Belgian Riding Ace Christophe Soumillon Is Back in Business

by , 10 January 2023

There was no fairytale return to action for Christophe Soumillon at the weekend. The Belgian rider, who has been the French champion jockey ten times, was returning to race riding following a 60-day ban.

41-year-old Soumillon earned widespread condemnation for elbowing British rider Rossa Ryan off his mount in Saint-Cloud in September. Controversially, the two-time Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winning rider’s punishment did not start for another two weeks.

Christophe Soumillon rising Jadoomi at Leopardstown.

A few weeks before his Saint-Cloud incident Christophe Soumillon had ridden Jadoomi to Group-2 success in Ireland for Simon and Ed Crisford. ©GettyImages

Critics were unhappy this grace period allowed him free to ride at the l’Arc meeting where he won the Group-2 Qatar Prix Daniel Wildenstein and finished second in Europe’s richest race – collecting his share of £960,504 in prizemoney. Soumillon then headed to Kentucky where he partnered with Aidan O’Brien’s Order Of Australia to finish third in the Grade-1 Coolmore Turf Mile.

Reassured the Public Are Not at Risk

Detractors also pointed out that, had the horrific-looking fall sustained by Ryan led to injury – remarkably, the young rider walked away unscathed – Soumillon would have been served with a ban of six months or more.

In mid-November, France’s Jour de Gallop reported that the country’s Gaming Police had requested horse racing authorities extend Soumillon’s ban. Two weeks later, a spokesman for the organization declared they were no longer pushing for a harsher penalty.

“We have taken into account the explanations of Christophe Soumillon. He reassured us that he was not at risk for disturbing the public order if he returned to competitive riding. So it is a no-cost warning. He understands that his behavior was becoming problematic and that he needs to modify it in the future,” a statement read.

Fortune Favors the Leniently Treated

Unquestionably Soumillon was fortunate to receive such a lenient punishment. France is normally a harsh jurisdiction. For example, a rider with a trace of cocaine found in his system will receive a mandatory six-month riding ban. Albeit Oisin Murphy did manage to get his suspension halved in December 2020 after declaring mitigating circumstances.

Weeks before Soumillon’s misdemeanor – in an almost identical incident – jockey Joffre Mora received a lifetime ban for pushing a rival off his horse in the Ecuador Derby.

In a similar case, Josh Cartwright lost his license for 18 months when deliberately and dangerously interfering with other riders seemingly in an attempt to help his girlfriend to win a race at Morphettville, Australia.

The End of the Aga Khan Contract

But Soumillon’s actions still cost him dearly. His stupidity led to the loss of his contract with the Aga Khan. It was a relationship that ran between 2002-2009 and again from 2014 until its dramatic 2022 end and produced Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe success with Zarkava and Dalakhani.

Additionally, the ban meant Soumillon missed out on rides in the Breeders’ Cup, Britain’s Champions Day, Hong Kong’s international races, and, potentially, a short-term contract to ride in Japan.

However, the father of three – who is married to a former Miss France – did travel overseas to make his return. Soumillon’s first ride back from the enforced layoff came in a Grade-1 contest in Kenilworth, South Africa. He was unsuccessful there, but three additional rides on Saturday afternoon did yield two placed efforts.

What Does the Future Hold for Soumillon?

Soumillon has no booked rides in South Africa or France this week and where he may resurface next is open to speculation. With the nine-week Dubai World Cup getting into gear last weekend, the United Arab Emirates would be a logical destination.

And, as the European season kicks into gear, Soumillon is probably keen to create links and agreements with powerful yards offering the potential to provide him with big-race winners in the UK and Ireland.

One such arrangement could come from Ireland’s perennial champion trainer, Aidan O’Brien. Coolmore Stud’s private trainer gave the rider an olive branch with the ride on Order Of Australia in October’s Turf Mile at Keenland.

And the pair have enjoyed top-drawer success in the past. Soumillon rode O’Brien’s Excelebration to victory in the Prix Jacques Le Marois in 2012 and steered his Dylan Thomas to win the Prix Ganay in 2007.

More recently, the up-and-coming Newmarket-based Simon and Ed Crisford shared success with Soumillon when the rider won a Leopardstown Group-2 aboard Jadoomi. And, at the start of 2022, the rider jetted into Newbury to accompany the Mark and Charlie-trained Thunderous in the Group-3 John Porter Stakes.

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