Japan mourns loveable loser racehorse Haru-urara

Japanese racehorse Haru Urara, seen in 2004 when she was 8, died on Tuesday of colic at age 29. Photo / Getty Images

Japan is mourning the death of celebrated no-hoper racehorse Haru-urara, whose record of losing in all her 113 career appearances captured the hearts of millions of struggling citizens.

The hapless mare inspired generations of Japanese battling to stay afloat in the throes of economic doldrums from her debut in 1998 to her final race in 2004.

Her ill-fated performances attracted thousands of fans to the racecourse and inspired T-shirts, good-luck charms, postage stamps and a movie in her name.

Haru-urara, whose name means ‘gentle spring’, died at the age of 29 on Tuesday at her retirement ranch in a seaside town outside Tokyo, the Retired Horse Association said on its website.

The news brought an outpouring of grief from fans moved by the chestnut mare’s enduring persistence.

“You never won an official race but you showed us that you can also win by being loved,” one social media user wrote on X.

Haru-urara captured the nation’s attention when the public relations office of the near-bankrupt Kochi racecourse launched a media campaign with her as its star.

The daily attendance at the course averaged just 1600 spectators in the year to March 2003. But it shot up to 5000 when the mare marked her 100th defeat. Some 8000 fans watched her 101st.

As Haru-urara stole the hearts of millions in her trademark pink hood, merchandisers were quick to jump on the bandwagon.

A good-luck charm sold at the racecourse was said to contain a thread of hair from the mare’s tail.

Her performances caught the eye of then-Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who remarked; “Isn’t it good that she gets support whether she wins or loses?”.

But despite her impressive run of losses, Haru-urara still fell short of the Japanese record of 161 straight races without a win set by Hakuhou Queen in 1992.

- Agence France-Presse