With a dramatic surge in the homestretch, jockey Seina Imamura secured a landmark victory in Japanese horse racing on May 24, becoming the first Japanese woman to win a Grade 1 (G1) classic race.

Imamura, 22, rode Juryoku Pierrot to a crowd-pleasing triumph in the Oaks at Tokyo Racecourse in Fuchu, western Tokyo.

Her victory in the 2,400-meter turf race, which carries a first-place prize of 150 million yen ($945,000), also marked the first time a woman had ever ridden in one of Japan’s “Five Major Classic Races.”

Imamura demonstrated remarkable composure in the race’s final moments.

As they rounded the final turn, Juryoku Pierrot attempted to veer to the outside, but Imamura calmed the horse and waited patiently to make their move. 

She had resolved to “‘be patient for as long as possible’” to conserve energy for the final push.

It wasn’t until the halfway point of the 500-meter final stretch that she urged Juryoku Pierrot forward.

Starting from near the back of the field, she faced a wall of competitors, who threatened to box them in. 

“I hesitated, wondering, ‘Where should I go?’” Imamura said. “But the horse guided me. I was just holding on.”

Together, they threaded their way through a narrow opening in the pack to win by a neck.

As the track announcer’s voice boomed, “A race that will go down in Japanese horse racing history!” Imamura raised a fist to the cheering crowd of 45,000 spectators.

Wiping away tears, she said, “It really feels like I’m dreaming. I think I am an incredibly lucky person.”

CARVING HER NAME

For Imamura, a native of Shiga Prefecture, the win was deeply personal.

Her father, Yasunari, 47, is a former jockey who won the 2001 Nakayama Daishogai steeplechase. It was his career that inspired her to become a jockey, which she decided in the sixth grade.

When she applied to jockey school, she stated she wanted to “become a jockey who can carve her name into history.”

The Oaks itself holds a unique family connection. After retiring from riding, her father became a training assistant and worked with Meisho Mambo, the mare that won the 2013 Oaks.

It was in this same race, years later, that his daughter achieved her historic G1 victory.

Imamura’s presence in the starting gate in the prestigious race was not guaranteed.

In the competitive world of Japanese racing, G1 mounts are typically reserved for top-ranked jockeys.

With only five wins this year and ranked in the 60s overall, Imamura earned her place by guiding Juryoku Pierrot to an impressive victory in the Wasurenagusa Sho in April.

The horse’s owner and trainer entrusted the ride to her, confident in her stable riding style and her composure in high-stakes situations.

Her achievement underscores the challenges for women in the sport.

Of the approximately 140 jockeys in the Japan Racing Association (JRA), only six are women.

While British jockey Rachel King won a G1 in Japan in 2025 on a short-term license, no Japanese woman had finished better than fifth in a G1 race before Imamura’s victory.

In what was only her third G1 attempt, she surpassed that mark.

“Reaching the kind of jockey I aim to be will still take a lot of time,” Imamura reflected.

Yet, with this victory, she has already secured her place in the sport’s history.

(This article was written by Ryusaburo Matsumoto and Kai Uchida.)