Japanese racehorse famed for losing all her races sees surge in popularity after mobile game launch

SINGAPORE – Retired Japanese racehorse Haru Urara has seen an unexpected surge in popularity after the global launch of a mobile game.

The 29-year-old mare, whose name means “glorious spring”, first found mainstream popularity in Japan in 2003, when local media reported that she had clocked her 80th consecutive loss since her debut in 1998.

Donning her trademark pink and red Hello Kitty face mask, she lost every single one of the 113 races she participated in before her retirement in 2004.

At the peak of her popularity, then Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi even referenced the horse in Parliament amid a recession in 2004.

“I’d like to see Haru Urara win, even just once. The horse is a good example of not giving up in the face of defeat,” he had said, according to a CBS News report the same year.

Now, Haru Urara has earned newfound global appeal after appearing as a pink-haired anime character in the Uma Musume Pretty Derby mobile game, from the media franchise of the same name.

In the franchise, actual racehorses in Japan are reborn as anthropomorphic horse girls who train to compete in races as runners, and also as idols who perform on stage.

The English version of the mobile game, also named Uma Musume Pretty Derby, was launched globally on June 26, with more than a million downloads since then.

The free-to-play game allows players to train characters to take part in simulated races, charting a career path to develop their skills to their fullest potential.

Once dubbed “the shining star of losers everywhere”, Haru Urara’s namesake character is similarly recognised for her undying optimism and determination, despite never having tasted victory.

The game features a lucky draw mechanism known as gacha, where players can spend in-game currency in a bid to obtain rare characters. However, Haru Urara’s character is already available at the start of the game.

Newer fans of the franchise were instantly smitten with the character’s infectious energy, with some online lauding the never-say-die attitude of the actual horse through various memes.

While her character in the game may possess less-than-stellar attributes, some players have resolved to lead her to victory, allowing her to fulfil what she never could as a horse.

Since its original 2021 launch in Japan, the game has earned more than US$2.5 billion (S$3.2 billion) in revenue in Japan alone as at March, with more than 22 million downloads so far.

X user @animal_love_kaz, a member of the official Haru Urara fan club, noted that a photo of the horse donning a tiara on her birthday saw more than 10,000 interactions on the social media platform.

“Haru Urara is doing very well. In fact, she’s healthier and more energetic than me,” said the user, who regularly visits the retired racehorse on the privately owned farm in Chiba prefecture where she now resides.

For some, Haru Urara’s losing streak has also taken on a different meaning.

Betting tickets with her name were an almost guaranteed loss – the words “ataranai” in Japanese mean “to lose a bet”, but could also mean “to not be struck”.

As such, these have also been used as charms against traffic accidents or being laid off and can cost upwards of 3,000 yen (S$30).

Haru Urara memorabilia and stuffed toys have also commanded a much higher price tag than those of some of her more successful race mates.