buena Vista: one of the best horses the retiring Katsumi Ando rode
PICTURE: Japan Racing AssociationAndo to retire from
riding next month
Japan: Katsumi Ando, who became the first jockey to ride a 1,000 winners in both of Japan's racing associations, will retire from racing when his riding licence expires at the end of February.
Ando, 52, rode for the first time at Kasamatsu in 1976 and claimed his first success on Junior China on his sixth ride. He has ridden over 4,000 winners including 22 Grade 1s.
Having started out riding in the NAR (National Association of Racing) where he was champion 18 times, Ando switched to the JRA (Japan Racing Association) in 2003 and rode his 1,000th winner under the JRA banner in 2010.
Among the best horses Ando has ridden are Buena Vista, who he partnered to success in the Grade 1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) and Grade 1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1,000 Guineas), Grade 1 Arima Kinen winner Daiwa Scarlet and Grade 1 Tokyo Yushun scorer King Kamehameha.
Comments