Kosi's Japanese impact

<div class="raw-html-embed"><p>Kosi Kawakami is allergic to horses.</p>
<p>But just like the legendary Bart Cummings, try and let that get in the way of his love of the animal.</p>
<p>"I can't actually touch horses with my bare hands," he says.</p>
<p>"When I was a kid, I went to horseback riding with my family and just loved the horses.</p>
<p>"I had a dream to be involved in Australian racing, so I came here when I was 18."</p>
<p>That was 23 years ago and since then Japan-born Kawakami has never looked back, spending time learning under some of Australia's most famous names including the Hayes family and Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Mike Moroney.</p>
<p>Kawakami says he doesn't know if he was brave or crazy, but he also turned his hand to being a jumps jockey, in a career which saw him ride 29 winners.</p>
<p>But after a trackwork accident in 2019 where he smashed his pelvis, he decided to call time on a career which saw him ride at the famous Oakbank Carnival and in the Grand Annual Steeplechase.</p>
<p>Kawakami may never have ridden a winner at the Werribee racetrack, finishing with three third placings from 11 rides in fact, but it's the track he now knows better than most and sees him traveling to from Melbourne's western suburbs sometimes multiple times a day during the Spring Carnival.</p>
<p>Why? Not only did the 2006 Melbourne Cup clash of Japanese heavyweights Delta Blues and Pop Rock spark Japan's appetite to travel horses to Australia, but it also ignited Kawakami's desire to help his homeland navigate the overseas jurisdiction when they did.</p>
<p>Acting as a translator, racing manager, trackwork rider and whatever else is required, Kawakami has since been instrumental in the successful voyages of the likes of Admire Rakti, Lys Gracieux and Mer De Glace, while this year he is front and centre in helping the Nakauchida and Takagi stables with Prognosis and Warp Speed.</p>
<p><strong>WATCH: Kawakami's role as Japanese Racing Liaison</strong></p>
<div class="mf-player-container" id="embedded-player" bis_skin_checked="1">
<div style="display: block; position: relative; max-width: 960px;" bis_skin_checked="1">
<div style="padding-top: 56.25%;" bis_skin_checked="1"><iframe src="//players.brightcove.net/3461375237001/SJ9OrWAjx_default/index.html?videoId=6363661311112&amp;contentType=FeatureStory" style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0px; bottom: 0px; right: 0px; left: 0px;" bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:469,&quot;y&quot;:1452,&quot;w&quot;:630,&quot;h&quot;:354,&quot;abs_x&quot;:469,&quot;abs_y&quot;:1452}" bis_id="fr_e6lelwcu7hgjgmpmrientm" bis_depth="0" bis_chainid="1"></iframe></div>
</div>
</div>
<p>"Every win is very emotional because we know how hard the connections have been putting time and effort into," he said.</p>
<p>"It is very hard to travel your horse to race overseas.</p>
<p>"You have to use different training methods, which is very hard, but from my experience I know how they prepare the horses, so I can definitely help the connections to put the right amount of training in towards the race day.</p>
<p>"I just give all the knowledge and expertise I have had in past years and I help them."</p>
<p>As for the best he's worked with?</p>
<p>"Lys Graciex is definitely I would say the best form horse ever to travel to Australia," he believes.</p>
<p>"But Prognosis is one of the top horses we have in Japan in the middle-distance races, he's really up there."</p>
<p>And while Kawakami is dreaming of another Cox Plate for Japan with Prognosis this year, it's a dream of having a runner himself one day in Australia's great race that drives him.</p>
<p>Rising Sun Syndicate is Kawakami's business, which sources Japan-bred-and-raced horses to bring to Australia and aims to bring Japanese owners into Australian racing but also offers Australians access to one of the world's leading thoroughbred jurisdictions.</p></div>

Acting as a translator, racing manager or trackwork rider, there&#39;s nothing this former jumps jockey can't do

Baraqiel set for exciting MVRC slot race in inaugural The Meteorite

Latest news

Baraqiel to run in MVRC slot race, thrilling sprinter, upcoming Cranbourne event