Jockey smashes European landmark on the Flat

Pierre-Charles Boudot surpassed the landmark of 300 winners for the year with a four-timer at Marseille-Vivaux on Thursday night.

Boudot, who celebrated his 24th birthday on Wednesday, struck early on the card with Sfarzosa and Grinch, before bringing up his 299th winner in France for the campaign aboard Mokka, a victory which, added to a solitary foreign strike, meant he became the first Flat jockey in Europe to ride 300 winners in a year. He made it 301 aboard Almutawa.

Last month Boudot became the most successful Flat jockey in a European calendar year when reaching 274 winners, bettering Peter Schiergen, who managed 273 in 1995.

At the time Boudot expressed a thought that he could target 300, but having reached the goal he is not resting on his laurels as he is in action at Pau on Saturday and at the final Flat meeting of the year at Deauville on Monday. There is racing in France on Christmas Day, although it is jumps-only, at Cagnes.

Boudot said: "It has been a fantastic night and a fantastic end to the year.

"On top of that I celebrated my birthday yesterday and so my sister and brother-in-law are here as well as my agent. It really has been a team effort along with all the trainers who have put me up."

Boudot, hailing as he does from a jumping background, may have in mind Sir Anthony McCoy’s calendar year total of 307, one of which came on the Flat and which he notched in 2002.

The world record for wins in a year is 597, set by Kent Desormeaux in North America in 1989.