Veteran jockey Yukio Okabe is a legend in Japanese racing, perhaps best-known for his partnership with Triple Crown winner Symboli Rudolf. At 53, he is Japan's most senior rider, and has won awards in 27 of his 34 years as a jockey. As national racing's record-holder for number of rides, with more than 17,550, and for his 2,816 wins, he recently made a comeback following a starting-gate accident in which he suffered whiplash and the temporary loss of use of his right arm.
What particular things have contributed to you staying at the top for so long?
The only thing top about me now is my age (laughs). When you do the same things every day, you get used to it and it's easy to get sloppy. You have to be ever mindful of the basics.