Karis Teetan made a strong start on the first day of the World All-Star Jockeys competition at Sapporo Racecourse on Saturday, August 24, positioning himself as a frontrunner at the halfway mark of the Japan Racing Association’s (JRA) international jockey contest.

The Mauritian jockey, based in Hong Kong, currently shares the lead in the standings after winning the first leg of the competition aboard Kvasir. Despite starting from barrier 14, Teetan skillfully guided his mount three-wide through the midfield, made his move approaching the 400m mark, and edged past Joao Moreira on Courteous Manner to secure a nose victory. Japanese jockey Ryusei Sakai finished third with Oxlip, while another Hong Kong representative, Vincent Ho, took fifth place on Glanz Berry.

Commenting on the race, Teetan said, “He was a bit slow out of the gate and was eager to go at one point, but I managed to settle him down. He found his rhythm and finished strong.”

Teetan, who placed third in the 2019 edition of the competition, earned his spot this year after New Zealand’s Lisa Allpress was injured. Alongside Teetan and Ho, the 2024 World All-Star Jockeys lineup includes Damian Lane (Australia), Joao Moreira (Brazil), Tadhg O’Shea (United Arab Emirates), Delphine Santiago (France), Tomohiro Yoshimura (Japan, NAR representative), Norihiro Yokoyama (Japan), Kohei Matsuyama (Japan), Christophe Lemaire (Japan), Keita Tosaki (Japan), Yuga Kawada (Japan), Yutaka Take (Japan), and Ryusei Sakai (Japan).

In the second leg, both Teetan and Ho earned a single point each, with Teetan’s mount Bikini Boy finishing eleventh, and Ho’s ride New Normal coming in last of 14 in the 2000m race won by Lemaire aboard Schwarze Kugel. Matsuyama took second with Pod Bullet, and Sakai finished third on Ask Doux Porte.

Teetan and Lemaire are tied for the lead with 31 points after two legs, while Sakai is close behind with 30 points. Ho currently ranks eighth with 11 points.

The World All-Star Jockeys series also features a team competition. At the halfway point, Japan’s Team JRA leads with 113 points, narrowly ahead of Team World All-Star’s 111 points.

Although Ho didn’t win in the series' first two legs, he did claim victory in an undercard race with Laurel Orb in the second race at Sapporo. Starting from gate two, Ho settled his horse at the back, made his move on the outside in the straight, and surged to the win, marking his sixth victory in Japan. Ho had eight rides on the day, finishing with one win, one second, two thirds, one fourth, and two fifths.

Teetan also found success in an undercard race, winning narrowly with Win Acteur in the seventh race over 1800m. Despite some early keenness, Win Acteur was well-placed along the rail and secured the win in the final stages.

Ahead of the event, Teetan said, “I’m grateful to the JRA for this opportunity again. Last time, I finished third in this competition. I’ll give my best to earn points and achieve a good result for Hong Kong.”

Ho echoed the sentiment, saying, “Thanks to the JRA for inviting me. I’m excited to compete and see all the Japanese fans. I can’t wait to get on the track.”

The final two legs of the World All-Star Jockeys competition will take place at Sapporo on Sunday, August 25. Teetan will ride Y Y Legend and Ho will be aboard Ca Va Bien in the third leg, a 1700m dirt race. They’ll conclude the competition on turf with mounts Cosmo Dinner and Yui in the 1800m event.