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

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Retired Japanese racehorse Haru Urara and the anime character based on her.

PHOTO: ANIMAL_LOVE_KAZ/TWITTER, SCREENGRAB/UMA MUSUME PRETTY DERBY

Summary

• Haru Urara, a retired Japanese racehorse, gained global popularity after appearing in the mobile game, Uma Musume Pretty Derby, as a character.
• Known as the shining star of losers, Haru Urara is celebrated for her optimism, despite never winning, and her memorabilia is highly valued.
• A fan club member confirmed Haru Uraras good health, noting her enduring appeal and the positive symbolism associated with her losing streak.

AI generated

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 went on to lose 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, had 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 she appeared as a pink-haired anime character in the Uma Musume Pretty Derby mobile game,