British-born jockey Rachel King is continuing to make her mark on the international racing scene after landing another lucrative two-month stint in Japan.
King, who previously worked at Alan King’s Barbury Castle stables in Wiltshire, has spent the past few years riding in Australia.
She was recently granted a licence by the Japan Racing Association (JRA) to ride at their meetings until March 4, having debuted in the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’ last year.
King created history in 2024, becoming the first foreign female jockey to win a JRA Group race courtesy of her victory aboard Chuck Nate in the American Jockey Club Cup.
“It’s an incredible honour to be awarded another licence by the JRA,” King said in a statement posted on social media platform X.
“My time there last year was one of the most rewarding experiences of my career, both professionally and personally.
“I’m looking forward to building on the relationships I developed and striving for even better results this time around.”
King’s comments proved to be prophetic as she produced a stunning ride on her first day back in Japan to claim a Group 3 success aboard Sakura Toujours at Chukyo.
She stayed cool despite having a wall of horses in front of her turning for home, expertly weaving a passage through to guide the eight-year-old to victory.
Several new betting sites were hit hard by punters, who had backed the horse at odds of 9.50 to emerge victorious with King in the saddle.
The victory gave King a flying start in her bid to improve on the tally of 17 winners she recorded during her previous stint in Japan last year.
It was further evidence of her growing reputation in international racing and highlighted why other British jockeys should consider heading overseas.
King’s impressive overseas exploits resulted in her being named as the captain for the Rest of the World team at the Shergar Cup meeting at Ascot last August.
She teamed up with her Wiltshire-based namesake and former boss Alan King to ride Insanity in the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Challenge Handicap.
King rode a well-judged race to guide the horse into contention turning for home, and kept her cool to fend off a strong challenge from Dream Harder.
While her team was unable to finish top of the standings at the end of the meeting, King’s ride on Insanity earned her plenty of plaudits.
She continued to make headlines later in the year, becoming the first Australia-based jockey to ride at the annual Breeders’ Cup World Championships in North America.
King rode Japanese horse Satono Carnaval in the Juvenile Turf, further cementing her status as one of the most sought-after riders on the planet.
She subsequently returned home to ride The Map in the Melbourne Cup, but the combination was out of luck as they finished 21st out of 23 runners.
Despite that result, King’s reputation as a jockey continues to rise. The only downside from a British perspective is that she has had to head elsewhere to achieve the success her talent deserves.
The 34-year-old has admitted that the diverse nature of racing overseas was the decisive factor in her decision to leave her homeland behind.
“My move has been very successful,” King said. “Australia does a lot of things right and it’s hard to find too much that it does wrong.
“If things had been different in Britain I may have stayed. The sport has changed a lot at home since I left, but Europe in general is still probably a little bit behind Australia in terms of inclusivity.
“It’s getting better definitely and that’s shown in the 50-50 split of males and females at the Shergar Cup. But it probably was something that did push me away 11 years ago.”
