Where’s the trainer menu?

Since its global release, Umamusume: Pretty Derby has drawn a sizeable crowd of gamers eager to draw and train cute horse girls and bring them to victory.

In fact, the love for the game, and the real-life racehorses that inspired it, has been so strong that fans are turning to the tracks. While some flock to farms to visit the horses, crash websites to donate grass, or start watching actual horse racing, one particular Trainer took it to the next level and invested in an actual real-life racehorse.

The Umamusume fandom is turning its passion into real-world racing investments

Redditor Oxijinn_ shared images of their racehorse on Uma Reddit and introduced her as Jax Belle.

“So after playing Umamusume for too long and getting into it a bit too much, I decided to invest in a real life racehorse because why not,” Oxijinn wrote.  “If I could train virtual horse girls, why not invest money into a real horse.”

The Redditor described Jax Belle in a comment as a “real beauty”, with a lively personality, a love for cameras, and a great temperament with her trainers.

According to the Redditor, however, he isn’t the sole owner of the horse, but rather a co-owner. “Several of us chip in financially to that £6000 annual upkeep cost,” they clarified. 

As seen on the Racing Post, Jax Belle is a brand new racehorse in the UK, and has had only one run so far on an open flat race at Uttoxeter Racecourse. And according to Oxijinn, she came last in that race.

“But just like Umamusume, it's because another horse kicked her before it [the race] began and injured her leg (Mood DOWN),” they added.

Oxijinn added that Jax Belle “kept up well at the start, keeping between 4th-6th place” but that the jockey saw that the horse was “running funnily” and “reigned her in as to not risk worsening the injury.”

Other Redditors and trainers wished Jax Belle a speedy recovery in the comments, with a few others told Oxijinn that they were looking forward to her next races.

UmaMusume: Pretty Derby is a hit mobile and PC gacha game that lets players train and race anime-style “horse girls” based on real Japanese racehorses. The roster includes everything from beloved underdogs like Haru Urara to dominant champions like Gold Ship, blending idol sim mechanics with fast-paced racing gameplay.

Originally released in Japan in 2021, the game launched globally in English on 26 June, 2025 for Steam, iOS, and Android. Since then, it has built up a massive international following, with millions of players logging in to play, and well-known streamers such as Ludwig and Northernlion helping expand its reach.