Jump to content

Christophe Soumillon

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Christophe Soumillon
OccupationJockey
Career winsongoing
Major racing wins
French Classic Race wins:
Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (2001)
Prix du Jockey Club (2001, 2003, 2006)
Grand Prix de Paris (2002, 2006, 2008)
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (2003, 2008)
Prix de Diane (2004, 2008)
Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (2003, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2015)
Poule d'Essai des Poulains (2001, 2003, 2009)
Prix Royal-Oak (2015, 2016)

International race wins:

Dubai Duty Free Stakes (2002)
UAE Derby (2010, 2015, 2017)
Dubai Gold Cup (2016, 2017, 2018)
Pretty Polly Stakes (Ireland) (2003)
Racing Post Trophy (2003)
Breeders' Cup Turf (2005)
Hong Kong Gold Cup (2005)
Irish Oaks (2005)
Queen Anne Stakes (2005)
Middle Park Stakes (2021)
Prix Maurice de Gheest 2003, 2005)
Prix Morny (2006, 2021)
Prix de l'Opéra (2001, 2006, 2013, 2020)
Prix Vermeille (2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2020)
Prix Jacques Le Marois (2004, 2010, 2012)
Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil (2010)
Stewards' Cup (2005, 2009, 2016)
Chairman's Sprint Prize (2006)
Coronation Cup (2006, 2014)
Gran Premio di Milano (2006)
Hong Kong Derby (2006)
Hong Kong Gold Cup (2005)
K. George VI & Q. Elizabeth Stakes (2006, 2024)
Oaks d'Italia (2006)
Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup (2006)
Hong Kong Mile (2008, 2019)
Tenno Sho (Autumn) (2010)
Champion Stakes (2011, 2016)
Jebel Hatta (2014, 2019)
Deutsches Derby (2014)
Japan Cup (2014)
Dubai Sheema Classic (2015)
Dubai Turf (2002)
Irish Champion Stakes (2016)
Dubai World Cup (2018, 2019)
Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup (2019)
Coronation Stakes (2015)
Al Quoz Sprint (2013)
Racing awards
French flat racing Champion Jockey (2003, 2005, 2006, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018)
Significant horses
Dalakhani, Rail Link, Mandesha,
Shirocco, Viva Pataca, Hurricane Run, Overdose, Good Ba Ba, Zarkava

Christophe Soumillon (born 4 June 1981) is a Belgian jockey based in France.

Career

[edit]

Coming from a racing background, Soumillon is the son of jump jockey Jean-Marc Soumillon.[1] He rode in pony races and left Belgium aged fifteen to go to the racing school in Chantilly, France, where he was then apprenticed to trainer Cédric Boutin.[2]

Soumillon rode his first Group race winner aged eighteen when Berine's Son, trained by André Fabre, won the 2000 Prix de Fontainebleau. The following season he won four Group 1 races, including the Prix du Jockey Club on Anabaa.[3]

Soumillon won the cravache d'or (the golden whip or French champion jockey title) for the first time in 2003 and won his tenth title in 2018.[4]

Although primarily known as a flat jockey, Soumillon has also ridden over hurdles, winning the 2010 Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil (French Champion Hurdle) on Mandali.[5]

2022 riding suspension

[edit]

On 30 September 2022 Soumillon was given a 60 day ban for elbowing Rossa Ryan off his horse during the Prix Thomas Bryon at Saint-Cloud. The ban was set to start on 14 October, allowing him to ride in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on 2 October.[6] On 4 October the racing operation owned by the Aga Khan, citing the elbowing incident, immediately terminated Soumillon's contract as their retainer jockey in France. Soumillon, who will still be permitted to ride the Aga Khan's horses on occasion, later told the Racing Post that he had bridges to rebuild and was determined to show commitment to those that wished to engage his services.[7]

In November 2022 it was revealed that the Gaming unit of the Central Directorate of the Judicial Police, which oversees racing and gambling in France, had requested that Soumillon's suspension be extended to six months, or that his license be withdrawn indefinitely. In their request, the police said that Soumillon's behavior was "voluntary and dangerous," and "a serious risk to the public order within horse racing." Soumillon has been given time to respond, after which the French Ministry of the Interior will make a decision on the Directorate's request.[8][9]

Personal life

[edit]

Soumillon married TV presenter and former beauty queen Sophie Thalmann on 22 July 2006. The couple have three children, daughter Charlie (born September 2005), son Mika (born November 2008) and son Robin (born April 2017).[10]

Major wins

[edit]

France France


Canada Canada


Germany Germany


United Kingdom Great Britain


Hong Kong Hong Kong


Hungary Hungary

  • OTP Hungária Grand Prix - (1) - Overdose (2009)

Republic of Ireland Ireland


Italy Italy


Japan Japan


United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates


United States United States

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Christophe Soumillon: Au nom du père". Le Journal de Dimanche. 3 October 2010.
  2. ^ "A boy named Soumillon". Irish Independent. 29 June 2003.
  3. ^ "Christophe Soumillon". Racing Post. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  4. ^ "Christophe Soumillon wins 'unimaginable' tenth jockeys' title as Boudot concedes". Racing Post. 20 December 2018.
  5. ^ "Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil : la chevauchée fantastique de Christophe Soumillon". Le Figaro. 19 June 2010.
  6. ^ "Christophe Soumillon given 60-day ban for elbowing rival Rossa Ryan off horse". BBC Sport. 30 September 2022.
  7. ^ Burton, Scott (4 October 2022). "Christophe Soumillon loses Aga Khan job but may continue to ride owner's horses". Racing Post. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  8. ^ Burton, Scott (13 November 2022). "Christophe Soumillon's two-month ban could be extended after police intervention". Racing Post. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  9. ^ "French Gaming Police Ask For Soumillon's Licence To Be Withdrawn "Indefinitely" Or That His Ban Be Lengthened". thoroughbreddailynews.com. 12 November 2022. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  10. ^ "Sophie Thalmann enceinte : Christophe Soumillon". Voici (in French). Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  11. ^ Christophe Soumillon recovers £52,000 prize money as whip rules change