Chris Johnson (jockey)

Last updated

Chris Johnson
Full nameChristopher William Johnson
Occupation Jockey
Born New Zealand
Significant horses
Canterbury Belle, Final Touch, Loader, Savvy Coup, Tartan Tights, Tycoon Lil

Chris Johnson, also known as "CWJ" or "The Magic Man", is a jockey in Thoroughbred racing in New Zealand. [1] He is most notable for holding the national record for winning rides in New Zealand and for winning the New Zealand jockeys premiership twice.

Contents

Riding career

Chris Johnson was apprenticed to Woodville trainer Scott Hammersley. His first winner, Noble Star trained by Hammersley, was in his first raceday ride at Tauherenikau on New Year's Day 1981.

Johnson won the New Zealand Premierships in the 1995–96 season with 139 wins and the 2017–18 season with 112 wins. [2]

He has also won several jumping features, including the Grand National Hurdles over 4200m at Riccarton Park Racecourse aboard Ampac in 1989, Woodbine Blue Chip in 1993 and Kid Colombus in 2011. [3]

In total he has won 21 Group 1 races, including:

He rode Samasaan to the New Zealand Cup and Wellington Cup double. [4] However, his most successful association with a horse was probably with the John and Karen Parsons trained mare, Final Touch, who he rode to wins in the 2013 Telegraph Handicap, 2013 Waikato Sprint and 2012 Captain Cook Stakes. [5]

His 2000th winner came at Waipukurau in 2014 and at that time he was the sixth New Zealand jockey to reach the mark after Bill Skelton, David Peake, Lance O'Sullivan, Noel Harris and David Walsh. On Saturday 19 December 2020 Johnson established a national record for race victories in New Zealand of 2452, when he road Sassenach to win at Awapuni Racecourse surpassing the previous mark set by David Walsh. [6] Johnson's record haul of wins is all the more remarkable given he gave away race riding in 1998 and did not return until seven years later in 2005.

On 10 February 2022, at Invercargill, Johnson rode Lincoln Hills to his 2,500th New Zealand race victory.

Notable victories

The following are some of the major races Chris has won.

Year
Race
Horse
Trainer(s)
1984 New Zealand 1000 Guineas Canterbury BelleDavid Kerr
1985 New Zealand Cup SamasaanGarth Jackson
1986 Wellington Cup SamasaanGarth Jackson
1988 Auckland Cup Sea SwiftPeter & Dawn Williams
1989Grand National HurdlesAmpacDJ (Ned) Thistoll & Gail Whitnall
1989 New Zealand 1000 Guineas Phillipa RushJim Campin
1990 New Zealand Oaks DominoJim Campin
1991Wellington HurdlesDecoy LadNeil Coulbeck
1992 Thorndon Mile Just TommyMichael Pitman
1992 Captain Cook Stakes Rough Habit John Wheeler
1992 New Zealand Cup MercatorRoyce & Linda Dowling
1993Grand National HurdlesWoodbine Blue ChipNeil Coulbeck
1993 New Zealand 2000 Guineas Facing the MusicMike Ingram
1994 New Zealand Cup Double TakeRoyce & Linda Dowling
1994 New Zealand 1000 Guineas Tartan TightsEllis Winsloe
1995 New Zealand Oaks Tartan TightsEllis Winsloe
1996 Railway Stakes LoaderPeter & Dawn Williams
1996 Telegraph Handicap LoaderPeter & Dawn Williams
1997 Waikato Sprint AvedonPatrick Campbell
1997 New Zealand Oaks SawatdteeAlan Howatson
1997 Great Northern Hurdles ClemMrs S A Douglas
1997 New Zealand 1000 Guineas Tycoon Lil Colin Jillings & Richard Yuill
1998 New Zealand Oaks Tycoon Lil Colin Jillings
2011Grand National HurdlesKid ColumbusMurray Hamilton
2012 Captain Cook Stakes [7] Final TouchJohn and Karen Parsons
2013 Telegraph Handicap [8] Final TouchJohn and Karen Parsons
2013 Waikato Sprint [9] Final TouchJohn and Karen Parsons
2018 New Zealand Oaks [10] Savvy CoupMichael & Matthew Pitman
2018 Livamol Classic [11] Savvy CoupMichael & Matthew Pitman

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Chris Johnson / Jockey Profile / RaceInfo / LOVERACING.NZ". loveracing.nz.
  2. ↑ "Magic Man takes premiership win in stride". 31 July 2017.
  3. ↑ "Horseracing: Jockey Chris Johnson breaks long-standing NZ record for most wins". Newshub.
  4. ↑ "Flashback: When Wellington's cup went south". 19 January 2018.
  5. ↑ "Wellington Cup Carnival kicks off in style". 19 January 2013.
  6. ↑ "2452 wins: All-time Kiwi jockey record broken". NZ Herald. 28 October 2023.
  7. ↑ "Race 9 WESTBURY STUD CAPTAIN COOK STAKES at WELLINGTON RC on 8 DEC 2012 | LOVERACING.NZ".
  8. ↑ "Race 9 JR & N BERKETT TELEGRAPH HANDICAP at WELLINGTON RC on 19 JAN 2013 | LOVERACING.NZ".
  9. ↑ "Race 9 WAIKATO DRAUGHT SPRINT at WAIKATO RC on 9 FEB 2013 | LOVERACING.NZ".
  10. ↑ "Race 8 AL BASTI EQUIWORLD DUBAI NEW ZEALAND OAKS at WELLINGTON RC on 17 MAR 2018 | LOVERACING.NZ".
  11. ↑ "Race 8 LIVAMOL CLASSIC at HAWke's BAY RI on 6 OCT 2018 | LOVERACING.NZ".


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