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RIP TAIKI

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Sam's touching tribute for popular jockey Taiki Yanagida
Queensland jockey Sam Collett, touching a black arm band to honour her mate, jockey Taiki Yanagida, who died this week from injuries sustained in a race fall in New Zealand. Picture: Grant Peters-Trackside PhotographyQueensland jockey Sam Collett, touching a black arm band to honour her mate, jockey Taiki Yanagida, who died this week from injuries sustained in a race fall in New Zealand. Picture: Grant Peters-Trackside Photography
 
By Ben Dorries 
01:08pm • 11 August 2022 
 

Group 1-winning rider Samantha Collett has paid a moving tribute to her great mate and fellow jockey Taiki Yanagida, saying "he just wanted to do his family proud".

Collett wore a black arm band when riding at Doomben on Wednesday and touched the arm band and her heart when she returned after winning on Chris Waller-trained galloper Otyrar. 

They were emotional scenes in tribute to Japanese rider Yanagida who passed away in New Zealand earlier this week from injuries sustained in a race fall at Cambridge last week. 

Collett, who won three Group 1s in her Kiwi homeland before relocating permanently to Queensland last year, was great mates with Yanagida in New Zealand.

Collett was a mentor to Yanagida on and off the track, often driving him to the races where they would talk about riding and life in general.

 

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Samantha Collett touches her heart and black arm band when returning on winner Otyrar at Doomben on Wednesday. Picture: Grant Peters-Trackside Photography

 

Shattered by his death, Collett said Yanagida’s simple riding desire was to make his family in Japan proud.

“It was a big thing for him to honour his family,” Collett told Racenet.

“He was doing it for his family in Japan, to make them proud.

“I know they would have been proud of him.

“His death is so hard for me to get my head around.

“I saw him about three weeks ago when I went back to New Zealand and I never thought it was going to be the last time I was going to see him.

“I know how hard this has hit everyone at home (in New Zealand).

“What has been hard for me at this time is being away from my New Zealand racing family.” 

Yanagida’s family rushed from Japan to be by his side after the fall but he tragically succumbed to his injuries this week.

Collett remembers the good times with the “polite and hardworking young jockey”.

“He started his New Zealand apprenticeship in Matamata, where I lived,” Collett said.

“We formed a good bond, as you do with the rest of your riding comrades, but Taiki always came to me for advice about life and riding.

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Taiki Yanagida sadly succumbed to his injuries after a race fall in New Zealand.

 

“I loved taking him to the races and we would chat away, we would spend hours together.

“I used to drive past his house quite a lot, I couldn’t get in and out of town any other way, so quite often he would ask for a lift to the races.

“The last conversation I had was when I went home, three weeks ago, he had a chat to me. 

“He was struggling getting momentum going from being an apprentice to becoming a senior rider.

“He said he was hoping to have a long chat with me and I never really got the chance.

“I messaged him afterwards and said these are my (Australian contact) numbers and make sure you call me.

“He then sent me this lovely, long message picking my brains about how to keep focused as a jockey.”

Yanagida, 28, was first jockey to die in a race fall in New Zealand since Rebecca Black at Gore in December, 2016.

Yanagida, known to plenty in the racing industry as Tiger, was born and raised in Japan and didn’t start riding until he was 18, firstly in Australia before moving to New Zealand.

RIP Taiki Yanagida.

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