While money is no object, the man described as having “god-like” status back in Japan would love nothing more than to claim victory in Paris on Sunday.
Take will be riding Al Riffa at Longchamp, a horse previously ridden by Irishman Dylan Browne McMonagle – who at 21 is 34 years his junior.
Advertisement
An ownership change has afforded Take the opportunity to ride Al Riffa, one that he doesn’t intend to waste.
Despite several previous attempts, Take has never won France’s most prestigious race.
But this weekend he hopes to do just that – and become the first Japanese to ever win the Arc.
Earlier this week, Paddy Power spokesperson Paul Binfield said: “Al Riffa has attracted some cash on the back of Joseph O’Brien having legendary Japanese pilot Yutaka Take come into his Kilkenny nerve centre last week to get a feel of the Eclipse runner-up ahead of Sunday’s European middle-distance showpiece.”
Advertisement
At the time, Al Riffa was given 11-1 odds of triumphing.
Take may not be well known in the UK, but he comes from an incredible family of jockeys in Japan.
His dad, Kunihiko, was a jockey nicknamed “the wizard of his turf”.
While his brother, Koshiro, was also a jockey, although he now works as a trainer.
Major sporting event returning to UK for first time in six years as fans vow to buy tickets ‘as soon as they come out’
Take’s amazing career began in 1987, when he rode an astonishing 69 winners as a rookie.
He has consistently been among Japan’s best riders, but has not had so much success in Europe.
Advertisement
His biggest win on UK soil came all the way back in 2000, when he won the July Cup aboard Agnes World.
During his prime, Take was given pin-up status in Japan, enjoying the same level of fame as some pop stars.
In 1995, at the height of his stardom, he even married actress Ryoko Sano.
‘ALMOST A GOD’
Back in 2006, expert of Japanese racing Jane George explained Take’s commercial success while speaking to The Guardian.
She said: “He is almost a god over there.
“A lot of the jockeys in Japan have fan clubs, but he is the only one whose face will be held up on posters all around the paddock.
“The average age of racegoers in Japan is quite young, and there are plenty of good jockeys, but he is still the pin-up.
Advertisement
“It’s like pop-star status, and since he married Sano Ryoko, they are like a Golden Couple.
“He is the only jockey that frequently appears on TV shows, and he always looks good, like a pop star, and he is very relaxed, very polite, always trying to be precise when he answers a question and trying to entertain people.”
‘SO FORTUNATE’
At 55, Take remains in great physical condition, and will hope to roll back the years at the Arc this weekend.
Explaining his longevity after more than 30 years in racing, he said: “My first thing is just enjoyment, enjoy my career being a jockey.
Advertisement
“I am so fortunate that I don’t have to struggle with the weight or anything. Those are two things.
“The third one would be less stress. I try not to have stress from a relationship or whatever it might be.
“I do training and conditioning almost every day. Whenever I have no races, I go to the gym.”
With his rider possessing that kind of dedication, perhaps Al Riffa could be a winner this weekend.
Ryan Christie brilliantly fired the hosts into a deserved lead following a well-worked set piece routine 20 minutes from time.
Advertisement
Justin Kluivert then sealed his side’s incredible 2-0 victory from the penalty spot on 79 minutes.
Here’s how SunSport rated each Gunners performer on the day.
DAVID RAYA – 5 Was lucky to get away with one poor pass out from the back early on. Made amends for another error by saving smartly with the legs to deny Marcus Tavernier after initially spilling a Semenyo cross-cum-shot before clumsily conceding the penalty.
BEN WHITE – 4 England outcast was back in the team after four games out, but did not look 100 per cent fit and found it tough going containing the lively Antoine Semenyo down the Bournemouth left in the first half and Dango Ouattara in the second.
Advertisement
WILLIAM SALIBA – 3 Usually calm and collected under pressure but paid the price for a rare moment of panic when he hauled down Bournemouth striker Evanilson to get himself sent off and will miss next weekend’s crunch clash at home to title rivals Liverpool as a result.
GABRIEL – 5 Given the captain’s armband in the absence of the stricken Bukayo Saka, but not at his commanding best, especially after losing centre-back partner Saliba. Did not really step up to the leadership plate.
RICCARDO CALAFIORI – 6 Did a better job containing Semenyo when Bournemouth’s dangerman switched wings at half-time than White did in the first half, but unable to have his usual influence going forward.
THOMAS PARTEY – 5 Back in his traditional central midfield berth after being used as an emergency right back in the 3-1 win over Southampton. Was second best up against Bournemouth’s impressive Lewis Cook.
Advertisement
DECLAN RICE – 5 Another of Arsenal’s international contingent who looked sluggish after the break from domestic duty. Struggled to impose himself on the game in midfield and unable to get forward as much as he usually does. Did his bit dropping into the back-line after Saliba’s dismissal.
RAHEEM STERLING – 4 Former England man was deployed on the right wing in place of the injured Bukayo Saka and gave the ball away a few times when in promising positions before being sacrificed after the Saliba red card.
MIKEL MERINO – 5 Finally able to make his full Premier League debut after an injury-affected start to his Arsenal career and showed some nice touches. Also fired into the side-netting with the visitors’ best first half opening.
LEANDRO TROSSARD – 4 Started the game well but sold Saliba short with a poor back pass that led to the red card and disappeared from the action after that before being subbed shortly after the half-hour mark.
Advertisement
KAI HAVERTZ – 5 The German cut an isolated figure up front, especially after Arsenal were reduced to ten men, but worked tirelessly for the team without ever looking like adding to his run of scoring in the previous four games in all competitions.
Now Chimaev (13-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) has been rebooked against Whittaker (27-7 MMA, 17-5 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 308 (pay-per-view, ESPN+) co-main event at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
Chimaev was scheduled to face Whittaker at UFC on ABC 6 in Riyadh, but was forced out due to illness which hospitalized him. Whittaker faced Ikram Aliskerov instead, knocking him out in Round 1. Chimaev opened up on what happened to him ahead of his rescheduled matchup vs. Whittaker.
“We were in training camp. The first month was very good,” Chimaev said on UFC Countdown. “The last three weeks, my immunity goes down. I don’t know what happened. All the guys ate the same food, (but) only (I) got sick.
Advertisement
“I was in the hospital for a couple of days. I came out and started to train again and the same sh*t happened again. The doctor said to me, ‘You need to just be off from the gym and not just training, not doing nothing.’ I went home to the mountains.”
Undefeated Chimaev hasn’t competed since edging out former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman last October at UFC 294. His fight vs. Whittaker is being dubbed as a No. 1 contender bout.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.
Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.
Sunday’s sole fixture pitched Kilmarnock up against Rangers at Rugby Park and it was the home fans who were celebrating…
Paul: First half, I thought we were the better team. We gave up more possession second half, but I think we were happy to let them have the ball and try to break us down. That is the worst Rangers team I’ve seen us play in years. We were confident we could take something from the game and it wasn’t a shock to take all three points. A well-deserved first home win.
Stephen: At last, a home win, clean sheet and a full 90-minute performance. The back four were composed, the midfield supported our defence and drove forward when winning possession and the front two didn’t give the opposition defence a minute’s peace. The right subs made at the right time too. Never mind Storm Ashley, Rangers couldn’t cope with Storm Marley. Great win.
Advertisement
Robert: Absolutely superb. We were the better side throughout the whole game and it was as comfortable a game against one of the Old Firm we’ve ever had. Rangers are a very poor side. We were much better than Rangers despite not being at our best.
Anon: A great team performance, but special mention to Robbie Deas. Whenever called upon, he more than steps up and has contributed massively to some of our best defensive performances under Derek McInnes. We are lucky to have him and he deserves to start more often.
Anna: A hard-fought but well-deserved win for the boys. A good solid defence with Deas and Stuart Findlay in the middle. The midfield caused no end of problems for Rangers. I feel David Watson should have started instead of coming on from the bench. As for Watkins, need I say any more?
Derek: As comfortable a win against either half of the Old Firm as I can remember. Absolutely brilliant to see Brad Lyons and Liam Donnelly winning the midfield battle with a man disadvantage and, with the exception of Jefte-Armstrong, it felt like Kilmarnock resoundingly won every individual battle. Phenomenal performance and hopefully a sign of things to come.
Advertisement
Rangers fans were far from impressed…
Matt: Lacklustre. Sloppy. No Fight, no spirit, but more worryingly, it’s not surprising. Club is in a right mess from top to bottom and the only ones who are hurting are us, the fans. Philippe Clement has a major problem. Fans starting to lose belief and we’ve been here far too many times.
Anon: Utterly gutless! Rotten from the first minute and no real game plan, empty jerseys – no fight, no passion and sadly no hope! We will be lucky to finish third with that squad.
Ian: Clement said earlier in the season to judge his team in October. This is now October and the team show no signs of improvement. The midfield three and front three are as poor a front six as I have seen for years. We also should have sold James Tavernier in the summer, if not sooner. Recruitment has been terrible for years and there is a long season ahead.
Advertisement
Margaret: Why oh why can we never take advantage when Celtic drop points? It seems as if our bottle goes. So disappointed – we don’t seem to have the fight to win.
Alexander: Totally inept and tactically incompetent. No direction from middle of the park, which allowed Kilmarnock to play their own game. Rangers players were easily knocked off the ball and deserved what they got. Nothing. Things need to change and fast.
Ronnie: Arguably our most important league game of the season after Saturday’s result at Parkhead. A golden opportunity totally squandered in what was the worst 90 minutes I’ve seen from a Rangers side against domestic opposition in a long time. No pass marks other than Jack Butland. We looked like a Championship side again. It’s beyond forgivable.
Chris: How many real Rangers men are in this team? All this lot are playing for is the money not the jersey. Unless we get a player base of young academy players in the team, we are not going anywhere. Buying injury-prone mercenaries is not a viable strategy.
Advertisement
Roy: First and foremost is the formation. Mr Clement sticks to his 4-2-3-1 and we are struggling to score goals. Up until about seven or eight years ago, Rangers regularly played two up front. Somehow, we need to get back to that, whether that means 4-4-2 or 3-5-2. Currently, we are just not good enough and will struggle to finish third!
US Open champion Aryna Sabalenka has risen to number one in the latest WTA rankings, ending Iga Swiatek’s 11-month stay at the summit.
Belarusian Sabalenka, who also retained her Australian Open title in January, tops the rankings for the second time after an eight-week stay between September and November 2023.
Neither player was in action last week but Poland’s Swiatek drops to second after being given a points penalty for failing to compete in the mandatory six WTA 500 events.
The 23-year-old – who appointed a new coach earlier this month – has only competed in two of the tournaments and has not played since the US Open in September, after deciding to miss the tour’s Asian swing because of fatigue.
Advertisement
She had led the rankings by more than 4,000 points at one stage after winning five titles in the first six months of the season.
But Sabalenka, 26, slowly reeled her in the second half of the year, winning titles in Cincinnati and Wuhan to go with her triumph at Flushing Meadows.
The next chance for Swiatek to return to number one is the season-ending WTA Finals next month in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.
But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.
Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC, PFL and Bellator.
Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by the promotions from Oct. 14-20.
Advertisement
UFC 308, Abu Dhabi, Saturday
Carlos Leal def. Dilano Taylor 2023 PFL 6
UFC Fight Night 246, Las Vegas, Nov. 9
Jul 29, 2023; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Matthew Semelsberger (red gloves) fights Uros Medic (blue gloves) during UFC 291 at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports
Advertisement
UFC Fight Night 247, Macau, Nov. 23
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JANUARY 13: (R-L) Nikolas Motta of Brazil kicks Tom Nolan of Australia in a lightweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on January 13, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
2024 PFL Championships, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Nov. 29
Jun 1, 2024; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Randy Brown (red gloves) fights Elizeu Zaleski Dos Santos (blue gloves) during UFC 302 at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
UFC Fight Night, Las Vegas, Jan. 11
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – JULY 27: Preston Parsons looks on in a welterweight bout against Oban Elliott of England during the UFC 304 event at Co-op Live on July 27, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Ben Roberts Photo/Getty Images)
Advertisement
Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.
THOUSANDS of Dream Team managers were left regretting their most recent transfers this weekend.
Alejandro Garnacho (£3.6m) was among the top five most-ditched players prior to the Gameweek 8 deadline but he immediately clapped back with an impressive 15-point haul.
Only Curtis Jones (£2.7m) earned more points across Saturday and Sunday’s Premier League games.
The Manchester United winger scored a well-executed volley to equalise against Brentford just after half time.
Garnacho’s goal was the crowning moment of his performance but that was far from his only significant contribution.
The Argentina international caused the Bees all sorts of problems, particularly in the second half, and he registered FIVE shots on target in total – perhaps he should have converted another of his chances.
The Dream Team bosses who remained loyal to Garnacho will have been delighted by his efforts nonetheless amid what was generally a low-scoring weekend.
Advertisement
And the Gameweek isn’t over yet with the Red Devils due to face Fenerbahce in the Europa League on Thursday.
The 20-year-old has climbed up to ninth in the midfield rankings having bumped his tally for the season up to 70 points.
Notably, he’s now above Luis Diaz (£4.6m), the third most-selected midfielder in the game.
Advertisement
Garnacho’s 15-point return has prompted plenty of early transfers and he’s currently the third most-popular recruit ahead of Gameweek 9.
Erik ten Hag’s side are due to face West Ham (league) and Leicester (Carabao Cup) next Gameweek which has to be considered a relatively favourable double header, especially after the Hammers’ capitulation at Tottenham.
Score Predictor
Play Score Predictor with Dream Team this season!
FREE to play
£250 weekly prize
Predict scores of five selected Premier League fixtures and earn points for accuracy
In fact, a quick glance at the schedule reveals Garnacho may be a smart option for the next few Gameweeks.
Man United will play Chelsea and PAOK in Gameweek 10, Leicester again in Gameweek 11, then Ipswich and Bodo-Glimt in Gameweek 12.
Granted, Ten Hag’s side are far from the finished article themselves but most of those match-ups appear ripe with potential.
Garnacho has seven goal involvements to his name this season, four goals and three assists, while only Erling Haaland (£8.9m) and Mohamed Salah (£7.4m) have notched more shots on target.
Advertisement
No doubt some of the gaffers who ditched him last week will be crawling back prior to Gameweek 9.
*New cust only. 7 days to opt in by placing a £10 qualifying bet at 1/1 (2.0) odds or greater to receive 4x Free Bets: 1 x £10 horse racing, 1 x £10 Bet Builder, 1 x £10 Acca and 1 x £10 football. 7 day expiry. Exclusions apply. Stake not returned. 18+. T&Cs apply.
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org
You must be logged in to post a comment Login