“Just Like the Royal Family”: The “Profound” Human Drama Unfolding Around Yutaka Take and Meisho Tabaru as They Take on the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe

A Horse That Feels the Bonds Between People

At 11:05 p.m. Japan Standard Time on Sunday, October 4, the world’s premier race, the “105th Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe” (French G1, 2,400m on turf), will be held at ParisLongchamp Racecourse.

From Japan, Meisho Tabaru—a two-time consecutive winner of the Takarazuka Kinen—and Admire Terra, who finished third in the Spring Tenno Sho, are scheduled to compete.

Winning the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe—considered Europe’s premier race—remains an unfulfilled dream for the Japanese racing world.In the past, a total of 38 Japanese-trained horses have taken on the challenge, starting with Speed Symboli in 1969, but the best results have been second-place finishes by El Condor Passer in 1999, Nakayama Festa in 2010, and Orfèvre in 2012 and 2013.

“The sire of Meisho Tabaru, who is taking on this challenge, is Gold Ship, a son of Stay Gold. Affectionately known by the nickname ‘Gorshi,’ he won six G1 races, including back-to-back Takarazuka Kinen titles, and challenged for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in 2014 (finishing 14th).His son, Tabaru, has followed in his father’s footsteps by winning the Takarazuka Kinen two years in a row, and with the slogan ‘Now, on to the world stage,’ he is the subject of high expectations from ‘Gorshi’s’ fans as well,” said a sports newspaper reporter covering central horse racing.

Incidentally, the sire of Nakayama Festa—who narrowly lost the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe—is Stay Gold, and Orfevre, who finished second two years in a row, is also a Stay Gold offspring. Meisho Tabaru’s challenge, carrying on that bloodline, could be called “destiny.”

In the saddle is legendary jockey Yutaka Take. This July, in his 40th year as a jockey and at the age of 57, he reached the milestone of 5,000 career wins.

“Even as he approaches his 60th birthday, he has achieved back-to-back Group 1 victories—winning the Yasuda Kinen on June 7 and the Takarazuka Kinen the following week—and far from showing any signs of decline, he continues to live up to his reputation as a genius jockey.When Yutaka-san said in an on-track interview after his back-to-back Takarazuka victories, ‘I think I can go to France with my head held high,’ the cheers grew even louder,” said the sports newspaper reporter mentioned earlier.

Yutaka Take’s challenges at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe began in 1994 with White Muzzle (6th place), and this marks his 12th attempt (the seventh Japanese horse to compete). His best finish was third place in 2001 aboard Saga City (France). A representative from the Ritto Training Center told this website,

“We’ve taken on the challenge with legendary horses such as Deep Impact in 2006 (3rd, disqualified), Kizuna in 2013 (4th), and Dou Deuce in 2022 (19th), but it seems he has a different mindset this time.He described his partner, Tabaru, as ‘a horse that makes you feel a connection with people,’ and said with a smile, ‘Horse racing is really interesting, isn’t it? To be able to compete in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on a Meisho-owned horse, bred by Mishima Farm, and with Mr. Ishibashi by my side.’”

he said.

Jockeys, owners, breeding farms, and trainers… A tapestry of human relationships—reminiscent of, or perhaps even surpassing, the drama “The Royal Family” (TBS), which became a hit last year for its portrayal of the behind-the-scenes world of horse racing—is being woven around Meisho Tabaru.

I hope I can go to the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe next year.

“The late Yoshio Matsumoto (died at age 87), the former owner known for the ‘Meisho’ prefix, and Kunihiko Take (died at age 77)—Yutaka’s father and the man known as the ‘Magician of the Turf’—were best friends who were born in the same year.It was Kunihiko who introduced me to Mishima Ranch in the Hidaka region of Hokkaido,” said a source at the Ritto Training Center.

As an individual horse owner, Mr. Matsumoto made significant contributions to the horse racing world, including achieving the unprecedented milestone of 2,000 career wins. However, he passed away suddenly from pancreatic cancer in August 1925.

“Since the G1 ‘Dubai Turf’ last April (where he finished fifth), Meisho Tabaru has been partnered with jockey Yutaka Take, but it was apparently Yutaka who advised on this horse’s overseas campaign. I think Owner Matsumoto and Yutaka had already been looking ahead to a trip to France around that time.“When Meisho Samson challenged for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in ’08, the sight of Owner Matsumoto in tears in the paddock must have left a lasting impression on Yutaka-san,” said a source at the Ritto Training Center.

However, two months after Meisho Tabaru won the Takarazuka Kinen for the first time, Owner Matsumoto said,

“I hope we can go to the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe next year,”

and passed away. Everyone on “Team Tabaru” took those words to heart.

“After winning back-to-back Takarazuka Kinen titles this past June, Yoshitaka Matsumoto—who had taken over as owner—reportedly expressed his gratitude to trainer Mamoru Ishibashi, who manages Tabaru, saying something along the lines of, ‘I can’t thank you enough for making the chairman’s wish come true,’” said the sports newspaper reporter mentioned earlier.

Trainer Ishibashi is a childhood friend of Yutaka Take. Their close friendship is well-known within the racing community, but…

“I hear Trainer Ishibashi was a classmate and riding partner of Yutaka’s older brother. Because of that relationship, he was apparently like an ‘older brother’ figure to him.Speaking of Trainer Ishibashi, during his riding career, he won the Satsuki Sho and the Derby—the Classic Double—as well as the Tenno Sho (Spring) and three other G1 races, all aboard Meisho Samson.However, Yutaka eventually took over as the horse’s primary jockey, and he was also in the saddle for the 2008 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. With Meisho Tabaru at the center, the connections between people are intricately intertwined,” said the Ritto Training Center official mentioned earlier.

A new member has joined “Team Tabaru,” a group woven together by such deep personal relationships.

“After the victory in the Takarazuka Kinen, jockey Yutaka Take was asked by a source about Tabaru’s performance. The scene was captured by a helmet-mounted jockey camera, showing him say, ‘He was fine. Keisuke has been doing a great job training him.’Just before the ‘Osaka Hai’ (2nd place) in April, jockey Keisuke Dazai became his training partner. In fact, it was jockey Yutaka Take who reportedly brought jockey Dazai and trainer Ishibashi together,” said the sports newspaper reporter mentioned earlier.

Furthermore, Yutaka Take’s jockey camera captured this scene as well.

In footage from the far straight taken just after crossing the finish line, when a rival jockey offered congratulations,

“He really does run well. That was good practice for France,”

—his thoughts were already flying to Paris.

“In the past, Tabaru’s three Grade 1 victories were all front-running wins on tough tracks—such as heavy or slightly heavy conditions. Since Elysio’s 1996 win at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe was the last time a horse pulled off a front-running victory there, his chances will improve if he can break away at the right moment from second place.Then there’s the weather. While it usually rains a lot this time of year, conditions have been dry this year. At this year’s Takarazuka Kinen, a sudden downpour turned the weather and track conditions into something almost divine—so much so that jockey Yutaka Take remarked, ‘I wondered if Chairman Matsumoto had sent it down from heaven.’” (Sports newspaper reporter, as mentioned earlier)

Bearing the weight of a dramatic human story, Meisho Tabaru races through Paris-Longchamp. Perhaps it is a horse like this that will overcome the “great wall” of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe—a challenge that Japan’s greatest racehorses have attempted time and again, only to fall short.