Ace jockey Suraj Narredu ready for Japan test

Having booted home more than 2,400 winners and won every premier race in India, Bengaluru-based jockey Suraj Narredu has been seeking international challenges in recent years. After competing in the prestigious Shergar Cup at Ascot Racecourse in the UK for two consecutive years, the 41-year-old, who hails from a family of jockeys and trainers, is set for another international experience this weekend.Suraj will compete in the World All-Star Jockeys (WASJ) competition hosted by the Japan Racing Association (JRA) at Sapporo Racecourse in Hokkaido. He will be the first Indian jockey to ride in the annual event, which features six international riders. Besides Suraj, the international contingent includes jockeys from South Africa, Australia, France and Canada. They will take on Japanese riders in the four-leg competition, with two races scheduled on Saturday and two on Sunday.“It is a big honour to be a part of the event, especially since I’m the lone Asian to be invited. It's a competition between Japan's jockeys and the rest of the world,” Suraj told TOI.The event is significant not just for the prize money — the winning jockey takes home $19,300 — but also because a JRA license is at stake.“If you can finish individually in the first five placings in the points, then you are eligible to get a short-term license in Japan for the following year. The short-term license is a three-month license, which is otherwise very difficult to obtain,” explained Suraj.“I’m looking at the bigger picture. I want to perform well so that I get a chance to ride in Japan on a short-term license. It’s one of the world's best racing jurisdictions,” he added.Having established himself as one of the country's leading jockeys, Suraj believes his search for international opportunities is also driven by the changing landscape of Indian horse racing.“The racing scene in India is not exactly as smooth as it used to be. I have probably reached a stage where I’ve won every big race that has to be won in India. In 2023, when I competed in Australia, that’s when I felt very stagnated in terms of my performance because I was winning races here. Still, I was never elevating myself to ride better or work harder,” Suraj said.After his recent stint in the UK and with the Japan challenge ahead, Suraj says the international exposure has given him fresh motivation to push himself further.“I changed my entire routine recently because at the international events I wanted to be the best version of myself,” he signed off.