The Japan Racing Association has released jockey-camera footage of Seina Imamura‘s historic Japanese Oaks victory aboard Juryoku Pierrot.
Imamura, 22, became the first female jockey to win a Japanese Classic race when she captured the 87th Oaks, also known as the Yushun Himba, at Tokyo Racecourse on May 24. The Grade 1 race was contested over 2,400 meters on turf.
‘Oh My God, I Actually Won’
Before the race, Imamura greeted the gate staff brightly: “Number 16, please.” She then coaxed Juryoku Pierrot toward the gate. “Come on, girl, just one more step,” she said.
Waiting for the start, she kept a cool eye on her mount. “You haven’t been neighing as much lately,” she noted.
When the gates opened, Imamura settled in behind Laughter Lines, who would finish third. Near the second turn, she called out, “I’m here,” apparently making sure the other jockeys knew her position. At the third turn, the footage shows her steadying Juryoku Pierrot as the filly began to pull.
After racing from just behind midfield, Juryoku Pierrot turned into the home stretch and threaded her way through the pack. In the final drive, she burst between Realize Luminous, who finished fourth, and runner-up Dream Core to claim the victory.
As Juryoku Pierrot hit the wire to win by a neck’s length, Imamura let out a scream.
Christophe Lemaire, who had finished second aboard Dream Core, was the first to congratulate her. “Thank you,” she replied, before calling out to the other jockeys around her: “Thank you,” “I won,” “I did it,” and, in Kansai dialect, “Oh my God, I actually won.”
‘Now I Finally Feel Like a Jockey’
When others called out, “Wow, you’re a G1 jockey now,” Imamura broke into a smile. “Now I finally feel like a jockey,” she said.
On her way into the winning run, she turned her attention back to her mount. Speaking in Kansai dialect, Imamura, who is from Ritto, Shiga Prefecture — one of Japan’s major horse racing hubs — showered Juryoku Pierrot with praise.
“We did it, Pie-chan. Pie-chan,” she said. “You’re the coolest.”
As the crowd looked on, Imamura kept talking gently to the filly.
“Pie-chan, everyone’s watching you now,” she said. “You’re so cool. Thank you, really. This feels like a dream. Look, it’s Tokyo Racecourse. Amazing, isn’t it?”
In front of the roaring grandstand, Imamura reunited with Juryoku Pierrot’s handler.
“She’s so strong. This is unbelievable. I feel like I’m dreaming,” she said.
She continued repeating, “We did it!” as they made their way toward the underground passage, still lavishing praise on her partner. “This is incredible. You really are amazing.”
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(Read the article in Japanese.)
Author: The Sankei Shimbun
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