A Badel

Alexis Badel hails from a strong racing background: his mother is trainer Myriam Bollack-Badel and his father is former jockey Alain Badel. He was French Champion Apprentice in 2007 and broke into the top 10 of the French jockeys’ championship in just his second year of riding with 60 wins. Badel recorded his first Group race win aboard Norse King in the 2013 G2 Prix du Conseil de Paris. He was appointed the Aga Khan’s second retained rider behind Christophe Soumillon at the beginning of the 2015 racing season and went on to record his most successful season to date with 104 wins, finishing seventh in the French Championship. He made his Hong Kong debut at Sha Tin with two mounts on 11 December, 2016, riding his first Hong Kong winner, Supreme Profit, on 27 December. He ended that maiden two-month stint with seven wins. He returned for the 2017/18 season, landing 14 wins, before a third short-term stint yielded 26 wins. Badel’s best haul to date came in the 2020/21 season, when he rode 58 winners. That campaign also saw him partner Wellington to victory in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize, his first Group 1 win in Hong Kong, while the first Group 1 success of his career came aboard Nonza in the 2018 Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville. Badel also won the 2023 G3 Celebration Cup aboard Healthy Happy and the G3 January Cup in 2024 aboard Happy Together. He notched his 300th Hong Kong victory aboard Jubilant Winner in April 2026, and also enjoyed plenty of success during a short riding stint in Japan in the summer of 2025. Badel closed out the 2025/26 season with 37 wins. Achievements: French Champion Apprentice (2007). Notable Wins Include: Hong Kong Derby (2023 Voyage Bubble), Chairman’s Sprint Prize (2021 & 2022 Wellington), Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (2022 Wellington), Hong Kong Classic Cup (2021 Healthy Happy), G2 Premier Bowl (2022 Wellington), G2 Sprint Cup (2022 Wellington), G3 Celebration Cup (2023 Healthy Happy), G3 January Cup (2019 Simply Brilliant, 2024 Happy Together), G3 Bauhinia Sprint Trophy (2021 Explosive Witness), G3 National Day Cup (2021 Super Wealthy, 2024 Beauty Waves), G3 Ladies’ Purse (2021 Tourbillon Diamond), G3 Sha Tin Vase (2022 Cordyceps Six), G3 Chinese Club Challenge Cup (2022 Healthy Happy), G3 Premier Plate (2022 Tourbillon Diamond), Prix Jean Romanet (2018 Nonza), G2 Premio Federico Tesio (2018 Night Music), G2 Prix du Conseil de Paris (2013 Norse King), G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte (2015 Donjuan Triumphant), G2 Grand Prix de Deauville (2014 Cocktail Queen). Hong Kong Career Wins (at start of 2026/27 season): 311 (win strike rate 7.6%).