Kohei Matsuyama
Matsuyama after the 2025 Hopeful Stakes | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Native name | 松山弘平 |
| Born | March 1, 1990 |
| Height | 167 cm (5 ft 6 in) |
| Weight | 47 kg (104 lb) |
| Horse racing career | |
| Sport | Horse racing |
| Career wins | 1312 (JRA) 31 (NAR) |
| Major racing wins | |
| Satsuki Shō, Oka Sho, Yushun Himba, Shūka Sho, Champions Cup, NHK Mile Cup, Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, Hopeful Stakes | |
| Racing awards | |
| JRA Best Jockey (Newcomer) (2009) Most Vaualble Jockey (2023) | |
| Significant horses | |
| Al Ain, Daring Tact, T O Keynes, Icon Tailor, Panja Tower, Star Anise, Lovcen | |
Kohei Matsuyama (松山弘平; born March 1, 1990) is a Japanese jockey.
Early life
Matsuyama developed an interest in the sport after his father and grandfather, who were horse racing fans, took him to watch horse racing at Hanshin Racecourse.[1] Matsuyama would go on to enroll in the JRA's Horse Racing School in 2006, before graduating in 2009 and acquiring his jockey license.[2]
Career
Matsuyama rode and won his first race when he rode Tomiken Primary at a maiden race held in Kokura Racecourse on March 1, 2009.[3] He was awarded the JRA Best Jockey (Newcomer) in that year's JRA Award.[4]
Matsuyama won his first graded race when he won the Chunichi Shimbun Hai with Smart Gear on March 4, 2012.[5]
In 2015, Matsuyama won his first JpnI race when he won the Japan Breeding Farms' Cup Sprint with Corin Berry.[6]
Matsuyama won his first Grade I race when he won the Satsuki Shō in 2017with Al Ain, with this victory also marking the first jockey born in the Heisei era to win a Grade I race in Japan.[7][8]
In 2020, Matsuyama won the Japanese Triple Tiara when he rode Daring Tact to win all three legs of the Tiara.[9]
Major wins
- Champions Cup - T O Keynes (2021)
- Hanshin Juvenile Fillies - Star Anise (2025)
- Hopeful Stakes - Lovcen (2025)
- Japan Breeding Farms' Cup Classic - T O Keynes (2022)
- Japan Breeding Farms' Cup Sprint - Corin Berry (2015)
- Japan Breeding Farms' Cup Ladies' Classic - Icon Tailor (2023)
- NHK Mile Cup - Panja Tower (2025)
- Oka Sho - Daring Tact (2020)
- Satsuki Shō - Al Ain (2017)
- Shūka Sho - Daring Tact (2020)
- Teio Sho - T O Keynes (2021)
- Yushun Himba - Daring Tact (2020)
References
- ^ "馬女（ウマジョ）が夢中のイケメン騎手・松山弘平さんインタビュー&10問10答♡". @BAILA (in Japanese). Shueisha. 1 September 2020. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
- ^ "憧れの一流騎手に祝福され５人が競馬学校卒業". スポニチ Sponichi Annex (in Japanese). 11 February 2009. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
- ^ "【３歳未勝利】（小倉１R）～松山弘平騎手が初騎乗初勝利！". ラジオNIKKEI (in Japanese). 1 March 2009. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
- ^ "２００９年度ＪＲＡ賞発表、年度代表馬はウオッカ". ラジオNIKKEI (in Japanese). 6 January 2010. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
- ^ "【中日新聞杯】（中京）～スマートギアが制し、人馬ともに重賞初Ｖ". ラジオNIKKEI (in Japanese). 4 March 2012. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
- ^ "コーリンベリーが逃げ切り、人馬ともにGI初制覇！/JBCスプリント・大井". netkeiba (in Japanese). 3 November 2015. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
- ^ "【皐月賞】亡き祖父にささげる初Ｇ１…松山＆アルアイン１冠奪取". スポニチ Sponichi Annex (in Japanese). 17 April 2017. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
- ^ "【ダービー】平成生まれ初のＧ１ジョッキー・松山 アルアインと２冠も頂く". デイリースポーツ online (in Japanese). 23 May 2017. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
- ^ "【秋華賞結果】デアリングタクトが史上初の無敗牝馬3冠達成！". netkeiba (in Japanese). 18 October 2020. Retrieved 29 December 2025.