Anime Game “Uma Musume” Boosts Interest in Real Horse Racing in Thailand

Brickinfo News Agency – The global popularity of the mobile game Uma Musume Pretty Derby is driving renewed interest in real-life horse racing in Thailand. Following the official launch of the game’s English version in June 2025, observers have noted a significant increase in inquiries regarding attending events at The Royal Bangkok Sports Club (RBSC), a historic venue where the game’s younger fanbase appears to be driving increased attendance interest.

Evidence of this trend emerged on July 9, when the Facebook page “Thai Horse Racing Lovers” (คนรักกีฬาม้าแข่งไทย) posted information about ticket prices for races at RBSC. The post garnered substantial engagement from younger demographics, including numerous likes, comments, and shares. Specific inquiries have focused on attending the upcoming Queen’s Cup on Sunday, August 3, 2025, with several users expressing intentions to attend the races while cosplaying as characters from the game.

The Uma Musume Pretty Derby franchise, developed by Cygames, is known for anthropomorphizing historic racehorses into anime characters. This concept of transforming objects or entities into “pretty girls” is a popular genre in Japanese animation, previously seen in franchises like Kantai Collection, which turned warships into female characters.

This modern interpretation of the sport is resonating with new audiences and appears to be translating into real-world curiosity. One comment on the Facebook post highlighted the direct link between the game and the newfound interest: “Currently there is a ‘horse racing’ game available to play, and people are addicted worldwide, including Thailand. People might become more interested in domestic horse racing, at least I am one of them.”

The Royal Bangkok Sports Club, also known as Patumwan Racecourse (or Sanam Farang), is one of Thailand’s oldest sports institutions. Established on September 6, 1901, and located on Henri Dunant Road in Pathum Wan, Bangkok, RBSC was the first venue in Thailand to host golf (1902) and organized its inaugural horse race in 1903. RBSC remains one of the few locations in the country where legal horse race gambling is permitted under government control.