KEITA TOSAKI 
For years, he was a hero on the NAR tracks in the Nankan area, and now he's making a real impact on the JRA scene as well, fighting for the title of leading jockey in this most competitive of arenas. He has a knack of making things look easy - the mark of a real champion.

Tosaki-san was born in Tochigi prefecture in July 1980. His early interest in baseball soon gave way to a passion for horse racing, which his compact build was perfectly suited to when he decided to become a jockey. He graduated from the NAR race school in 1998, making no attempt to qualify for a JRA licence at this stage in the proceedings - it takes another year to get that bit of paper.

Making his NAR race debut in April 1998, he was immediately clocking up wins for the Katori Stable based at TCK. In fact, he won on his first outing! Since then, his NAR win rate has been nothing short of astounding, claiming victory in one in every four races he was entered in. To date, he's recorded a total of 2332 NAR wins.

Tosaki-san first rode in a JRA race in 2005, with the first win coming on his birthday in 2007. By 2011, he had his first G-I victory in the bag, and duly got his JRA licence on his third attempt not long after, joining the Tajima Stable at Miho TC in the spring of 2013. So far, he's clocked up 129 JRA wins, including no less than 50 in this year already.

When he's not training and racing, this incredibly nice chap enjoys spending his spare time on the golf course. I hope you will join me in wishing him every success in the future, both on and off the track...