His initial international foray came in 2014 when he spent two months in Japan with trainer Yasutoshi Ikee and, based on that experience, he is excited for what lies ahead.
“It’s already a success for me, just to be invited to Hong Kong. I am very grateful for the opportunity,” he said. “I know that it is going to be a very good experience, just like it was in Japan. Of course, I will try to be as successful as possible, but I want to enjoy this time and hope to make the trainers and owners as happy as I can with my riding. I only wish I could be here for longer.”
Boudot’s best campaign came in 2016, when he won the Cravache d’Or – the Golden Whip – as France’s Champion Jockey for the second consecutive season, having tied with Christophe Soumillon for the title a year earlier. He became the first rider ever to record 300 European victories in a year in 2016, a figure that was topped by Soumillon in 2017 with 306 wins.
While riding in Hong Kong puts an end to any ambitions to topple Soumillon’s record in 2018, Boudot believes that the experience he will gain from his time in Hong Kong will ultimately benefit his career long-term.
“Records are made to be broken, and I will always be the first to have achieved the 300 wins,” Boudot said. “You always want what you haven’t got and for Christophe, that was the 300 wins and the record. He already had plenty of experience abroad and had been here in Hong Kong. For me, I want the experience of riding in new places.
Maybe in a few years, I can try again, but the target at the moment is to do as well as I can here.
“As an international experience, I think Hong Kong is the best I can do. I have already ridden for a couple of months in Japan in the past, but Hong Kong to me is the ultimate challenge.”
