Haru Urara, Japan’s most lovable losing racehorse that inspired the 'Umamusume' character, dies at 29

Retired Japanese racehorse Haru Urara that inspired the Umamusume character, has died. Haru Urara saw an unexpected surge in popularity in recent months after the global launch of a mobile game has died at the age of 29, reported The Strait Times.

Despite not winning a race during her professional career, Haru Urara was beloved for being "the shining star of losers everywhere." Once dubbed “the shining star of losers everywhere”, Haru Urara died in the early hours of Sept 9.

According to Yahoo Japan, Haru Urara passed away in the early hours of Tuesday, September 9 surrounded by staff members from Martha Farm in Chiba prefecture, where she was kept in her twilight years. Her cause of death was revealed to be Horse Colic, a condition that occurs when gas builds up in the intestines due to poor digestion of food and slows down intestinal movement. It is a dangerous condition in horses, with a high mortality rate.


Dubbed as “the shining star of losers everywhere”, Haru Urara became sick on September 8 and a vet was called, Yuko Miyahara, her caretaker at Martha Farm told Friday Digital.

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Haru Uraru inspired Umamusume

The official Umamusume: Pretty Derby social media accounts also released a statement where developer Cygames' shared their condolences over Haru Urara's passing. "It is with heavy hearts that we share that Haru Urara passed away on September 9. The legendary racehorse's legacy serves as the inspiration for the character of the same name in Umamusume: Pretty Derby. We share our condolences to all the staff involved in Haru Urara's care," the post read.

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.” Haru Urara was still fielding visits from fans, and was reportedly still in good health the weekend before it passed away.

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Haru Urara's life and career

Born on February 27, 1996 in Hokkaido, Haru Urara was sired by Nippo Teio, a top-class racehorse. Her name means "Glorious Spring" or "Gentle Spring" in Japanese. Despite her strong lineage, Haru Urara never managed to win a single race during her professional career. She debuted on 17 November, 1998 at the Kōchi Racetrack amd placed last among fifth racers. She would continue competing in races once or twice every month without winning over the course of the next four years.

After losing 80 consecutive races, Haru Urara's story was picked up by Japanese media in June 2003. She became a household name in Japan as a result and was branded as “the shining star of losers everywhere” for continuing to race despite her infamous losing streak.

Haru Urara ran her last race in August 2004, retiring with a record of zero wins and 113 losses. However, Haru Urara did finally win a race after she retired, setting the best time in a time trial race for older horses in May 2019.

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In July 2025, Haru Urara dominated headlines again following the global launch of the Uma Musume Pretty Derby mobile game, where she appeared as a pink-haired anime character.

When Umamusume: Pretty Derby launched in Japan in February 2021, Haru Urara was among the original characters featured alongside fan favorites like Special Week, Silence Suzuka, Tokai Teio, Mejiro McQueen, Gold Ship, and Grass Wonder, among many others. The game quickly became a hit in Japan, but its global release on June 26 this year sparked an even bigger wave of enthusiasm.

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Haru Urara’s heartfelt story struck a chord with players around the world, inspiring many to contribute funds through the Fresh Hay Bank—a crowdfunding platform where fans could donate fresh ryegrass to support retired and celebrated racehorses. The overwhelming response in July was so immense that the website crashed, with over 2,500 kilograms of ryegrass gifted to Haru Urara.

Several other racehorses that inspired Umamusume characters, such as Meisho Doto, Hishi Miracle, Nice Nature, Fine Motion, and Tanino Gimlet, also received generous donations through the Fresh Hay Bank. Haru Urara is the second Japanese racehorse used as a basis for an Umamusume character to pass away this year after Grass Wonder, who died in early August at 30 years of age.