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This is the final chapter of the trilogy, featuring a horse who went from an underdog, or maybe we should say an underhorse, to one who fulfilled her owner’s wish of winning an oversea G1 race. A girl with a Cinderella story. Her name is Hana’s Goal (ハナズゴール).

Feel free to check out the first two parts of the trilogy, featuring her father, Orewa Matteruze, and her father's sister, Egao o Misete.

There is also an original Umamusume character based on her created by 无央ナオ, I highly recommend to check it out. And this time, I really recommend watching the race footage of her victories, especially the G1 All Aged Stakes one. The links will be attached to the names of each race. It’s incredibly satisfying to see her surpass her rivals with that unbelievable burst of speed.

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Code: Amur Adonis

Hana’s Goal was born on April 24, 2009, at a small place called Fuji Farm (不二牧場) in Urakawa, Hokkaido.

Her sire was Orewa Matteruze (オレハマッテルゼ), a stallion with a beautiful appearance and a bold name that literally means “I’ve been waiting.” Since it was his first breeding season, no one was sure what kind of aptitude or strength his offspring would have.

Her dam was Shanghai Jell (シャンハイジェル), who was given to Fuji Farm by the owner’s friend because they couldn’t get her pregnant at his farm. After giving birth to Hana’s Goal, she was sold and disappeared from record. Some said she might have been sold to South Korea, but that was never confirmed.

Hana’s Goal had one older brother, one older sister, and one younger sister. The first two didn’t do well on the track, while the youngest passed away in a training accident.

Because of the uncertainty in her pedigree, her undersized body (she was as light as Nishino Flower, for comparison), and her unstable temperament, even the farm owner thought she wouldn’t be sold for a decent price. So he didn’t enter her in any sales. She still hadn’t found an owner even after turning two.

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After being turned down by several owners, she was finally bought by Michael Tabart. He hadn’t planned to buy her at first, but the farm owner told him that if he wanted to buy the other horse he was interested in, he had to take Hana’s Goal as well. In the end, Hana’s Goal and another horse, later named Sharpener (シャープナー), were bought together as a set for around 3 million yen, which was an extremely cheap price. By the way, Sharpener only ran three races without a single win before retiring to become a broodmare.

Her new owner, Michael Tabart, was an Australian who studied economics at Kyoto University. He later became a Japanese resident and even married a Japanese woman. The “Hana” in Hana’s Goal’s name came from his wife’s name, and the design of the hood Hana's Goal wore in races, with a white background decorated with a golden eustoma and the words “Hana’s Horse,” was also inspired by her. Eustoma was her favorite flower.

Michael Tabart obtained his JRA owner’s license in December 2009 and has been involved in Japanese horse racing ever since. He also had a dream of entering his horse to a G1 race in his homeland, Australia. But at the time, only one Japanese horse, Delta Blues (デルタブルース), had ever won an Australian G1, and Tabart himself was still just a small independent owner without many resources. Naturally, he didn’t have high expectations for Hana’s Goal, who didn’t leave much of an impression at first.

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After being turned down by several trainers, she was finally sent to the stable of Kazuhiro Katou (加藤 和宏) for training. When Katou first saw her, his impression of her was a restless, defiant filly who could turn dangerous in an instant. Sometimes she would bite or kick, as if she was testing whether the people around her were truly worth trusting.

Many grooms gave up, leaving one after another. In the end, it was Tsuyoshi Nomoto (野本 剛史; first name rendered phonetically) who eventually earned her trust and remained by her side for the rest of her racing life.

Despite her attitude, her assistant trainer Shizuya Katou (加藤 士津八), who was also Katou’s son, praised her for her strong and powerful body.

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Code: Tulip

Her debut race was on October 8, 2011, at the 1,600-meter course of Tokyo Racecourse. She was only the 11th favorite, but to everyone’s surprise, she stayed near the end of the pack at first. After entering the final stretch, she swung to the outside, charged forward, and passed every other horse within 350 meters to win by one and a half lengths.

From the camera angle, it felt like she came out of nowhere. Everyone was stunned by her performance, even her owner, who was attending a friend’s wedding that day, reportedly rewatched the race over and over again.

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But after that astounding debut, she developed periostitis in her leg and couldn’t recreate the same magic in her next few races. It wasn’t until February 11, 2012, that she finally captured another victory. After that, she stepped onto the triple tiara path and entered the G3 Tulip Sho, held over 1,600 meters on the turf at Hanshin Racecourse, a key prep race leading to the G1 Oka Sho.

And her rivals were no joke, many of them came from prestigious racing families and powerhouse owners. Among them were Epice Arome (エピセアローム), owned by Katsumi Yoshida (吉田勝己) of the famous Shadai Group, who had already won a G3 race at two years old; Joie de Vivre (ジョワドヴィーヴル), owned by Sunday Racing (サンデーレーシング), the undefeated Hanshin Juvenile Fillies champion; and Gentildonna (ジェンティルドンナ), also owned by Sunday Racing, the future Triple Tiara winner who had already captured the G3 Shinzan Kinen at the time.

Hana’s Goal, on the other hand, came from a tiny farm and owned by an small independent owner that few had even heard of. And at this race, she was the 4th favorite.

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The race began under the gentle spring sunlight, and all four top contenders settled near the back of the pack. Joie de Vivre was slightly ahead near the inner lane, Gentildonna tracked right behind her on the inside, Epice Arome held position on the outer lane, and Hana’s Goal followed close behind her on the far outside.

As they approached the final corner, everything changed. Epice Arome made her move first, charging from the outside with Hana’s Goal right on her tail. The two Sunday Racing horses tried to break through from the inside, but both struggled to find room as they fought their way past the front runners.

About 350 meters from the finish, as Joie de Vivre finally broke free, Hana’s Goal also swung to the far outside and surged past the accelerating Epice Arome and Joie de Vivre with incredible speed. No one on the field could match her burst of power, and she blasted through the finish line first, winning by two and a half lengths. Behind her came Epice Arome, Joie de Vivre, and Gentildonna, in that order.

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Her jockey, Cristian Demuro, was absolutely thrilled and impressed by her performance. He struck several victory poses with excitement. When he met trainer Katou afterward, he shouted, “Shinkansen! Shinkansen!” Katou at first thought Demuro meant he was in a hurry to catch the bullet train, but later realized Demuro was actually describing how it felt to ride Hana’s Goal. He said it felt like being on a Shinkansen.

The victory was the first graded race win for everyone involved, including her owner, her trainer, her breeding farm, and even her father Orewa Matteruze. The media simply called her performance “unbelievable.”

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Code: Love In A Mist

After winning the G3 Tulip Sho, Hana’s Goal was ready for the G1 Oka Sho. But just days before the race, her pride betrayed her. When her groom tried to wash her after training, she fought back, and her kick landed on the concrete wall, injuring her right leg. For several days she could barely walk, and she was forced to withdraw from the race she had earned. It was like she couldn’t accept being told what to do, even by those who cared for her.

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As a form of redemption, she took on the challenge of the G1 NHK Mile Cup but finished only 7th. Even after returning to the Tiara trail and entering the G1 Japanese Oaks, the 2,400-meter distance was too long for her, and she once again finished 7th.

Before the autumn leg of the Triple Tiara series, she tried the G2 Sapporo Kinen but ended up 4th, as the short final stretch at Sapporo Racecourse was a huge disadvantage for a late closer like her.

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Just before her planned next race, the G2 Rose Stakes, a prep race for the G1 Shuka Sho, another accident struck. She was forced to withdraw due to enterocolitis.

It was her second time pulling out right before a race, which led to growing doubts about trainer Katou’s ability to manage his horses. More and more fans began suggesting that she should change stables for her own good, but owner Tabart chose to keep her with Katou. After all, he was the only trainer willing to take her in when she was still at the farm.

Katou, for his part, had understand her well. Yes, Hana’s Goal was still a sensitive and temperamental horse, but he knew that once the gates opened, she would give everything she had despite her small frame. The stable staff never got angry with her, even when she showed her stubborn side or tried to resist. They chose patience over punishment, and they believe that their steady kindness will help her slowly open her heart to them and become the horse she was meant to be.

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Even so, it took time for her trust to deepen. She still went on to run in the G1 Shuka Sho but finished a disappointing 16th place, while watching Gentildonna, the rival she had once defeated, claim the Triple Tiara title. After that, Katou entered her in the G1 Mile Championship, but she was ruled out due to insufficient prize money.

Around that time, her assistant trainer suggested that she might perform better in shorter races, since she had become increasingly difficult to control, constantly tugging at the reins and refusing to settle during runs. As an alternative, she was entered in the G3 Keihan Cup, a 1,200-meter race at Kyoto Racecourse. But even then, she could only finish fifth.

This left her team with no choice but to send her back to the mile distance. They decided to enter her in an open-class race called the Rigil Stakes, run over 1,600 meters on the turf at Hanshin Racecourse, the same course as the Tulip Sho.

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Code: Freesia

As the race began, Hana’s Goal tugged at the reins for the first few strides, eager to go faster, but her jockey gently held her back, urging her to wait. This time, she surprisingly didn’t fight back and did what he wanted her to do. Once she settled in the middle of the pack, her rhythm began to flow naturally.

Meanwhile, another runner, Osumi Spark (オースミスパーク), went straight to the front and kept widening the gap. He held a lead of about eight lengths even after they entered the final stretch, and Hana’s Goal was still buried in the pack.

But Hana’s Goal wasn’t going to give up. With 350 meters to go, she began to accelerate, even though several horses were blocking her path. Her jockey guided her through the narrow gaps, and when they finally broke free with 150 meters left, they were still four lengths behind Osumi Spark.

In that moment, she unleashed the same power she had shown back in the Tulip Sho. With an incredible burst of speed, she stormed past Osumi Spark and won the race. That victory made her fans and her team believe they were finally seeing signs of her comeback, and for the first time, the mare who once fought every hand began to trust the ones that reached for her.

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In her next race, the G3 Kyoto Himba Stakes, she went off as the most favorite horse for the first time in her career, and she didn’t let her fans down. In the final stretch, she once again used her unbelievable power to weave past the horses in front of her and won by two and a half lengths.

Just when everything seemed to be heading in the right direction, her performance began to decline again. In her next race, the G2 Hanshin Himba Stakes, even as the top favorite, she could only manage fourth. Then came the G1 Victoria Mile, where she was so badly blocked that even her trademark late surge couldn’t save her. She finished sixth in the end. By the way, the winner of this race was Verxina (ヴィルシーナ), this was her first G1 title.

Even in another open-class race, the Paradise Stakes, she couldn’t catch up to the front-runner and finished second. In the autumn, she changed course and tried some middle-distance race, but the result was disappointing. By the end of 2013, she hadn’t won another race.

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Code: Golden Wattle

At that point, Hana’s Goal and her team had hit a wall. While owner Michael Tabart was desperately searching for a new stage where she could shine, big news broke in his home country, Australia. Racing New South Wales and the Australian Turf Club had announced the inaugural of The Championships, a two-day racing festival at Royal Randwick Racecourse in April, with total prize money exceeding A$18 million.

Among the featured races, there was one that perfectly suited Hana’s Goal’s abilities. It was the G1 Doncaster Mile, first run in 1866 and now offering a winning prize of A$3 million. The race was held over 1,600 meters on turf, and it was also a handicap event, which meant mares and smaller horses like Hana’s Goal would have an advantage.

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But there was one major problem. Hana’s Goal was not a good traveler, even within Japan. Whenever she arrived in a new environment, she would stop eating and start losing weight, which made it even harder to maintain her condition.

On top of that, Australia’s quarantine regulations were notoriously strict, especially the long mandatory isolation period required before entry. However, this turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Hana’s Goal, as it gave her the extra time she needed to slowly adjust to her new surroundings.

To help her get more accustomed to the Australian environment, her team entered her in another G1 race three weeks before the Doncaster Mile. It was the G1 Coolmore Classic, a 1,500-meter race held at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Sydney.

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For trainer Katou, this trip brought back memories of Sirius Symboli (シリウスシンボリ), the horse that had given him his one and only Japanese Derby victory almost thirty years earlier, back when he was still a jockey. After that triumph, Sirius Symboli was sent off to Europe all alone, trained by foreign trainer and ridden by foreign jockeys for two long years. He never won a single race in thirteen lonely starts overseas.

Trainer Katou could never forget the moment Sirius Symboli finally returned to his side. He looked like an entirely different horse. His running style had changed, and the proud, confident spirit he once had before the trip was gone.

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To make sure the same thing would not happen to Hana’s Goal, who was known for her sensitivity and nervous temperament, trainer Katou arranged for his assistant trainer and groom to travel abroad and stay by her side. She was also accompanied by another horse, Hana’s Fifty (ハナズフィフティ), who was also owned by Michael Tabart and often played with Hana’s Goal back home, to help her feel more at ease. On top of that, Katou brought in Gou Shigemi (繁実 剛), a former Japanese trainer who had previously worked with racehorses in Australia, to serve as their interpreter and local support.

With everything in place, trainer Katou could finally send Hana’s Goal overseas with peace of mind, hoping that this time, things would be different.

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Code: Eustoma

In her first race in Australia, the G1 Coolmore Classic, she broke from the gate late, and everything went wrong after that. She ended up finishing 14th.

Since this race was mainly meant to help her get used to the new environment, her team still had high hopes for her next start. They even planned to send her directly to Hong Kong to run in the G1 Champions Mile three weeks later if she could finish within the top three.

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On April 12, 2014, the crossroads of her fate, the Doncaster Mile began under heavy clouds and on a soft track. As her team expected, she carried only 52kg, a huge advantage for her. Even so, the extremely soft ground proved to be a serious challenge. Although she launched her spurt from the back of the pack and passed most of the field in the final stretch, she couldn’t quite catch the leaders and finished 6th in the end.

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Her Australian trip seemed to have come to an end. Since she didn’t receive an invitation to Hong Kong after finishing only sixth, it felt like there was nothing more they could do to make a comeback. If they returned to Japan now, they would face another two to three months of quarantine, as she would be treated as an Australian horse due to her long stay there.

But her assistant trainer didn’t want to give up. He felt that Hana’s Goal didn’t want to give up either, and that she was in excellent condition. He hoped that her owner and trainer would give her one more chance to race in Australia. Her owner also believed that Hana’s Goal was a great horse, but she needed another win to prove it.

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After some discussion, they decided to enter her in the G1 All Aged Stakes, also held at Royal Randwick, though the distance was shortened to 1,400 meters. In this race, however, she would have to carry 57 kilograms, which was a heavy burden she had never experienced before.

Unfortunately, her owner had to return to Japan before the race. Still, he called jockey Nash Rawiller, who would be riding her that day, and shared some advice. On the call, he told him that Hana’s Goal had a 350-meter sprint that could beat any horse in the world, but if he moved too early, she would stop. She only had that one short burst.

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With everyone involved giving their all, she stepped onto the turf at Royal Randwick once again. This time, there were only eight horses in the field, which was good news for a late surger like her. But once again, the track was not in good condition, and she broke out of the gate late, the combination of the two reasons that had caused her to lose her last two races.

She settled at the back of the pack, with a clear view of every horse ahead. At the final turn, she slipped to the outside and began her sprint 350 meters from the finish. This time, she didn’t let the chance slip away again because of misfortune or doubt. She ran for the people who never gave up on her, and for the promise that she could still bloom.

200 meters, she started passing others. 100 meters, two horses left. 50, mission complete. She kept her lead until reaching the goal, with her jockey already standing tall in celebration as they crossed the finish line.

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The eustoma from the valleys of southern Hokkaido had finally risen from down under to bloom gloriously in the land Down Under.

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It was the first G1 victory for her owner and trainer, and even for her father Orewa Matteruze, who had passed away the previous year. The dedication and care they had poured into Hana’s Goal, and the trust they had built with her, had finally come to fruition in her owner’s homeland. It was also the first time a Japanese mare had ever won a mile-distance G1 race in Australia, meaning she had quite literally written her name into history with her stride.

Assistant trainer Katou, groom Nomoto, and interpreter Shigemi hugged each other in excitement after the finish, even accidentally ignoring the Australian reporters who tried to interview them at first. When they finally spoke, they simply said they were “very excited and happy,” using just a few words and a lot of gestures to express how they felt in that moment.

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Code: Everlasting Daisy

After her historic win, she returned to Japan and tried another G1 race, the Sprinters Stakes. But it seemed she had already given her all in Australia, and she finished 17th in the end. Later that year, she went to Hong Kong to complete the trip she had once planned but never finished. She competed in the G2 Jockey Club Mile and the G1 Hong Kong Mile, but finished 9th and 8th respectively.

In 2015, her results worsened even further. Even in open-class races, she could only finish in double digits. After her final run in the G1 Victoria Mile, where she finished 9th and suffered a suspensory ligament injury, she watched Straight Girl (ストレイトガール), another mare born in the same year, finally capture her first G1 victory as a six-year-old. Soon after, Hana’s Goal was forced to retire from the track and became a broodmare at Kanaishi Stud (カナイシスタッド) in Urakawa, Hokkaido.

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She gave birth to six beautiful foals, three sons and three daughters, before she passed away from laminitis on January 6, 2024, at the age of only fifteen. Her youngest child, Ocea Breeze (オセアブリーズ), is expected to make his debut in the 2025–2026 racing season if everything goes well.

Although her children have yet to achieve outstanding success on the track, some of them are retiring and becoming fathers and mothers themselves. Through them, Hana’s Goal’s bloodline will continue to live on.

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Goal achieved. The flowers of happiness that endured sorrow and waiting had bloomed more beautifully than ever on foreign soil.

Don't forget your smile!

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Appendix: The list of Hana's Goal's children (as of October 2025):

English Name	Japanese Name	Gender	Birthday(YYYY/MM/DD)	Father	Race Count/Win Count	Status
Mimosa Goal	ミモザゴール	Mare	2017/03/30	Ruler Ship	10/2	Broodmare
Takaichi Ichiro	タカイチイチロウ	Stallion	2018/03/27	Duramente	27/3	Stud
Ocea Bright	オセアブライト	Stallion	2019/04/08	Duramente	2/0	Unknown
Richard Win	リシャールウィン	Mare	2021/03/18	New Years Day	10/3	Broodmare
Miss Brand New Day	ミスブランニュデイ	Mare	2022/04/12	Lord Kanaloa	5/0	Broodmare
Ocea Breeze	オセアブリーズ	Stallion	2023/04/11	California Chrome	0/0	Racehorse

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My past work:

Orewa Matteruze: Smile, Because I’m Here!

Egao o Misete: Please Keep Smiling, Even After I’m Gone

Resistencia’s Weight-Check Series: 1,231 Days of a Cameraman’s Love Story

Sushi Train: Horse with a Bizarre Name and a Big Dream

Offside Trap: The Winner on the Glorious but Silent Sunday

Hokuto Vega: Stardust Scattered in a Foreign Land

Narita Hayabusa: A Sand Falcon Born in the Wrong Era