By Jon Lees
Japan: The hugely popular Nanako Fujita further enhanced her status among Japan’s jockey ranks by riding five winners across the weekend, following a Saturday double with a Sunday treble.
The 23-year-old Fujita made it a memorable two days at Niigata racecourse for the idol jockey almost a year since her last five-winner weekend.
She took her score for 2020 to 30 victories with wins on Ventura Star and Baccarat Queen, who was in a dead-heat for first place, on Saturday and 24 hours later triumphed on Noah Vigorous, Sepia Notes and Rose Beryl.
Fujita missed several weeks of the season at the beginning of the year when breaking her collarbone in a race spill. In April shortly after she returned to action she secured a landmark 100th career success.
Fujita is the only female jockey licensed to ride on the top-tier Japan Racing Association circuit.
The JRA is hoping that will change having relaxed its eligibility criteria to try to encourage top international female jockeys to apply for licences, a move which will depend on the lifting of travel restrictions.
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