Hong Kong Derby-winning jockey Alexis Badel on the secrets of his success

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The 2022/23 racing season could well be considered both the best and most-challenging season of Alexis Badel’s career, but it was also one which proved that determination, grit and perseverance will eventually win the day.

The jockey took a nasty tumble when his horse Fantastic Way tripped and dislodged him back in November last year, leaving the Frenchman with a dislocated shoulder and a broken ankle. The injuries kept him off the track for seven weeks.

It meant that the jockey had to watch from the sidelines as another jockey, Ryan Moore, took the Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint trophy on Wellington – a horse that Badel had ridden to three previous G1 victories.

“Obviously it can be very frustrating to be taken off horses that you believe you have ridden well and you get suspensions, injuries … many things come along and you have to deal with everything. But at the end of the day you have to believe that if you keep working hard you will always bounce back,” said Badel in an interview with Asian Racing Report earlier this year.

Badel has certainly bounced back from his setbacks with a resounding bang. Within three months of his injury, Badel was already back in the winner’s enclosure, and capped off his return with a spectacular ride on Voyage Bubble to deliver a shock win in the BMW Hong Kong Derby in March. Punters were left stunned as Badel overcame an unfavourable outside barrier draw and held off stiff competition from race favourites Beauty Eternal and Tuchel in a nail-biting photo finish.

Badel described the Derby as one of the most challenging races he had ever ridden. It was particularly satisfying as he was only tapped to ride Voyage Bubble a week prior to the race, but Badel believes a good jockey needs to be able to build an “instant connection” with his horses .

Badel is no stranger to injury, which is part and parcel of top-tier sport. But he prefers not to dwell on it and instead focuses on recovering quickly. “I don’t think about it,” he said. “My passion for the sport, and the adrenalin I am looking for is more powerful.”

His love for the sport is no surprise; riding is in his blood. The former French Champion Apprentice (2007) comes from a horse racing background. His mother, Myriam Bollack-Badel, was the first woman trainer in France. His father, Alain Badel, and his older brother both ride professionally. 

Badel tested the waters in Hong Kong with two short-term stints between 2016 and 2018 and, after achieving solid results, decided to move to the city to race full-time in 2019.

The 33-year-old proved he was a force to be reckoned with when he ended his second full season in Hong Kong with a personal best haul of 58 wins and a first Group 1 win, partnering Wellington to land the Chairman’s Sprint Prize. And despite the months out of action, Badel ended the 2022/23 season with 35 wins.

Although now based in Hong Kong, Badel takes the opportunity to stay in top competitive shape by racing elsewhere in Europe when the local racing season takes a summer break. The hard work pays off; Badel recently won a race in Deauville, France on August 1. 

Don’t miss the upcoming series of HKJC simulcasts live from Deauville on Prix Maurice de Gheest Day on August 6, the Prix Jacques le Marois Day on August 13 and the Prix Jean Romanet Day on August 20.