International jockey Cristophe Lemaire, winner of the 2011 Melbourne Cup on Dunaden, will be out of action indefinitely with a fractured leg.

The French rider came off his mount Ferguson in a race at Kyoto in Japan on Sunday.

His agent Helen Barbe says Lemaire is in good spirits although she is not sure how long he will be sidelined.

"He has a hairline fracture at the top of his right tibia," Barbe said.

"We don't know how long he will be out yet. We will know more in the next few days about his injury and when he will be coming back to France.

"He's in good spirits and when you see the fall, it could have been a lot worse."

In addition to the Melbourne Cup, Lemaire's Group One wins include victories in England and France on Australian horse Starcraft and the 2009 Japan Cup on Vodka.