Retired Japanese racehorse Haru Urara, famed for losing all her races, dies aged 29

Retired Japanese racehorse Haru Urara, who saw an unexpected surge in popularity in recent months after the global launch of a mobile game, has died at the age of 29.

Once dubbed “the shining star of losers everywhere”, Haru Urara died in the early hours of Sept 9.

She was surrounded by staff members from Martha Farm in Chiba prefecture, where she was kept in her twilight years.

Haru Urara died from colic, which is caused by the build-up of gas in the intestines, reported Japanese entertainment news website Friday Digital on Sept 9. Colic is a dangerous condition in horses, with a high mortality rate.

Ms Yuko Miyahara, her caretaker at Martha Farm, told Friday Digital that the horse became unwell on Sept 8 and a vet was called.

Staff members accompanied her through the night, but her condition suddenly worsened at dawn on Sept 9, leading to her death.

“Haru Urara was 29 years old, which would be nearly 90 years old in human terms, but she was in great health until yesterday,” Ms Miyahara told Friday Digital.

“Recently, more and more people, not only from Japan but also from overseas, have been coming to see Haru Urara. So it’s really unfortunate.”

The weekend before her death, she was still fielding visits from fans, and was reportedly still in good health.

The 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.

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.

More recently, in July 2025, Haru Urara made the news again

following the global launch of the Uma Musume Pretty Derby mobile game

, where she appeared as a pink-haired anime character.