Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], August 21 (ANI): India's leading jockey Suraj Narredu is set to take on a new international challenge as he makes his much-anticipated debut in Japan at the 2026 World All-Star Jockeys (WASJ), to be held at Sapporo Racecourse on August 22 and 23, according to a press release.

Organised by the Japan Racing Association (JRA), the World All-Star Jockeys is one of Japan's most prestigious international jockey competitions, bringing together leading riders from across the world.

Narredu has been selected as one of six overseas jockeys invited to compete in this year's edition, alongside Richard Fourie of South Africa, Rafael Hernandez of Canada, Damian Lane and Zac Lloyd of Australia, and Marie Velon of France.

For Narredu, the invitation marks a significant milestone in his international career and fulfils a long-standing ambition to ride in Japan. The JRA describes his participation as his 'much-desired debut in Japan', adding another important chapter to a career that has increasingly taken him onto international racing platforms.

The 2026 WASJ will feature four races across two days, with the first two legs taking place on Saturday, August 22, and the remaining two on Sunday, August 23. The overseas and NAR jockeys will also compete collectively as Team WAS (World All-Star) against Team JRA in a separate team competition.

Narredu's selection comes after a landmark period in his career. In January this year, he became the first Indian jockey ever to surpass 2,500 career wins, while also recording more than 250 domestic graded-race victories and over 100 classic titles. He has been crowned Champion Jockey of the Year four times, between 2020 and 2023.

His international experience spans racing jurisdictions including Macau, Mauritius, Malaysia, Dubai, France, Ireland, the United States and Australia. In 2025, Narredu made his Shergar Cup debut at Ascot as captain of Team Asia, recording a win, a fourth and a fifth across five rides and helping his team claim the overall title.

His international journey continued this year with another appearance at the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup at Ascot on August 8, where he represented the Rest of the World Team. He now turns his attention to Japan, where he will compete against some of the world's most accomplished jockeys in an entirely new racing environment.

Speaking ahead of his Japan debut, Suraj Narredu described it as a dream come true, saying he is excited to compete alongside some of the world's best riders.

'Riding in Japan has been a dream of mine for many years, so receiving this invitation to the World All-Star Jockeys is a very special moment in my career. To make my debut in Japan alongside some of the world's best jockeys is an incredible opportunity. I am looking forward to experiencing Japanese racing, learning from the riders around me and, most importantly, representing India on this stage,' he said as quoted by the press release.

The World All-Star Jockeys was originally established by the JRA in 1987 as the World Super Jockeys Series and was renamed the World All-Star Jockeys when it moved to its current summer format at Sapporo Racecourse in 2015. The competition has welcomed more than 270 top-calibre jockeys from Europe, North America, South America, Oceania and Asia.

For Narredu, the Sapporo assignment represents more than another international competition. It is an opportunity to experience Japan's highly regarded racing environment, compete against an elite international field and further strengthen India's presence in global horse racing.

With his international campaign now moving from Ascot to Sapporo, Narredu looks ahead to a new challenge and another opportunity to carry the Indian flag onto one of horse racing's most respected international stages. (ANI)