Superstar jockey Yutaka Take won a Japan Racing Association record 3,500th career race in Kyoto on Sunday.

Take, 43, steered Curren Che Carina to victory in the fifth race of a meet at Kyoto Racecourse.

"I'd kept everyone waiting a bit (for the 3,500th win) so I am happy I won," said Take. "We made a good start and ran a perfect race. Hopefully people will back me as I aim to rack up more wins and reach 4,000."

Take set a rookie record with 69 wins in 1987 and rewrote the single-year mark for wins in 1989. He has been Japan's jockey of the year 18 times.

In July 2007, Take set the all-time wins record in races organized by the JRA with his 2,944th triumph, eclipsing the record set by retired jockey Yukio Okabe.