Hakodate: Veteran horse-racing jockey Yutaka Take of the Japan Racing Association has scored his 5,000th career victory, including in domestic races managed by local governments and races abroad. The 57-year-old finished first aboard Himino Etoile, a four-year-old filly, in Sunday's seventh JRA race at the Hakodate Racecourse in the city of Hakodate, Hokkaido, northernmost Japan.

According to Philippines News Agency, Take expressed deep emotion upon reaching this milestone, attributing it to his continued efforts over the years. Of the 5,000 victories, Take achieved 4,669 in races managed by the JRA, 212 in local government-managed races in Japan, and 119 in international races.

Take's career began in 1987, following in the footsteps of his late father, Kunihiko, who was also a jockey and horse trainer. Riding Super Creek, Take won his first Grade 1 major race in 1988 at the Kikuka Show, a JRA event.

In 1990, he led the famous thoroughbred, Oguri Cap, to a victory in the JRA's Arima Kinen, marking Oguri Cap's final race before retirement. In 2005, he achieved a significant milestone by winning Japan's triple crown of classic thoroughbred races with Deep Impact, making it the second undefeated horse to attain this accomplishment.

Take's younger brother, Koshiro, also followed a similar path, transitioning from being a jockey to becoming a horse trainer.