Star apprentice Kozzi Asano reached a significant career milestone on Friday when he piloted the Michael and Matthew Pitman-trained Justanace (NZ) (Swiss Ace) to victory at Riccarton to bring up the 200th win of his career.
For the Japanese born 27-year-old the win held special significance as it was less than ten years ago that he first sat on a horse having grown up in a non-racing environment in the city of Kawasaki in the Tokyo metropolitan area.
It was only when the then 17-year-old decided to move to Australia to learn to speak English that the wheels were set in motion that has led him on a path to a successful career as a jockey in New Zealand.
“I was born in Kawasaki, which is just outside the main Tokyo city area and grew up there,” Asano said.
“My Dad loved horse racing and took me along to the races but there were never any thoughts about learning to ride or anything like that.
“I graduated high school when I was seventeen and had no idea what I wanted to do and I could hardly speak a word of English.
“My mum told me if I wanted to travel or do anything where English was important I would have to learn, so I moved to Australia in 2013 and started studying at the Sydney International College.
“It was very tough and I just found it boring sitting in a classroom all day, so I decided to travel around Australia instead and that way I could learn English from the people I met and that was far more fun.
“I ended up picking strawberries on a farm in Queensland where the owner had some cows and a few horses as well.
“I learnt to ride a bit chasing the cows and I found I just loved it.”
It was a phone call back home to his parents to tell his father he had learnt to ride that set Asano on his path to becoming a jockey.
“I rang and told my dad that I was riding horses on the farm and he told me I should try and become a jockey if I liked it that much,” Asano said.
“My boss said the same as he told me I had the right build for it, but I didn’t know how to even get started.
“I thought the best way might be to try and make a connection through the people who went to the races, so I started going to Eagle Farm and Doomben on raceday.
“I had to catch a train for an hour just to get there but I ended up meeting a guy called Greg Blanchard who was a punter and ran a homestay where he had a number of Asians stay.
“He introduced me to a few Japanese jockeys, so I got to know a few people in the industry that way and got a job working for Jack Duncan who had a stable in Caloundra.
“It was then that my visa ran out so I had to go back home before I could do too much more.
“When I got home I talked about it with my Dad, but because I was too old to get into the Japanese jockey Academy I had to look overseas again and that was when we decided I might be able to give it a go in New Zealand.”
Asano arrived in New Zealand in October 2015 and began working for Gary Vile at his Awapuni base before making a move to Kevin Myers in Wanganui.
“I started off as a stablehand for Gary Vile and then went to Kevin Myers where he taught me to ride trackwork,” Asano said.
“I rode a lot of horses there and got my amateur license so I could ride in the amateur races.
“I wasn’t really enjoying myself and thought there might be some opportunities in the South Island so I went on the NZ racing website and picked out the leading South Island trainers from the premiership tables.
“I started calling them to see if there were any jobs going and the only one who answered my call was Andrew Carston.
“He got me to come down and I started off my apprenticeship with him.
“Andrew has been fantastic and I have learnt so much from him, I can’t thank him enough.
“It has been a great journey and he helped me to get my first opportunity up in the North Island riding for Tony Pike and Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott.
“I stayed with Lance at Wexford Stables for two months and he taught me so many things and helped me really improve my riding.
“When I first came north I didn’t think it would be much different from riding in the south, but I couldn’t have been more wrong.
“It was so much different and I spent the whole time just trying to soak up the knowledge from the people I was with.
“People like Bruce Sherwin have been so supportive and he goes through my rides with me every few weeks to help me see things that I didn’t know I was doing and to make sure I can do things better.”
Asano admits he is not one to take much notice of records or career milestones and despite his 200th win as an apprentice approaching quickly he was taken by surprise when Central and Northern riding master Noel Harris mentioned it to him.
“Noel Harris said to me that I was just one away from 200 one day and I started to panic as I thought I was about to get fined $200 for something I had done wrong,” he laughed.
“When I realised he was talking about 200 winners I thought what a great result that would be and I was thrilled I could get it done on Friday.
“My apprenticeship doesn’t finish until November this year, as I had it extended, so I’m hoping I can add quite a few more wins before then.
“I have thought about trying my luck overseas when I come out of my time, but I have pulled back a little on that as I want to establish myself even more here before I do that.
“I have applied for residency and I would like to buy a house and things like that.”
It was business as usual for Asano at Avondale on Saturday where he picked up win number 201 aboard the Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray-trained Nassak Diamond (NZ) (Roc de Cambes) on a deep winter track which is a far cry from the sands of Fiji that he enjoyed during an eight-day break while he served a lengthy suspension for his actions that contributed to a serious fall for fellow jockey Sarah Macnab at Trentham back in March.
“Most jockeys like to take a winter holiday if they can and I managed to go to Fiji for a few days,” he said.
“That was while I was out suspended for my ride on Burgundy Rose when we interfered with Sarah Macnab’s horse Scotch when it had a bad fall at Trentham.
“I was really shaken up about it and the break helped me to clear my head. After the fall I just couldn’t stop thinking about Sarah and I’m so glad she was alright.
“I sent her flowers and she sent me a nice text to thank me which I really appreciated.
“I deserved to get the suspension and hopefully it will make me a better rider in the long run as I am committed to being successful as a jockey because I just love what I do.”
