Sakae Kunieda and jockey Yutaka seek maiden G1 title together
Tuesday, 23 April, 2024 17:10
The formidable team of jockey Yutaka Take and trainer Sakae Kunieda will look for their first G1 victory together in the Tenno sho (Spring) with Saliera.
Yutaka Take, Japan's most successful jockey, made his debut in 1987 and trainer Kunieda, widely known as the trainer of Almond Eye, began his career in 1990. Their first win together was Satono Flag in the 2020 Yayoi Sho. The duo has combined for 88 races in the JRA, winning 13 races, finishing second 11 times and third 12 times. However, the best result in five G1 races was third with Black Hawk in the 1999 Mile Championship. Incidentally, this was the first time the pair had ever competed in a graded race.
In the Tenno Sho (Spring), they will attempt to shed their G1 maiden tag with Saliera. Her half-brother Salios won the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes in 2019, and her full sister Salacia won the G2 Fuchu Himba Stakes in 2020. Although she has yet to win a graded race, she finished second in the G2 Rose Stakes in 2022 and third in the G2 Meguro Kinen last year. In her last start, the G3 Diamond Stakes, she competed over a marathon distance for the first time and finished second, a neck behind T O Royal. Although her opponents will be stronger here, a convincing argument can be made for her to possibly become the second filly to win the Tenno Sho (Spring) in 71 years, after Leda in 1953.
Yutaka Take has won the Tenno Sho (Spring) eight times, the most in the race's history, and trainer Kunieda has also won it once. Kunieda will be retiring in February 2026, there are not many chances left for him to win. We look forward to seeing the best of his skills and the legend's race craft team up once again.
The following is a list of the JRA G1 results of Yutaka Take and Sakae Kunieda
1999 Mile Championship:Black Hawk (2nd favorite) in 3rd place
2000 Hanshin 3-year-old Filly Stakes:Takara Silence (3rd favorite) in 5th place
2020 Japanese Derby:Satono Flag (4th favorite) in 11th place
2022 Tenno Sho (Spring):Hayayakko (11th favorite) in 15th place
2022 Japan Cup:Heart's Histoire (12th favorite) in 11th place
Yutaka Take, Japan's most successful jockey, made his debut in 1987 and trainer Kunieda, widely known as the trainer of Almond Eye, began his career in 1990. Their first win together was Satono Flag in the 2020 Yayoi Sho. The duo has combined for 88 races in the JRA, winning 13 races, finishing second 11 times and third 12 times. However, the best result in five G1 races was third with Black Hawk in the 1999 Mile Championship. Incidentally, this was the first time the pair had ever competed in a graded race.
In the Tenno Sho (Spring), they will attempt to shed their G1 maiden tag with Saliera. Her half-brother Salios won the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes in 2019, and her full sister Salacia won the G2 Fuchu Himba Stakes in 2020. Although she has yet to win a graded race, she finished second in the G2 Rose Stakes in 2022 and third in the G2 Meguro Kinen last year. In her last start, the G3 Diamond Stakes, she competed over a marathon distance for the first time and finished second, a neck behind T O Royal. Although her opponents will be stronger here, a convincing argument can be made for her to possibly become the second filly to win the Tenno Sho (Spring) in 71 years, after Leda in 1953.
Yutaka Take has won the Tenno Sho (Spring) eight times, the most in the race's history, and trainer Kunieda has also won it once. Kunieda will be retiring in February 2026, there are not many chances left for him to win. We look forward to seeing the best of his skills and the legend's race craft team up once again.
The following is a list of the JRA G1 results of Yutaka Take and Sakae Kunieda
1999 Mile Championship:Black Hawk (2nd favorite) in 3rd place
2000 Hanshin 3-year-old Filly Stakes:Takara Silence (3rd favorite) in 5th place
2020 Japanese Derby:Satono Flag (4th favorite) in 11th place
2022 Tenno Sho (Spring):Hayayakko (11th favorite) in 15th place
2022 Japan Cup:Heart's Histoire (12th favorite) in 11th place