Yuichi Fukunaga prepares for emotional new chapter

Yuichi Fukunaga, one of Japan’s premier jockeys, will be making a final farewell from the saddle when he competes at the King Abdulaziz Racecourse on Saturday.

The 46-year-old had his final rides on the JRA circuits at Tokyo Racecourse on Feb. 19 after a long career following in the footsteps of his father Yoichi, regarded as a genius of a rider. 

Beginning in 1996, Yuichi would be crowned best newcomer jockey and claim wins in the likes of the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) a few years later before finally landing the Japanese Derby on Wagnerian in 2018.