Imamura was a record-setter before her historic Japanese Oaks victory

Seina Imamura has become a media sensation after her historic victory aboard Juryoku Pierrot in the May 24 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) (G1). Just by riding in the Oaks, Imamura achieved a milestone as the first female jockey to even compete in a Japanese classic, and her perfectly timed ride put her into the record books.

Imamura, at the very young age of 22, is likewise the first Japanese woman to win a Japan Racing Association (JRA) Grade 1 race. Only two other women have succeeded at that level in Japan, both of whom were visitors from further afield. 

New Zealand’s Rochelle Lockett won the 2002 Nakayama Daishogai, a JRA Grade 1 over the jumps, with Gilded Age. Another two decades would elapse before Rachel King, a British expat based in Australia, made the breakthrough on the flat with Costa Nova in the 2025 February (G1) – a Breeders’ Cup Challenge race. 

Yet Imamura was already a history-maker from the beginning of her career in the saddle. In her debut year, 2022, she broke the records for wins not only by a female rookie, but by any woman jockey in a single season on the JRA circuit. She also became the first JRA female rider to win a graded turf stakes, in her first attempt no less, piloting T M Spada to a blistering victory in that summer's CBC Sho (G3). 

Imamura finished her first season with 51 wins, earning the JRA’s Best Jockey (Newcomer) award. Her total still ranks as the fourth-highest among rookies in JRA history. Kosei Miura holds the overall record (91 wins in 2008), eclipsing the legendary Yutaka Take (69 wins in 1987) and Yuichi Fukunaga (53 wins in 1996). 

Imamura’s success is particularly remarkable because female jockeys in the JRA remain a rarity. According to Asian Racing Report, she is only the 10th woman to ride as a JRA jockey. 

Women riders have been relatively more visible on the local racing circuit, which is conducted under the auspices of the National Association of Racing (NAR). Chief among those NAR jockeys is Hitomi Miyashita, who retired last November after racking up 1,382 wins. She began her career in 1995, bowed out in 2011 to have a family, and returned from a five-year hiatus to enjoy a second act. 

In contrast, the first JRA-licensed woman didn’t ride until 1996, as recounted by David Morgan in an Oct. 15, 2024 article on IdolHorse.com. None made much of a splash until Nanako Fujita, who burst onto the scene 20 years later. 

The JRA’s only female rider for a time, Fujita owned the previous single-season mark of 43 wins before Imamura came along. That record came during Fujita’s banner year in 2019, when she also reached milestones at the graded level. She guided Copano Kicking to a respectable fifth in the February, as the first JRA woman jockey to compete in a Grade 1 on the flat. Later that season, Fujita became the first to score a graded victory, also aboard Copano Kicking, in the 2019 Capella (G3). 

Fujita attracted international attention and garnered invitations to high-profile jockeys’ competitions. After winning the Women Jockeys’ World Cup at Bro Park in the summer of 2019, she took part in the 2021 Saudi International Jockeys Challenge and twice featured in the Shergar Cup at Ascot. 

Long before Fujita became a celebrity, Imamura was inspired to love racing through the example of her father, Yasunari. A former JRA jockey whose signature win came in the 2001 Nakayama Daishogai, the elder Imamura continued his career in the sport as a training assistant. He was involved in the preparation of champion filly Meisho Mambo, heroine of the 2013 Japanese Oaks, Shuka Sho (G1), and Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1). 

Meisho Mambo’s big wins fired the enthusiasm of 10-year-old Seina, and an aspiring jockey was born. At the age of 16, she began her studies at the JRA Horseracing School, already with an ambition to emulate the top male riders.

“I want to follow the example of jockey Hideaki Miyuki's constant humility, face horses with the same spirit of inquiry as jockey Yuichi Fukunaga, and become a jockey cheered on by many people, like jockey Yutaka Take,” Imamura said when she was licensed, according to a February 2022 story on tospo-keiba.jp.

While Imamura’s smashing debut season hinted at her potential, she met with a series of difficulties in the ensuing years. In 2023, she was among the riders suspended for violating JRA rules against using smartphones during their sequestration period – the same kind of infraction that would ultimately force Fujita into premature retirement. Injuries and personal tragedy in the loss of a dear friend also dragged Imamura down.

Imamura was resolved to regroup in early 2025. A temporary change of scenery at the Miho Training Center got her back on track (as explored in the article linked below) and eventually on the road to classic glory.

Juryoku Pierrot’s trainer, Ritto-based Ryo Terashima, has been an unwavering supporter of Imamura. He stuck with her in the Oaks, and his faith and loyalty were vindicated by her excellent ride. Imamura gets on well with Juryoku Pierrot, who has her quirks, like sire Orfevre. Their teamwork was decisive in a frenetic rally down the Tokyo stretch.  

You can experience it vicariously by riding along with Imamura, thanks to the jockey cam:

Imamura’s historic achievement has created a buzz, with Take himself getting in on the act. In a rare appearance at Miho for a workout ahead of Sunday’s Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) (G1), Take alluded to her rejuvenation there, joking, “Maybe I should follow in the footsteps of Seina Imamura!”

Her historic Oaks is sure to galvanize a whole new generation, as well as up-and-coming JRA female riders Manami Nagashima and Naho Furukawa.

“Ever since my days at the JRA Horseracing School,” Imamura recalled after her classic triumph, “I’ve always wanted to be a jockey who carves her name into history.”

You might say mission accomplished, but Imamura likely isn’t finished carving.