Japanese Jockey Seina Imamura Wins Historic G1 Race

Seina Imamura raised her fist to 45,000 cheering fans as the track announcer declared her win "a race that will go down in Japanese horse racing history."

The 22-year-old jockey guided Juryoku Pierrot through a dramatic final stretch at Tokyo Racecourse on May 24, becoming the first Japanese woman ever to win a Grade 1 classic race. She also became the first woman to even ride in one of Japan's prestigious "Five Major Classic Races."

The 2,400-meter Oaks race came down to the wire. As they rounded the final turn, Imamura's horse tried to veer outside, but she stayed patient and calm.

She waited until halfway through the 500-meter final stretch before making her move. Starting near the back of the pack, she faced a wall of horses threatening 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 through a narrow opening to win by a neck. The victory earned a first-place prize of 150 million yen ($945,000).

For Imamura, the win fulfilled a childhood dream. Her father Yasunari, a former jockey who won a major steeplechase in 2001, inspired her career choice in sixth grade.

When she applied to jockey school, she wrote that she wanted to "become a jockey who can carve her name into history." In what was only her third attempt at a G1 race, she did exactly that.

Why This Inspires

Imamura's presence in the starting gate wasn't guaranteed. With only five wins this year and ranked in the 60s overall, she earned her mount by winning an earlier race in April.

The horse's owner and trainer trusted her stable riding style and composure under pressure over higher-ranked male jockeys. That faith paid off spectacularly.

Her achievement highlights how far women still have to climb in horse racing. Of approximately 140 jockeys in the Japan Racing Association, only six are women.

While a British jockey won a G1 in Japan in 2025 on a temporary license, no Japanese woman had ever finished better than fifth in a G1 race before Imamura's victory. Wiping away tears after crossing the finish line, Imamura said, "It really feels like I'm dreaming. I think I am an incredibly lucky person."

She remains humble about her journey, noting that "reaching the kind of jockey I aim to be will still take a lot of time." But her name is now carved in history, and she's opened doors for every young woman dreaming of following in her path.