Pin-up boy for Japan industry

Press, 19 December 1989, Page 37

Pin-up boy for Japan industry

By

DAVID MCCARTHY

JAPANESE racing administrators, as astute and wily promoters as to be found anywhere, have a tiger by the tail in young Yutaka Take, the riding phenomenon of that country who is to visit New Zealand at the end of this month.

Take, aged 20, recently rode his 300th winner. He is the darling of the Japanese media, racing and otherwise, with frequent appearances on television supplementing the seemingly neverending interest in his achievements and desires by a horde of photographers and journalists. Take, himself, dignified and courteous, does not seem fazed by the attention he receives, especially by the young women of Japan who sigh and squeal when Take appears and send him fan mail by the bagfull. They would probably be dismayed to find that Take himself has a yearning to meet the singer, Madonna, and a great ambition to become an inter-nationally-recognised jockey. Take began riding in March, 1987, and rode 69 winners in his first season, a Japanese record. In 1988 he was the leading rider in the Osaka area and second over all in the country. He chalked up his first 100 winners in 13 months, is the fastest achiever of 200 winners (two years) and the fastest to 300 winners (33 months). The previous record for the latter was 44 months.

In the incredibly wealthy Japanese racing industry, Take has ridden the winners of over $4O million, of which he receives five per cent- - This Saturday, in the Grand Prix, a Japanese all age classic worth as much as the Japan Cup, he will attempt his fifth Group One win this season — an unprecedented achievement in Japan. Yet Take, whose father was a jockey, seems relatively unaffected by all the success. In an interview with "The Press” in Osaka during the World Super Jockey Series, Take said his other ambitions in life

were trying to be as likeable as possible, improving his golf (he plays intermittently, but off a 10 handicap) and experiencing different facets of racing in other countries. He visited Arlington Racecourse, in Chicago, earlier this year and rode a winner there. Take is aware that the bevy of cameras and reporters towards him on raceday and at trackwork, with other fine jockeys getting knocked over in the rush, may spawn jealously among older riders of the “new kid on the block.” “Generally the other riders take it very well,” said Take, who clearly has the ability to get on with his elders. “I try very hard not to let it (the attention) make a lot of difference to my life. I must act in a certain way to help promote racing,” Take said, carefully weighing each of the words he must utter at a thousand interviews.

He said his riding style has evolved from being brought up in a racing atmosphere, early experience in the equestrian arena and a leaning towards the American riding and racing style, which is increasingly popular in Japan. He said his father, one of the best of all Japanese jockeys, has influenced but not instructed, him. Take, tall for a jockey (170 cm with a walking weight of 50kg, went through the Apprentice School as must all other

would-be jockeys in Japan. Only 10 are selected each year for the three-year course and, rather surprisingly, actual riding ability or potential is not one of the criteria for selection. His riding ability, in a country where the skills of horsemanship may not be as highly regarded as in the older racing countries, attracted praise from the international jockeys at Osaka. “He impressed me. He sits on a horse nicely and rates them well. He doesn’t get bustled. He should measure up anywhere, though the closer riding style of New Zealand racing could force changes in his style,” said visiting New Zealander David Walsh.

Take’s targets are to be the best Japanese rider, which he is generally rated as already being, and then to turn his attention to foreign shores, possibly the United States.

He handles the attention and media coverage with aplomb, to the undisguised delight of Japan Racing Association chiefs always on the lookout for a promotion for racing. “We get very few young women really interested in going to the races regularly,” said one. “Take has changed that and he could do a lot more for racing in Japan.” Take already seems to have done that. His height indicates that one day it may be a struggle to walk 50kg, although Japanese horsemen suffer less weight difficulties than most others.

In the meantime, he wants to learn about racing in all other countries, one reason New Zealand is on his agenda over the New Year. It is hard to imagine New Zealand racing administrators pushing the obvious appeal a rider like Lance O’Sullivan has for the opposite sex, especially through the mass media. That the Japanese administrators do it and do it so well is another facet of a racing promotion philosophy which has much to teach New Zealand.