Jockey Seina Imamura becomes first Japanese woman to win G1 race
Sign up now: Get the biggest sports news in your inbox
Jockey Seina Imamura looks on atop Juryoku Pierrot after winning the Japanese Oaks at Tokyo Racecourse in Tokyo on May 24.
PHOTO: AFP
TOKYO – Seina Imamura became the first Japanese female jockey to claim a Grade 1 victory after her mount won the Japanese Oaks on May 24 at Tokyo Racecourse.
“It’s like a dream,” said the 22-year-old Shiga Prefecture native while waving to the crowd of cheering spectators.
“I rode only to live up to everyone’s expectations.”
The fifth-favourite Juryoku Pierrot finished first among the 18 competing horses in the race, which is limited to three-year-old fillies.
Grade 1 is the highest tier of competition in the sport, followed by Grades 2 and 3.
Imamura, whose father is a former G1 steeplechase jockey, made her debut in March 2022. In her first year, she won 51 races to break the previous record of 43 for the most wins by a female jockey in a single season. She was also awarded the Best Newcomer Jockey of the year.
However, her performance then declined because of a series of injuries and a suspension for improper use of a smartphone. She has managed only five wins so far in 2026.
“I felt the pressure, and things weren’t going well; there were times I wanted to run away,” she recalled, admitting that her success as a rookie had weighed her down.
Juryoku Pierrot, a filly by the 2011 Triple Crown winner Orfevre, has been entered into the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (French G1), where her sire finished second.
Imamura said: “It’ll take time to become a jockey worthy of this horse, but I want to be able to ride her well.” THE JAPAN NEWS/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
