(born March 12, 1974; from

Himeji 260px, Himeji City Hall is a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 525,682 in 227,099 households and a population density of 980 persons per km². The total area of the city is ...

Hyōgo Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Hyōgo Prefecture has a population of 5,469,762 () and has a geographic area of . Hyōgo Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the east, Osaka Prefecture to the southeast, an ...

) is a Japanese

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...

who rode the winner of the 2006 Melbourne Cup, Delta Blues. It was Iwata's first race outside Japan. He debuted in the Hyōgo Keiba, one of the racing organizations in

National Association of Racing The National Association of Racing ( ja, 地方競馬全国協会 ''Chiho Keiba Zenkoku Kyokai'', or NAR) is the authority for horse races operated by local governments in Japan (Prefectures, cities/ towns/villages or unions of them). NAR itself ...

(NAR). He started riding on selected events in

Japan Racing Association The Japan Racing Association ( ja, 日本中央競馬会 Nippon Chūō Keiba Kai, or JRA) is a public company established to operate Chūō Keiba (中央競馬 Central horse racing) and to manage racecourses, betting facilities, and horse-training ...

(JRA) since 2002. In 2005, Iwata won the 19th World Super Jockey Serie

http://www.diviplus.com/racing-news/iwata-wins-world-super-jockey-series/]. Despite he had not passed the written test in the past, he was allowed to transfer to JRA in the following year due to "Ankatsu's Rule".A NAR jockey will be exempted from written test if they got at least 20 JRA wins in for at least 3 years in recent 5 years (The regulation was changed again in 2011, which riding test was exempted instead, and 20 JRA wins in 2 out of 3 years is required).It was named "Ankatsu's Rule" mainly referring the case of Katsumi Ando, which he failed to enter JRA in 2001 due to failure in written test, despite recorded 100 wins and 8 JRA Graded race in the past (he made through the examination in the following year by the exemption). He was awarded JRA most winning-jockey in 2011 and 2012, in races won and money earned.

Major wins

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

Melbourne Cup The Melbourne Cup is a Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne, Australia. It is a 3200-metre race for three-year-olds and over, conducted by the Victoria Racing Club on the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Victoria as part of the Melb ...

- (1) - '' Delta Blues (2006)'' ----

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

Hong Kong Sprint The Hong Kong Sprint is a Group 1 flat horse race in Hong Kong which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run over a distance of 1,200 metres (about 6 furlongs) at Sha Tin, and it is scheduled to take place each year in mid De ...

- (2) - ''Lord Kanaloa (2012/2013)'' ----

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes The Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (朝日杯フューチュリティステークス) is a one mile turf stakes race for thoroughbred colts two years old. It is considered the ''de facto'' year-end championship for Japanese thoroughbred racing in the t ...

- (1) - ''Seiun Wonder (2008)'' *

February Stakes The is a Grade 1 flat horse race in Japan for four-year-old and above thoroughbreds. It is run over a distance of 1,600 metres (approximately 8 furlongs) at Tokyo Racecourse in late February. It was first run in 1984 as February Handicap, and wa ...

- (1) - ''Testa Matta (2012)'' * Japan Breeding farm's Cup Classic - (1) - ''Time Paradox (2006)'' *

Japan Cup The is one of the most prestigious horse races in Japan. It is contested on the last Sunday of November, post time of 15:40 at Tokyo Racecourse in Fuchu, Tokyo at a distance of 2400 meters (about miles) run under weight for age conditions with ...

- (3) - ''

Admire Moon ; born February 23, 2003) is a Japanese racehorse who won the 2007 Dubai Duty Free Stakes, Takarazuka Kinen and Japan Cup. Background Admire Moon was foaled on February 23rd, 2003 at Northern Farm in Abira, Hokkaido, Japan. He was bred by ...

(2007)'',

Buena Vista Buena Vista, meaning "good view" in Spanish, may refer to: Places Canada *Bonavista, Newfoundland and Labrador, with the name being originally derived from “Buena Vista” *Buena Vista, Saskatchewan *Buena Vista, Saskatoon, a neighborhood in ...

(2011), ''Gentildonna (2012)'' *

Japan Dirt Derby The is a Japanese Domestic Grade 1 flat horse race in Japan for three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies run over a distance of 2,000 metres (approximately 1 mile 2 furlongs) at the Oi Racecourse, Shinagawa, Tokyo in late July. It was ...

- (1) - ''Testa Matta (2009)'' * Kikuka Sho - (1) - '' Delta Blues (2004)'' *

Mile Championship The Mile Championship is an Graded stakes race, International Grade I Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Japan for three-year-old and above thoroughbreds run over a distance of 1,600 metres (approximately 1 mile) on the turf at Kyoto Ra ...

- (1) - ''A Shin Forward (2010)'' *

Oka Sho The is a Japanese Grade 1 flat horse race in Japan. The race is restricted to three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies and is run over a distance of 1,600 metres (approximately 1 mile) at the Hanshin Racecourse, Takarazuka, Hyōgo in April. It was ...

- (1) -

Gentildonna is a retired Japanese thoroughbred racehorse. In 2012 she won the Japanese Fillies Triple Crown and was voted Japanese Horse of the Year. She was also the first three-year-old filly to win the Japan Cup, in 2012, and the following year became th ...

(2012) *

Satsuki Sho Satsuki is a traditional Japanese name for the month of . It is commonly used as a feminine given name and, more rarely, as a surname or a masculine name. Possible spellings Satsuki can be spelled using different ''kanji'' characters and can mean: ...

(Japanese 2000 Guineas) - (2) - ''Unrivaled (2009),

Victoire Pisa Victoire Pisa ( ja, ヴィクトワールピサ, link=no) is a retired Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and active sire. After winning three of his four starts as a juvenile, the colt won the Satsuki Shō at Nakayama Racecourse in April 2010. Aft ...

(2010)'' *

Shuka Sho Shuka ( sa, शुक , also Shukadeva ) is a rishi (sage) in Hinduism. He is the son of the sage Vyasa and the main narrator of the scripture ''Bhagavata Purana''. Most of the ''Bhagavata Purana'' consists of Shuka reciting the story to the k ...

- (3) - ''Black Emblem (2008), Aventura (2011), Gentildonna (2012)'' *

Sprinters Stakes The is a Grade 1 flat horse race in Japan open to thoroughbreds which are three-years-old or above. It is run over a distance of 1,200 metres (approximately 6 furlongs) at Nakayama Racecourse, and it takes place annually in late September or earl ...

- (1) - ''Lord Kanaloa (2012)'' *

Takamatsunomiya Kinen The is a Grade 1 flat horse race in Japan for four-year-old and above thoroughbreds. It is run over a distance of 1,200 metres (approximately 6 furlongs) at Chukyo Racecourse in late March. The forerunner of this race was the . It was started ...

- (1) - ''Lord Kanaloa (2013)'' *

Takarazuka Kinen The Takarazuka Kinen (宝塚記念) is a Conditions races, Grade I Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Japan for three-year-old and above thoroughbreds where they run over a distance of 2,200 metres (approximately miles) at Hanshin Race ...

- (1) - ''

(2007)'' *

Tenno Sho The is a horse race held twice a year in Japan, once in the spring and once in the autumn. "Tenno" means "Emperor of Japan". The races are both International Grade I races. Prior to the 2007 races, both Tenno Sho races were Japanese domestic Gra ...

(Spring) - (1) - ''Admire Jupiter (2008)'' *

Tokyo Daishōten The Tokyo Daishōten (東京大賞典) is a Japanese thoroughbred horse race on dirt track for three years old and above. It is run over a distance of 2,000 meters (about 10 furlongs) at Ōi Racecourse in the Shinagawa, Tokyo in the end of the y ...

- (1) - ''Roman Legend (2012)'' *

Tokyo Yushun Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

(Japanese Derby) - (1) - ''

Deep Brillante Deep Brillante (Japanese ディープブリランテ foaled 8 May 2009) is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He showed very promising form in 2011 when he won both of his races including the Grade 3 Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai Stakes. In t ...

(2012)'' *

Yasuda Kinen The Yasuda Kinen (English: Yasuda Memorial, Japanese and Chinese language: 安田記念) is a Japanese International Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at the Tokyo Racecourse in Tokyo. Raced annually each June, the Yasuda Kinen is run at a di ...

- (2) - ''

Vodka Vodka ( pl, wódka , russian: водка , sv, vodka ) is a clear distilled alcoholic beverage. Different varieties originated in Poland, Russia, and Sweden. Vodka is composed mainly of water and ethanol but sometimes with traces of impuritie ...

(2008), Lord Kanaloa (2013)''

References

Japanese jockeys 1974 births People from Himeji, Hyōgo Living people {{japan-sport-bio-stub