Only the tenth female jockey ever to be licensed by the JRA, the 18-year-old already has a massive following in her racing-mad nation, where she is set to be the single-season record for winners by a woman
Japan: Rookie jockey Seina Imamura is on course to break Nanako Fujita’s record for the most wins by a female jockey on the elite Japan Racing Association circuit – and she is still only 18.
Since starting as an apprentice in March, Imamura has ridden 39 winners, 35 at JRA meetings, with Fujita’s best tally of 43 well within sight as she bids to extend an extraordinary sequence of riding one winner on eight consecutive weekends.
Her remarkable progress over the summer has won her legions of fans, not just in Japan but well beyond the Far East with British champion jockey Oisin Murphy among her admirers.
“I’ve been keeping a close eye on her,” said Murphy, who has enjoyed two successful stints in Japan.
“She is very polished, quite stylish,” added the three-time champion. “She is still inexperienced and she is going to strengthen up an awful lot over the next couple of seasons but horses are running for her.”
Murphy, champion jockey in Britain in 2019. 2020 and 2021, has ridden 68 winners during short stints in Japan and partnered Suave Richard to victory in the 2019. Japan Cup.
“It’s fantastic that there is a rising star in Japan in the female ranks,” he went on. “I’ve no doubt she is idolising the likes of Hollie Doyle. There have been a few female riders in the past. Seina’s name is certainly in lights now and it’s good for racing there.
“The sport already has a huge following but when you see a young girl who has a social media presence – she is on Instagram where I think she has 24,000 followers – that is only going to grow significantly.”
Only the tenth female rider to be licensed by the JRA, Imamura emulated Fujita when becoming the second woman to ride a graded-stakes winner in Japan via her victory on T M Spada in the CBC Sho, a G3 handicap at Kokura in July. She already holds the record for the most wins in a year by a female apprentice, which stood at ten.
Indeed, the teenager is in such demand she can command a full card of rides at mee
tings, unusual even for her jockey idols Yutaka Take and Yuichi Fukunaga when they started out. She has now ridden enough JRA winners to be allowed to ride in top-level races and will be hoping to secure a mount in the G1 Sprinters Stakes on October 2.
Born in Shiga Prefecture, Imamura followed father Yasunari into a career as a jockey, graduating from Japan’s jockey school in March and having her first ride on March 5. She rode her first winner just eight days later.
Many of her races have been witnessed by Murray Johnson, longstanding English-language racecaller for the JRA.
“Japan is known for producing world-class Thoroughbreds but female rider Seina Imamura is creating a following to rival legend Yutaka Take,” he said. “She shows patience and determination of a veteran but is a very humble teenager.”
Speaking about her success last month, Imamura said she never expected to break through so soon. “I hoped I could win a few times when I started, but I didn't know when or where it would happen, and I didn't set any big goals when I debuted,” she explained.
“I had never won a simulated race when I was in horse racing school, so I didn't know what it meant to win. So I had the attitude of making the most of the opportunities in front of me.”
She added: “The CBC Sho was my first big prize. After I won on T M Spada, the way people looked at me changed. However, I still have a lot to learn and must remember to keep my feet on the ground. I want to continue to improve without forgetting my gratitude for the opportunities I’ve had.”
Imamura is set to ride in eight of the 12 races at Chukyo on Saturday [Sept 17] and has six at the same track on Sunday.
• Visit the Japan Racing Association website
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