Promising Japanese jockey Yudai Tsukamoto dies aged 25 after suffering horror fall in the middle of a race

Esteemed Japanese jockey Yudai Tsukamoto has died aged 25 after suffering a horror fall during a race at Kochi Racecourse. Tsukamoto was a promising rider who had competed in Japan's second tier National Association of Racing [NAR} circuit, which organises regional racing.

He won his first ever race as a teenager in 2016 and had ridden over 300 different winners over the last eight years - including 13 earlier this year, according to Racing and Sports.com. Tsukamoto was riding a horse called Cosmo Sea World on Saturday 23 March when his mount stumbled on a bend, throwing him to the ground. The Mirror understands that the jockey received medical treatment at the time and he was rushed to Kochi City hospital, but his death was announced later that same day.

The Kochi Prefecture Horse Racing Association paid a tribute which said: “We would like to express our deepest condolences and pray that his soul may rest in peace.” According to NAR, Tsukamoto is the fourth jockey to die on one of its tracks in a race since 1989.