Japan yesterday mourned the death of celebrated no-hoper racehorse Haru-urara, whose record of losing in all of 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.
Photo: AFP
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 Web site.
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 person wrote on X.
Haru-urara captured the nation’s attention when the public relations office of the nearly bankrupt Kochi Racecourse launched a media campaign with her as its star.
The daily attendance at the course averaged just 1,600 spectators in the year to March 2003, but it shot up to 5,000 when the mare marked her 100th defeat. About 8,000 fans watched her 101st.
As Haru-urara stole the hearts of millions in her trademark pink hood, merchandizers 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-Japanese prime minister Junichiro Koizumi, who said: “Isn’t it good that she gets support whether she wins or loses?”
However, 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.
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