Haru Urara, Japan’s famous losing racehorse, dies at 29

Haru Urara, the Japanese racehorse best known for never winning a race across her career, has died at the age of 29.

Born in 1996 and debuting two years later, Haru Urara, whose name means 'gentle spring', raced 113 times without a single victory. Despite the record, she became a national curiosity and, eventually, a cultural symbol.

Media dubbed her the “shining star of losers everywhere”, a reflection of her ability to draw support in spite of, or perhaps because of, her defeats.

Her peak moment came in March 2004, when celebrated jockey Yutaka Take rode her in a much-publicised race at Kochi Racecourse. More than 13,000 spectators turned up, and betting volume topped 121 million yen (US$821,000). Haru Urara failed to place, but the spectacle confirmed her as an unlikely folk hero.

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