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Date Posted: 09:44:14 12/17/09 Thu
Author: Odabu
Subject: 李格力結束騎師生涯

French jockey Eric Legrix has called time on a glittering 28-year-long riding career, and hopes to ride at his farewell meeting this Sunday.

The 44-year-old rider has been thinking about retirement for a while, and after giving it much thought, made the tough decision last week. Legrix will head back to his native France where he will try his hands at horse-training.

“I will be joining Pascal Bary as assistant-trainer at Chantilly and hopefully I’ll be able to get my trainer’s licence as soon as possible,” said Legrix.

Legrix and Bary, the trainer of this year’s Singapore Airlines International Cup winner Gloria De Campeao, go back a long way. It was Bary who supplied Legrix with one of his most famous victories among his 1,300-odd wins – the Breeders’ Cup Turf with Miss Alleged at Churchill Downs, US, in 1991.



Legrix, a renowned globetrotter who has also ridden with success in most Asian jurisdictions, including Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Japan and all over Europe, said he was looking forward to that new chapter in his life.

“I am very happy with my achievements as a jockey, but like most things in life, all good things come to an end one day and you have to move on,” he said.

“I’ve spent two great years in Singapore and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the Singapore Turf Club for all the help they have given me, not forgetting the trainers and owners for their support.

“It was time to switch to something else, but in the same industry as racing has been so good to me. Besides, I haven’t been in France for four years and I sure look forward to being with friends and family again.”

Legrix, with Hong Kong-born wife Sherie and two young sons Samuel and Anthony, leave Singapore for Paris on Monday, with the trophy won with Trigger Express in the 2008 Queen Elizabeth II Cup as his most memorable souvenir.

“It was my best moment here. I won one of the most prestigious races here for Steven Burridge, a trainer I have plenty of respect for,” said Legrix.

“Johnny Lim is also a good friend and whenever he asked me to go up to Malaysia to ride for him, I was only too happy to oblige.”

“I’ve always enjoyed riding in Asia. I had 330 winners in Hong Kong, and I was the first French jockey to ride in Japan on a contract.

“But Singapore is definitely one of the leading centres in this part of the world.”

Legrix said he was leaving with no regrets, though he wished he could have had all of the 25 current trainers covered on his booking sheet.

“I’ve ridden for all the trainers here, except for two: Don Baertschiger and Susumu Nigishi,” he said.

“But no, I can’t complain. I’ve been well treated by everybody.”

Legrix can certainly look back on his domestic and international career with pride, though losing his country’s biggest race, the 1985 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, after his ride Sagace was demoted to second to Rainbow Quest in the inquiry room, remains a low point.

Legrix has captured 91 Group races, the most notable being the 1991 Prix de Diane with Caerlina, the 1991 Breeders’ Cup with Miss Alleged and two Hong Kong Derbies - Helene Star (1993) and Johan Cruyff (1998). His best finish in the Hong Kong International Cup was a second with Johan Cruyff in the Cup in 1998 for fellow French trainer Patrick Biancone, the man who brought him to the former British colony.

In Singapore, Legrix has racked up 44 wins, 106 placings from 633 rides in a period over more than two years.

The Frenchman is not harbouring any high hopes of padding up on his score by Sunday, as he was not sure of his rides at press time.

“I don’t think I have many rides – we’ll see, but in any case, I will just enjoy the next few days as they come,” said Legrix with a smile.



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賓康, 李格力....俱往矣........

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