Ryūji Wada（Japanese: 和田竜二, June 23, 1977 - ）is a Japanese jockey and YouTuber affiliated with the Ritto Training Center of the Japan Racing Association. He is also the vice-president and president of the Kansai branch of the Japan Jockey Club [ja].
Ryuji debuted in 1996 as a jockey hired by the stable of Ichizo Iwamoto [ja], and made his first victory in March 16 of that year with S.T. Top.[5] On December of that same year, he became the first of his peers to win a graded race by winning the Stayers Stakes with Sage Wells.[6] He finished that year with a total of 33 wins, and as a result was awarded the Chuo Keiba Kansai Kisha Club Sho [ja], which is the equivalent for the Rookie Jockey Award for jockeys in Kansai (Ritto).[7]
Wada won his 800th victory on November 4, 2012, at Kyoto Racecourse with Radiare.[9] The following day, Wada won his first Grade 1 race since 2001 when he won the JBC Classic held at Kawasaki Racecourse with Wonder Acute [ja].[10]
Wada became the 16th JRA jockey to enter a total of 13,000 races on December 21, 2014, with A Shin Heading.[11]
Wada became the 30th JRA jockey to win 1,000 races with Wave Hero on May 8, 2016.[12]
Wada won his first JRA Grade 1 race in 17 years later winning the 59th Takarazuka Kinen in 2018.[13] He also won the Kawasaki Kinen the following year with Mitsuba [ja].
On March 26, 2022, Wada won the 10th Nakayama race of the day with Delicada, making him the 24th JRA jockey ever to win a total of 1,400 races.[14]
Wada became the vice-president of the Japan Jockey Club in May 2023 as well as the president of the Kansai Branch after the preceding president, Yuichi Fukunaga, retired.[15]
