Umamusume Fans Get To Name Real Malaysian Racehorses Thanks To Selangor Turf Club

Malaysian horse racing association Selangor Turf Club (STC) recently announced they were looking to name four Irish-bred geldings- and that they were recruiting Umamusume fans to help in the process. 

Earlier this month from February 1st to February 8th, the association had opened it up to the Umamusume community to come up with names for the four hourses- as well as design their racing silks to be worn on race day. 

"The concept was to offer Umamusume fans a rare and immersive opportunity to participate directly in the sport by naming horses, naming the stable, and designing jockey silks — elements that are traditionally reserved for owners", representatives from the STC said in an email to the Malay Mail. 

The results of this competition haven't been announced yet, though any Umamusume fan can tell you the importance of a Horse's name- they act as identifiers for both a horse's pedigree as well as ownership.

When Horse Racing Meets Umamusume

This is the latest in the ongoing convergence between the more old-guard style horse racing and fans of Cygames gacha game based on real Japanese horses. 

Last year, following the global release of the fan, Southeast Asia saw a huge uptick in interest in horse racing, as fans showed up to race tracks in Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia with merchandise from the game. 

It's lead to some race tracks even allowing for photo ops, as cosplayers take to the track after races to take more authentic photos of them dressed as their favorite Umamusume characters. 

Meanwhile in Indonesia, Sarga.Co launched a contest to do an Umamusume-style design for King Argentin- the 2025 Indonesian Triple Crown winner.