World All-Star Jockeys: German Thore Hammer Hansen Claims Top Prize

Thore Hammer Hansen amassed the most points in the 2025 World All-Star Jockeys, a two-day, four-race competition, at Sapporo Racecourse.

As a result, the German jockey won the prestigious event on Sunday, August 24.

Hansen triumphed aboard ninth favorite Patrick Handsome in the second leg on Saturday, a 2,000-meter turf race, and it was the catalyst for his title. The 6-year-old horse completed the race in 2 minutes, 2.1 seconds, reaching the wire a half length ahead of Speed Rich (Australian jockey Craig Williams' ride.)

"I had a dream run on the inside and just had to take my time a bit coming into the straight because it got a little bit crowded," Hansen said. "But once I cut the gap he really knuckled down and he tried all the way to the line.

"Two thousand meters might be a bit too short for him to be honest, but he's a horse that will be in my mind for a long time as my first Japanese winner."

Japan Racing Association standout Christophe Lemaire steered Clever Taste to a third-place finish, a neck's length behind the runner-up.

Sakai Wins the Opening Race

Earlier Saturday, Ryusei Sakai won the 1,200-meter first leg of the World All-Star Jockeys, guiding Heart Whip to victory in 1 minute, 9.0 seconds. Argentina's Francisco Goncalves rode Maru Puri to a second-place finish, falling short of the win by a neck's length.

"It was an ideal ride. She broke beautifully and showed a sound performance," Goncalves said of Maru Puri. "I thought we notched it at the finish line, but unfortunately we were a bit short."

Norihiro Yokoyama (Lucido's rider) was third, a further half length adrift.

Hansen guided Tera Stellar to a fourth-place finish. The German received 12 points for this result. 

Jockeys earned 30 points for each win in the four-race series, which has been held at the Hokkaido Prefecture venue since 2015. (The extravaganza, originally known as the World Super Jockey Series and established in 1987, was previously held at Hanshin Racecourse.)

Second place was worth 20 points and third place represented 15 points. The point totals dropped for each subsequent finisher; for example, the 14th-place finisher received one point.)

A Commanding Lead After the 1st Day

After Day 1 of the World All-Star Jockeys, Hansen led the individual competition with 42 points. Sakai was second with 31 points, followed by Goncalves with 28 and Williams with 21.

The 14 jockeys were split into two teams: Team World All-Stars and Team JRA. Their individual point totals were added up for the team standings.

Heading into Day 2 in Sapporo, the Team World All-Stars led 122-102.

Hansen Clinches the World All-Star Jockeys Title

In Sunday's third leg, a 1,700-meter race on dirt, Hansen secured the title by piloting the favorite Bergun to a three-length victory over Takeshi Yoyoyama and sixth pick Caprarola.

Bergun, a 3-year-old filly, completed the race in 1:45.5.

What was the 25-year-old German's reaction to Bergun's performance in this race?

"It was perfect!" Hansen said with delight. "She stumbled a bit coming out of the gate but quickly recovered her balance and responded impressively when asked with a strong finish. The distance was also ideal for this filly."

In the fourth leg of the World All-Star Jockeys, Williams guided Pink Jin to a win in the 1,800-meter race. The fifth favorite clocked 1:48.7 to finish a neck's length ahead of Win Acteur, ridden by legendary jockey Yutaka Take. 

Masashige Honda earned a third-place finish aboard Jet Magnum.

Hansen (Lux Deneuve's ride) was 10th, a result that didn't impact his championship aspirations. Wins in the second and third legs sealed the title, and he finished with 73 points.

Reaction from the World All-Star Jockeys Champion

"I'm overwhelmed by the Japanese fans," Hansen said after winning the World All-Star Jockeys title. "It's a great honor to take part in this competition with some of the world's great jockeys."

The German added, "It was obviously very nice to know that I won the challenge after the third leg. When you've got good horses underneath you, it gives you a much better chance of winning the race. I love Japan and I really look forward to coming back here again."

Other Top Finishers

Williams wrapped up the two-day event with 66 points, while Sakai had 40. Goncalves and Takeshi Yokoyama each had 37 points. Honda received 32 points and Lemaire was next with 28.

"It's always a privilege to come back to Japan," Williams said before adding, "It's a great competition with world-class riders and I'm very fortunate to be part of it and experience it again. I'm very pleased to have achieved such good results."

Sakai wasn't thrilled with his overall performance.

"After finishing third last year, my goal was to win the title this year, so I was disappointed to be third again," Sakai told reporters at Sapporo Racecourse. "But it gives me a new goal for next year. It was fun to compete with Williams, who took care of me in Australia."

Based on the results from the four races, the Team World All-Stars accrued 246, placing ahead of Team JRA, which had 202 points. 

Did You Know?

Andreas Suborics was the first German-based rider to win the competition when it was known as the World Super Jockey Series in 2004 and '06 at Hanshin Racecourse.

RELATED:

• ODDS and EVENS | Equinox Honored as a Racing Legend with Hall of Fame Induction
• Hokkaido Horse Racing Kicks Off 2025 Season with Spectacular Thoroughbreds
• [ODDS and EVENS] World All-Star Jockeys Competition a Welcome Departure from Regular Routine

Author: Ed Odeven

Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.