Japan's first female trainer

DEAUVILLE, France -- An important marker in the history of Japanese racing was passed in December 2023 when Kyoko Maekawa became the first woman to be granted a training licence in the country. Now 47, Maekawa has worked at Ritto Training Centre in the Shiga Prefecture in western Japan for 21 years. As she completes her apprenticeship alongside the internationally successful trainer Yoshito Yahagi, Maekawa is in Deauville this week to expand her knowledge of the racing and breeding world in other jurisdictions. "I was granted my licence last year...