NEWS adiyat racing plus.com 18 ADIYAT RACING PLUS ISSUE 792 Thursday 6th April 2023 YUTAKA TAKE NOW HOLDS THE RECORD FOR THE OLDEST JOCKEY TO WIN A GROUP ONE IN JRA HISTORY. By Masakazu Takahashi Maurice’s 5yo son Jack D’Or gave the Shadai Stallion Station sire another Group One winner on Sunday when denying favourite Stars On Earth by a nose in a thrilling finish to the 1m2f Osaka Hai at Hanshin. Previously a dual Group Two winner, Jack D'Or led the 16 runners under Yutaka Take at a good gallop before holding off the late challenge from last year's Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) and Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) heroine Stars On Earth, with Danon The Kid just a neck further back in third. The Kenichi Fujioka-trained Jack D’Or was scoring for the eighth time in 14 starts. The previous highlight had been his defeat of this year’s Saudi Cup winner Panthalassa in the 2022 Sapporo Kinen. Owned by Toshiyuki Maehara, he was registering his first Group One title. Take, for whom this was an 80th JRA top level winner, said: "I wanted to take the lead if I was off to a good start. He was a Trainer Andrew Balding is confident Foxes Tales can make his mark back at a higher level after scoring for the first time in more than 18 months when proving a cut above his rivals in Saturday’s Listed 1m2f Magnolia Stakes on the all-weather at Kempton Park. Winless since claiming Group Three honours in the Rose Of Lancaster Stakes at Haydock in August 2021, the 5yo Zoffany gelding was making his second start since undergoing a gelding operation, having finished third in the Winter Derby at Lingfield. Sent off favourite, he bided his time under Oisin Murphy in midfield during the early exchanges before mounting his challenge approaching the final 2f. After sweeping past Secret State, winner of YUTAKA TAKES ANOTHER JAPANESE RECORD CUNNING GELDING PLAN PAYING OFF AS FOXES WRITES FURTHER TALES little keen at the first and second corners, but he understood that and was able to go at a good pace. In these ground conditions [good to firm], I thought that I should adjust the pace to about 59 seconds for the first 5f. After that, I turned into the straight in good shape, but we were facing strong horses. I heard footsteps and I was chilled, and he held them off somehow. I think it is thanks to the connections who have enabled me to ride many famous and special horses that I have reached 80 Group Ones." Take now holds the record for the oldest jockey to win a Group One in JRA history, at 54 years and 19 days. The previous record of 53 years, 11 months and 27 days had been held by former jockey Yukio Okabe. Winning trainer Fujioka added: "As expected, Yutaka won using his ability fully. The autumn target would be the Tenno Sho Autumn, and I would like to choose the steps to it. One option is the Takarazuka Kinen." last year’s King George V Handicap at Royal Ascot, who had kicked for home entering the home straight, the market leader quickly put the race to bed before defeating Rogue Millennium by three lengths. Balding said: “He had a bit of a wide trip in the Winter Derby but he ran well and Lord North went and franked the form in Dubai, so we were pretty hopeful today. He is definitely more focused for being gelded and he is back to the level of form he was showing as a 3yo. “I think last year he was just thinking about things but he has been gelded and has had a good winter off and hopefully he will have a good season. It was either he had to win a Group One last season or have him gelded
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