ENGLISH TEXTS
taking on Britain’ s leading hurdler? There is no simple solution to racing’ s problems in France or elsewhere, but the only way forward is to promote the sport to as wide an audience as possible and to come together to make the changes necessary to achieve this. Inviting Constitution Hill to Longchamp would be a step in the right direction.
TRAINER HATS OFF, YAHAGI-SAN!
BY KATHERINE FORD
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His hat has become as recognizable on the international stage as Aidan O ' Brien’ s mobile phone or the silver locks of Bob Baffert. Yoshito Yahagi stands out for his look, but above all for his results around the globe.
The Japanese trainer chose to adopt this accessory when he set up as a trainer, not out of a passion for fashion or even to hide hair concerns, but for marketing reasons:“ At the beginning of my career, I decided to wear hats in order to attract public attention and make a name for myself, because at the time I was completely unknown,” he explained in an interview with Asian Racing Report. His idea worked perfectly. Today in the world of racing, everyone recognizes and respects Yoshito Yahagi, for his results and his look. The samurai trainer deliv- ered another feat in February, winning the Saudi Cup for the second consecutive year with his champion Forever Young. A horse in his trainer’ s image, well-traveled, bold, and hugely popular, especially thanks to his historic success in the Breeders ' Cup Classic last November. After his triumph in Riyadh, Yahagi said:“ I felt a lot of pressure before the race because he was the best horse in the field. The horse is simply a champion; his success is not due to my training.” Yoshito Yahagi is somewhat enigmatic. Flamboyant in appearance yet measured in speech, ambitious in his goals yet firmly grounded in his work. The son of a jockey who became a trainer at Tokyo’ s Oi Racecourse, the“ other” Tokyo track, part of the secondary NAR circuit, Yoshito Yahagi quickly found his calling.“ I always wanted to become a trainer,” but it took time to reach that goal. In the 1980s, he spent time apprenticing in Australia with master trainers Neville Begg and Bart Cummings, and in 1990 a scholarship funded by Sheikh Mohammed enabled him to discover Newmarket and Geoff Wragg’ s historic stables. Despite these experiences,“ the JRA did not grant me a license for 18 years!” Yahagi lamented, again in Asian Racing Review. Finally obtaining the coveted license in 2004, Yahagi got off to a flying start. By 2007, he ranked 11 th in the trainers’ standings and since then he has rarely been absent from the top 10, finishing first five times. To this must be added a whole array of successful raids abroad, beginning with the Dubai Turf( Real Steel) in 2016. Three years later, the crack mare Lys Gracieux became the first foreign horse to win the Cox Plate, an Australian triumph sandwiched between prestigious victories in the Takarazuka Kinen and Arima Kinen. In 2021, another champion, Loves Only You, enabled Yahagi to conquer Hong Kong and, above all, the United States. She was one of the first two Breeders’ Cup winners trained in Japan, for that day at Del Mar, Yoshito Yahagi saddled the winners of the Filly & Mare Turf and the Distaff, while changing hats during the meeting to match the respective silks! Also in 2021, after winning the Japan Cup with Contrail, he delighted the public by arriving at the Triple Crown hero’ s retirement ceremony, suited, tied, and wearing his trademark hat, on the horse’ s back. Yoshito Yahagi does not lack humor; he is certainly mischievous but far from crazy. His horses are easy to spot in training, dressed head to toe in red and white, a nod to AS Monaco, of which the professional is reportedly a fan, according to an article in the Asian Racing Review. Yet one should also note that the two-tone diagonal leg bandages are used to better analyze stride balance, while also advertising the stable, if there were still any need to stand out. Despite his years in Australia
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