Chris Johnson, also known as "CWJ" or "The Magic Man", is a jockey in

Thoroughbred racing in New Zealand The racing of Thoroughbred horses (or gallopers, as they are also known) is a popular gaming and spectator sport and industry in New Zealand. History Thoroughbred horse racing commenced soon after European settlement. The first totalisator machi ...

. He is most notable for holding the national record for winning rides in New Zealand and for winning the New Zealand jockeys premiership twice.

Riding career

Chris Johnson was apprenticed to Woodville trainer Scott Hammersley. His first winner, Noble Star trained by Hammersley, was in his first raceday ride at Tauherenikau on New Year's Day 1981. Johnson won the New Zealand Premierships in the 1995–96 season with 139 wins and the 2017–18 season with 112 wins. He has also won several jumping features, including the Grand National Hurdles over 4200m at

Riccarton Park Racecourse Riccarton Park Racecourse is the main thoroughbred horse racecourse for the Christchurch city area in New Zealand. History The Canterbury Jockey Club was established in 1854 and held its first meeting at Hagley Park in Easter 1855. The Riccarton ...

aboard Ampac in 1989, Woodbine Blue Chip in 1993 and Kid Colombus in 2011. In total he has won 21 Group 1 races, including: * the

New Zealand Oaks The New Zealand Oaks is a Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies run at set weights over a distance of 2400 metres ( miles) on the third Saturday of March every year at Trentham Racecourse in Wellington, New Zealand. It was r ...

five times, on Domino, Tartan Tights, Sawadtee, Tycoon Lil and Savvy Coup. * the

New Zealand 1000 Guineas The 1000 Guineas is a Group One set-weights Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies run over a distance of 1600 metres (1 mile) at Riccarton Park in Christchurch, New Zealand. Christchurch New Zealand Cup week It is on the final Satu ...

four times with Canterbury Belle, Phillipa Rush, Tartan Tights and Tycoon Lil. He rode Samasaan to the

New Zealand Cup The New Zealand Cup is a thoroughbred horse race run at the Riccarton Park Racecourse in Christchurch. New Zealand Cup week The New Zealand Cup is raced on the final Saturday of Christchurch "Cup week" held each year in the second week of Novem ...

and

Wellington Cup The Wellington Cup is a Group 3 Thoroughbred horse race in New Zealand held annually in late January at Trentham Racecourse in Trentham by the Wellington Racing Club. History Inaugurated in 1874, the Wellington Cup has been raced over various ...

double. However, his most successful association with a horse was probably with the John and Karen Parsons trained mare, Final Touch, who he rode to wins in the 2013

Telegraph Handicap The Telegraph Handicap is a Group One New Zealand horse race contested by the Wellington Racing Club at Trentham Racecourse in Upper Hutt, during the Wellington Cup carnival in January. The Telegraph Handicap, raced over 1200 metres, and the R ...

, 2013

Waikato Sprint The Waikato Sprint currently run as the BCD Group Sprint is a Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race run at Te Rapa Racecourse in Hamilton in early February. It is currently held on the same day as the Group 1 Herbie Dykes Stakes. The list of winner ...

and 2012

Captain Cook Stakes The Captain Cook Stakes is a Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race run at weight-for-age over a distance of 1,600 metres (1 mile) at Trentham Racecourse in Wellington, New Zealand. Over the years the race has been won by great New Zealand racehorses s ...

. His 2000th winner came at Waipukurau in 2014 and at that time he was the sixth New Zealand jockey to reach the mark after Bill Skelton, David Peake,

Lance O'Sullivan Lance Anthony O'Sullivan (born 28 August 1963 in New Zealand) is a Thoroughbred horse trainer and former champion jockey in New Zealand. Lance is the son of premiership winning horse trainer Dave O’Sullivan and the brother of Paul O'Sulliv ...

Noel Harris Noel Harris, also known as "Harry" or "NGH", is a former jockey in Thoroughbred racing in New Zealand. He is notable for having ridden 2,167 raceday winners in New Zealand which is the fourth highest total behind Chris Johnson, David Walsh a ...

and David Walsh. On Saturday 19 December 2020 Johnson established a national record for race victories in New Zealand of 2452, when he road Sassenach to win at Awapuni Racecourse surpassing the previous mark set by David Walsh. Johnson's record haul of wins is all the more remarkable given he gave away race riding in 1998 and did not return until seven years later in 2005. On 10 February 2022, at Invercargill, Johnson rode Lincoln Hills to his 2,500th New Zealand race victory.

Notable victories

The following are some of the major races Chris has won.

References

Living people Year of birth missing (living people) New Zealand jockeys {{NewZealand-horseracing-bio-stub

Riding career

Notable victories

See also

References