Betting, which had declined to one third of the peak level set in 1991, rose some 20 percent from last year to some 80 million yen a day (US$726 million) with the number of visitors up 50 percent on days when Haruurara races.
Her popularity has spread to other businesses. People queued at the track for T-shirts with "Never give up!!" printed on the front in English, and lucky charms containing clippings from her mane.
Package tours to watch her race are sold out while the horse has featured in a television commercial for Kirin beer. The CD of her second support song goes on sale nationwide in the middle of this month. Haruurara has also received a distinguished service award for tourism from the local government. In the first such award to an animal, she was presented 200kg of carrots, her favorite snack.
"Keeping up her popularity is a matter of life or death for us," Maeda said. "She is the savior of Kochi."
At this late stage in her career, the chances of Haruurara's first win are improving as Japan's top jockey Yutaka Take plans to ride her in Kochi on March 22. The unusual matching is in response to growing calls to help her achieve her first win.
Even if she fails, she may continue to run at least until she breaks the Japanese record of 161 races marked by Hakuhou Queen.
"She will have no problem with running in two years," Muneishi said. "My first desire is that she can retire uninjured. And if just possible, I want her to win."
Thanks to her popularity, Haruurara has avoided the fate of being slaughtered at the end of her racing career and will be sent to a training farm in Nasu, north of Tokyo, where she will be able to run around freely for the rest of her days -- an unusual retirement for anything but a stud stallion.
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