- Jockeys

Cassidy, Larry Bocelli

New Zealander Larry Cassidy, aged 32, is currently riding on a local permit in Kranji. Cassidy received his apprentice’s licence at the age of 15 and rode his 1,200th winner in June 1998. His numerous Group 1 winners include the 1994 AJC Derby, the Queensland Oaks, the Sydney Cup and the Queensland Derby. Cassidy won the Sydney Jockeys’ Premiership in the 1997/98, 1998/99 and 1999/2000 seasons.

Dettori, Lanfranco Grandera

Born in Milan on December 15, 1970, the son of Gianfranco, a former multiple champion jockey in Italy, Lanfranco "Frankie" Dettori arrived from his homeland to join Luca Cumani's Newmarket yard as an apprentice in July, 1985, and rode his first winner on Lizzie Hare in 1987. He has since captured the hearts of racegoers with his flamboyant style, phenomenal riding successes, and charisma in and out of the saddle. Britain's champion jockey in 1994 and 1995, Dettori created history when riding all seven winners on the first-day card at the Ascot Festival in September, 1996. While victory in the Epsom Derby still eludes Dettori, he has won virtually all other major honour with over 100 Group 1 successes. Last Sunday he won the 1000 Guineas on Kazzia for Godolphin.

Doleuze, Olivier Indigenous

Olivier Doleuze, born 19 April 1972, started his career apprenticed to Criquette Head-Maarek and was the champion apprentice of France in 1989.  After the completion of his apprenticeship, Doleuze continued to ride for Ms. Head and he is retained as her stable rider. Doleuze has also ridden with success in Singapore. He has had a total of 6,379 race rides for 726 winners (11.3%), of which 55 have been in Group races. Doleuze has ridden 13 Group 1 winners including the 1999 French Oaks on Egyptband. International race success came in the 2001 Singapore KrisFlyer Sprint on Iron Mask.  Doleuze was a huge hit during a winter stint in Hong Kong when he rode 26 winners from more than 140 rides - an excellent strike-rate of almost 18.5%.

Geroudis, Johnny Palace Line

Johannesburg-born Johnny Geroudis, 30, is riding in Singapore on a visiting permit. The lightweight jockey completed his course at the famed South African Jockey's Academy and rode his first winner at 16.  He then teamed up with trainer Patrick Shaw for whom he booted home numerous winners including ten in Group 1 races and the prestigious July Handicap. The 30-year-old is currently second in the jockeys’ table with 22 winners. His big-race wins include Palace Line in the Singapore Classic.

Innes, Leith Tapildo

New Zealander Leith Innes, 23, rode his first winner astride Ad Alta in 1995 and steered the same mare to win a Group 1 race back home. Innes was first indentured to his trainer-father at the age of 16. He then joined trainer Jimmy Gibbs in Matamata where he scored 180 winners. After spending four years as a rookie, more winners came his way both in New Zealand and in Australia. The Kiwi rider ranked fourth in his native country before his current Singapore sojourn. Last season, Innes finished eighth in the New Zealand Jockeys' Championship with 66 winners. To date, he has ridden more than 300 winners including 16 in Listed and Group races.

Marwing, Weichong Olympic Express

Weichong Marwing, born April 14 1970, won over 1800 races including six Derbies in his native South Africa where was champion jockey in 1996/97. Marwing was also the regular partner of Horse Chestnut, one of the greats of recent South African racing history. He lit up the latter part of the 1999/2000 campaign in Hong Kong with 31 wins from 162 rides - a winning strike-rate of 19%. The following season he was retained as first jockey by trainer Tony Millard but the partnership was dissolved midway through the term. However, he was named not long afterwards as the new jockey for the dual Horse of the Year, Fairy King Prawn, and he returned to win the Group 1 Chairman's Sprint Prize on the APQE II Cup supporting card. Marwing is now a Club Jockey again and, buoyed by further Group 1 glory on Olympic Express in the Hong Kong Classic Mile and the Hong Kong Derby, he is challenging for a first Hong Kong jockey's title.

Saimee, Jumaat Saddle Up

Jumaat Saimee, 30, Singapore's champion jockey, is regarded to be on par with some of the world’s best.  In all his 11 years in the saddle, the Singaporean has won the jockey’s championship four times. He also won more than 20 features among some 800 winners to date and is once again leading the Singapore jockeys' ranks.  In 1998, Saimee won his first jockey’s premiership with 111 winners and in the process broke the record set 29 years ago by expatriate jockey Glynn Pretty. Saimee is best remembered for his victory in the inaugural Singapore Airlines International Cup aboard Ouzo. He has also participated in international events in Hong Kong, Australia, South Africa, Macau and Japan.

Sanchez, Frédéric Western Pride

Frédéric Sanchez, born September 1 1974 in France has won more than 500 races in native country, California, Hong Kong, Dubai, Japan and now Singapore, among which are 19 Listed and three Group races. In his seven season's riding in France he has finished in the top 10 of the French championship on five occasions.

Shea, Kevin Hoeberg

Kevin Shea is a top jockey in South Africa where he has consistently finished in the top three of that country's jockeys premiership for several seasons and is currently in second place behind jockey M. Khan with 128 winners. Shea has previously partnered SAIC mount Hoeberg in South Africa on nine occasions, winning six times.

Sheehan, Justin Universal Prince

Justin Sheehan, born May 9, 1972, from Queensland, rode - and won - his first race aged 14. He lost his claim by the time he was 18 and he has well over 1000 career winners to his name. His first Group 1 win was the AJC Oaks in 1996 and the smart miler Adam landed him the Group 1 George Main Stakes in 2000. Universal Prince, however, is the best horse he has ridden. Together the pair have won four Group 1s, including last year's AJC Australian Derby.

Soumillon, Christophe Terre A Terre

Christophe Soumillon was born June 4 1981 in Brussels. In 1996 he moved to Chantilly to become apprentice to Cedric Boutin. His first winner arrived in 1997 and he has made rapid progress since then, becoming champion apprentice in 1999. In April 2000 he won five races in one day (equalling the French record) at Saint-Cloud, including the Group Two Prix du Muguet aboard Fabre’s Dansili. He rode at Hollywood and Santa Anita last winter, returning to France to win his first Group 1, the Prix du Jockey-Club on Anabaa Blue for trainer Carlos Lerner. He finished 5th in the French Jockey’s Championship last season with 88 wins from 773 rides when he also took over from Gerald Mosse as the Aga Khan's retained rider in France. He has enjoyed Group 1 wins in France and Dubai on Terre A Terre, on whom he finished a close third in the Hong Kong Cup last December.

Stevens, Gary Hawkeye

Gary Stevens, born March 6, 1963, began his riding career aged 16 and he won on his first ride, Lil Star. Not far off 5,000 winners later, including eight Triple Crown and eight Breeders' Cup successes, he has become one of the most successful jockeys in the history of the sport. He was voted into America's Racing Hall of Fame in 1997 and earned an Eclipse Award as the outstanding rider of 1998. He shocked the racing world in December 1999 when he announced his retirement from the saddle owing to persistent knee problems. However, he made a dramatic comeback just ten months later and, typically, won on the big stage shortly afterwards, landing the Breeders' Cup Mile on War Chant. Last year he was Point Given's regular pilot before the Preakness and Belmont Stakes winner was retired. He has won the Kentucky Derby three times and the Dubai World Cup once. In 1994/95 during a short stint in Hong Kong, Stevens rode 20 winners from 89 rides - an excellent 22.5% strike-rate.

Suborics, Andreas Paolini

Andreas Suborics, born August 11, 1971 in Vienna, won his first race in 1988. His first Group 1 success was on A Magicman in the 1996 Prix de la Foret, and he rode Peter Schiergen’s Tiger Hill to victory in the 1998 Grosser Preis von Baden. Suborics is stable jockey to Bremen based trainer Andreas Wohler, and he has enjoyed much success on Wohler’s Silvano, winning the AP Queen Elizabeth II Cup, the Singapore Cup and the Arlington Million in 2001. He also partnered Wohler’s Paolini to dual Group 1 success in Italy in 2001. He finished the season in 2nd place in the German Jockey’s Championship with 93 wins from 492 rides.

Take, Yutake Atlantis Prince

Yutake Take, born March 15, 1969, has been the darling of the Japanese racing scene for a long time now and it's no wonder with ten champion jockey titles to his credit and over 2,000 winners in the bag. He has won practically everything in Japan although it did take him a while to win the Japan Cup. He finally filled the one major domestic omission in his CV last season when Special Week defeated Indigenous in 1999. With hardly anything left to conquer at home, he moved to France last year where he rode over 30 winners including the Group 1 Prix de l'Abbaye for the second time having won the race in 1999 aboard Agnes World.  Take rode Stay Gold to success in the Dubai Sheema Classic and the Hong Kong Vase last year.