Kosuke Matsumoto, a 43-year-old Japanese jockey, died Monday, January 13, 2025, following a three-horse collision during early morning training at Sonoda Racecourse in Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. The fatal accident occurred at approximately 5:50 a.m. during routine exercise sessions.
According to the Hyogo Prefectural Horse Racing Association, the chain of events began when a horse that had completed its training suddenly bolted while returning to the stable area. The out-of-control horse charged back onto the main track, crashing into Matsumoto’s mount and a third horse, causing all three riders to be thrown to the ground.
Emergency medical personnel found Matsumoto unconscious at the scene. He was immediately transported to a nearby hospital in Amagasaki City in cardiopulmonary arrest. Despite intensive medical intervention at the hospital, Matsumoto never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead seven hours after the incident. The two other jockeys in the collision, aged in their 30s and 40s, escaped with bruises and minor injuries.
The Amagasaki police department launched an immediate investigation into the accident’s circumstances. Their preliminary report, released Monday, confirmed that Matsumoto suffered severe head trauma when he “hit his head hard on the ground” during the collision. Police investigators documented that he was transported to the hospital in critical condition and remained in cardiopulmonary arrest throughout emergency treatment.
Matsumoto’s career in horse racing began in 2002 on Japan’s National Association of Racing (NAR) circuit, a network of racetracks owned and operated by local governments. This circuit operates separately from Japan’s most prestigious venues, such as Tokyo Racecourse, which are managed by the Japan Racing Association (JRA). Throughout his 21-year career, Matsumoto recorded 261 victories from 7,624 races on the NAR circuit.
“He was involved in training from early in the morning until the last minute, and was well-liked by trainers and jockeys, and was loved by those involved,” reported Netkeiba, a Japanese racing publication.
The Sonoda Racecourse administration responded to the tragedy by organizing a moment of silence before Tuesday’s races, the first day of a scheduled three-day race meeting. The gesture marked the beginning of the track’s regular racing program while acknowledging the loss of the veteran jockey.
The National Association of Racing, where Matsumoto spent his entire career, operates 14 local government-owned tracks across Japan. These tracks form a distinct racing circuit separate from the JRA’s tracks such as Tokyo, Nakayama, Kyoto, and Hanshin, which host the country’s Grade 1 races. While considered second-tier to the JRA, the NAR circuit provides year-round racing opportunities at regional venues throughout Japan.
The dangers of horse racing were highlighted earlier in 2024 with two other racing fatalities. In April, Japanese jockey Kota Fujioka, 35, died from head and chest injuries sustained in a fall at Hanshin Racecourse. Fujioka, who had won over 800 Japan Racing Association-sanctioned races and competed in more than 10,000 races, was the first jockey to die in a JRA racing accident since 2004. Just a week before Fujioka’s death, 23-year-old Italian jockey Stefano Cherchi died following injuries sustained in a fall during a race in Australia.