Omata Shimashita, a racehorse owned by Shinji Saito of the comedy trio Jungle Pocket, will be transferred from Hokkaidou Horse Racing’s Monbetsu racecourse to Kanazawa Racecourse in Ishikawa Prefecture.
How Omatase-chan decided to transfer
First, I would like to touch a little on the relationship between Janpoke Saito and Omataseshimashita.
Jungle Pocket, known as the 2001 JRA Horse of the Year and Best 3-Year-Old Stallion, was named after the name of a children’s song. And Shinji Saito, who was a horse racing fan, came up with the trio’s name inspired by that famous horse.
Saito learned that the famous horse Jungle Pocket breathed his last in March 2021, and feeling a sense of destiny, he purchased the child (Jungle Pocket mare, Halloween 2020/female 1) and became the owner and named her Omataseshimashita.
Omatase Shimashita, aka “Omatase-chan,” made her debut at Monbetsu Racecourse in Hidaka-cho, Saru-gun, Hokkaido in June of this year, but the season ended without her first win. She considered transferring to another racetrack.
Saito has his sights set on his hometown, Funabashi Racecourse in Chiba Prefecture, but his winnings are not enough for that, so he is trying to earn money at other racetracks before moving to Funabashi Racecourse.
Why did he choose Kanazawa Racecourse as his new home?
Janpoke Saito compared Omatase-chan’s move to Kanazawa as a decision like 「whether to do it at Lumine, Grand Kagetsu, or Mugendai Hall」 for ourselves as comedians, and why did we choose Kanazawa?
The advice of her trainer, Junji Tanaka, who has been watching over Omatase in Hokkaido, seems to have been significant. Mr. Tanaka told us that Omatase is in good physical condition after her season at the Monbetsu racecourse, 「So far she has no problems, and I am not worried about her fatigue, which is hard to believe for a 2-year-old mare」.
Mr. Tanaka had many options, but he said, 「I think Omatase-chan would do better on a course with relaxed corners. She is a horse with a loose back, so I think Kanazawa is the most promising place for her」. Saito’s advice that 「she fits the corners」 was very important to him.
Furthermore, Kanazawa horse racing’s top jockey, Hiroto Yoshihara, was concerned about Omatase-chan, and Saito strongly hoped that Yoshihara would ride her, to which Tanaka responded, 「I think so」, and the transfer to Kanazawa proceeded at once.
Saito says it is thanks to trainer Junji Tanaka, jockey Hiroto Yoshihara, and the fans who support him. He was grateful for the opportunity, saying, 「I’m a first-year horse owner, so I’m going to take advantage of this blessing」.
Many people are looking forward to transferring to Kanazawa horse racing.
Incidentally, Kanazawa horse race will close on December 24, so there are two chances for Omatase-chan to run before the end of the year. If she can achieve results and earn prize money, she may next move to Funabashi horse racing, which is her long-cherished dream.
Kanazawa Racecourse Information
| Facility Name | Kanazawa Racecourse |
| Location | 1, Hatta-cho Nishi, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture |
| Phone number | 076-258-5761（Ishikawa Horse Racing Business Bureau） |
☆Kanazawa Information
・Tokyo Twinkle Fanfare from Oi Racecourse to Kanazawa Racecourse 【Kanazawa Topic】
