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SARGA.CO - At an age when most jockeys have long since retired, Yutaka Take still winsthe biggest races. Now 57 years old, the Japanese horse racing legend remains one of the sport's marquee figures, proving that experience and determination can prevail against new prodigies and prime talent.

Nearly four decades after going professional, Take continues to add new chapters to hislegacy as one of the greatest of all time, not just extending his career for the sake of it.

Born on 15 March 1969, whose late father Kunihiko was a horse trainer and a “magician”jockey himself, Take made his JRA debut in 1987. He immediately established himself as generational, becoming the first rookie jockey to ride 69 winners in a season and quickly setting records that still stand today.

His 2005 campaign remains one of the most career defining seasons in Japanese horse racing, when he recorded 212 JRA victories in a single year, which was only surpassed 13 years later in 2018 by Christophe Lemaire.

Over the years, Take has rode on many of Japan's greatest horses, including Oguri Cap, Super Creek, Special Week, Silence Suzuka, Mejiro McQueen, Deep Impact, Kitasan Black, Do Deuce, Copano Rickey and Smart Falcon.

His success has transcended eras, allowing him to remain competitive through dramatic changes in breeding, training methods and racing styles.

Instead of slowing down, Yutaka Take makes more history. During the 2026 spring season, he captured consecutive JRA G1 victories aboard Sixpence in the Yasuda Kinen and MeishoTabaru in the back-to-back Takarazuka Kinen.

These mark a historic sum of 86 JRA G1 wins, as well as Take himself as the oldest jockey to ever win a JRA G1 race, and also surpassing ¥100 billion in career JRA prize-money earnings, one landmark achievement after another in a career filled with unprecedented statistics.

As of current, with 4,669 JRA race wins, 212 NAR race wins, and 119 overseas race wins, hehas accumulated a staggering total of 5,000 wins.

Horse racing is one of the most physically demanding sports, requiring split-second judgement, balance, strength and tactical awareness. Maintaining top form into late fifties is virtually unheard of, particularly in Japan's fiercely competitive jockey ranks.

Yet, Yutaka Take’s longevity and success has earned vast admiration from fellow jockeys, trainers and racing fans alike, with younger riders often viewing him as both a rival and a mentor.

Whether aboard established champions or inexperienced youngsters, Take's calm decision-making and ability to judge pace remain /among his greatest strengths.

Few athletes remain at the highest level for around 40 years, and fewer still set records while competing against those young enough to be their children. With 5,000 JRA victories, 86 G1 wins and countless successes at home and abroad, Yutaka Take has already secured his place among the greatest Thoroughbred jockeys. However, even in his 2026 season, he still has something to prove.

"Five thousand wins when you combine JRA, NAR, and overseas racing. It's a number I've built up one victory at a time. I'm also happy that I ended up winning more races overseas than I expected. It's been 40 years now, but I'd still like to keep adding to that total," said Take.

As Japanese horse racing continues to produce new champions, one constant remains: whenever Yutaka Take enters the starting gate, history is always a possibility.