The Canterbury Jockey Club race meeting this coming Thursday, 21 January 2020, will celebrate the career of leading South Island jockey Chris Johnson.

Johnson broke the record for the most winning rides by a jockey in New Zealand when Sassenach won the fourth race on the card at the Awapuni racemeeting on Saturday 19 December 2020.

Thursday is the first occasion that the Canterbury Jockey Club has held a race meeting since Johnson reached the milestone of 2452 winning rides in New Zealand to take the record from another Cantabrian David Walsh.

New Zealand’s oldest racecourse Riccarton Park will be renamed ‘Chris Johnson Racecourse’ for the day and each race will carry the name or names of horses that hold special meaning to Johnson.