Tamamo Cross

Tamamo Cross
タマモクロス
Tamamo Cross in September 2002
SireC.B. Cross
GrandsireFortino
DamGreen Chateau
DamsireChateaugay
SexStallion
Foaled(1984-05-23)23 May 1984
Died10 April 2003(2003-04-10) (aged 18)
CountryJapan
ColourGray
BreederNishikino Bokujo
OwnerTamamo Co., Ltd.
Racing colours
TrainerIsami Obara
JockeyKatsumi Minai
Record18: 9-3-2
Earnings¥490,613,600
Major wins
Takarazuka Kinen (1988)
Tenno Sho (Spring) (1988)
Tenno Sho (Autumn) (1988)
Hanshin Daishōten (1988)
Naruo Kinen (1987)
Awards
Japanese Horse of the Year (1988)
JRA Award for Best Older Male Horse (1988)

Tamamo Cross (Japanese: タマモクロス, Hepburn: Tamamo Kurosu; May 23, 1984 – April 10, 2003) was a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He competed from 1987 to 1988, recording nine wins in eighteen starts, including the 1988 Tennō Shō (Spring), 1988 Tennō Shō (Autumn), and 1988 Takarazuka Kinen.[1] He received the Japanese Horse of the Year award in 1988.[1]

Background

Tamamo Cross was a gray horse bred in Niikappu, Hokkaido, by Nishikino Bokujo.[1] He was sired by C.B. Cross, a Japanese stallion, and his dam was Green Chateau, a daughter of the American-bred Chateaugay.[2] He was purchased by Michio Mino and raced under the Tamamo Co., Ltd. banner.[3] He was sent into training with Isami Obara at the JRA's Ritto Training Center.[1]

Racing career

1987: Three-year-old season

Tamamo Cross debuted on March 1, 1987, in a maiden race on the turf at Hanshin Racecourse, finishing seventh.[4] He transitioned to dirt and won his next start, a maiden race at Hanshin on April 11.[4] In May, he failed to finish an allowance race at Kyoto Racecourse after encountering interference.[4]

He returned to the turf in October, winning two consecutive allowance races at Kyoto.[4] On December 6, he contested the Naruo Kinen (GII) at Hanshin. Ridden by Katsumi Minai, he won the 2500-meter race by a margin of 1.0 seconds, setting a new track record of 2:33.0 on a good to soft track.[4][5]

1988: Four-year-old season

Tamamo Cross began his 1988 campaign by winning the Kyoto Kimpai (GIII) on January 5.[4] In March, he contested the Hanshin Daishoten (GII), finishing in a dead heat for first place with Dyna Carpenter.[4]

On April 29, he entered the Tenno Sho (Spring, GI) at Kyoto. He won the 3200-meter race by 0.5 seconds over Running Free, securing his first GI victory.[4] In June, he won the Takarazuka Kinen (GI) at Hanshin, defeating Nippo Teio by 0.4 seconds.[4]

In the autumn, Tamamo Cross contested the Tenno Sho (Autumn, GI) at Tokyo Racecourse on October 30. In a notable matchup against fellow gray horse Oguri Cap, Tamamo Cross took the lead in the final straight and won by 0.2 seconds.[6]

On November 27, he ran in the Japan Cup (GI) at Tokyo. He finished second, losing by 0.1 seconds to the American-trained horse Pay the Butler.[4] He made his final start in the Arima Kinen (GI) at Nakayama Racecourse on December 25, finishing second by 0.1 seconds to Oguri Cap.[4]

Following the Arima Kinen, Tamamo Cross was named the 1988 Japanese Horse of the Year and received the JRA Award for Best Older Colt or Horse.[1]

Statistics

The following table details all 18 starts of Tamamo Cross's racing career based on official netkeiba and JBIS records.

Date Distance (Condition) Race Class Course Odds
(Favourite)		 Field Finish Time Winning
(Losing)
Margin		 Winner
(2nd Place)		 Jockey Ref
1987 – three-year-old season
Mar 1 Turf 2000 m (Firm) 4-Y-O Newcomer Maiden Hanshin 3.5 (2nd) 11 7th 2:07.1 1.8 Aichi Matsushima Katsumi Minai [4]
Mar 21 Dirt 1800 m (Muddy) 4-Y-O Newcomer Maiden Hanshin 3.7 (2nd) 10 4th 1:56.3 0.7 Silk Maria Katsumi Minai [4]
Apr 11 Dirt 1700 m (Good) 4-Y-O Maiden Maiden Hanshin 3.0 (2nd) 12 1st 1:48.3 –0.1 (Beautiful) Katsumi Minai [4]
May 10 Turf 2000 m (Firm) 4-Y-O Allowance Allowance Kyoto 11.2 (6th) 15 DNF Tosano Asakaze Katsumi Minai [4]
Jun 28 Dirt 1800 m (Fast) 4-Y-O Allowance Allowance Sapporo 11.7 (7th) 8 6th 1:55.6 3.0 Hokkai Seizan Seiki Tabara [4]
Jul 11 Dirt 2000 m (Fast) Rebun Tokubetsu Allowance Sapporo 18.0 (7th) 9 2nd 2:07.1 0.2 Hirono Hayate Tomio Yasuda [4]
Sep 19 Dirt 1800 m (Fast) Nose Tokubetsu Allowance Hanshin 4.8 (3rd) 9 3rd 1:55.0 0.3 Alpha Vivace Katsumi Minai [4]
Oct 4 Dirt 1700 m (Fast) 4-Y-O Allowance Allowance Hanshin 2.0 (1st) 11 3rd 1:47.9 0.6 Marukasky Katsumi Minai [4]
Oct 18 Turf 2200 m (Firm) 4-Y-O Allowance Allowance Kyoto 9.6 (5th) 16 1st 2:16.2 –1.2 (Nachino Perso) Katsumi Minai [4]
Nov 1 Turf 2000 m (Good) Fujinomori Tokubetsu Allowance Kyoto 1.7 (1st) 14 1st 2:03.0 –1.3 (Meisho Hien) Mikio Matsunaga [4]
Dec 6 Turf 2500 m (Good) Naruo Kinen GII Hanshin 5.8 (3rd) 13 1st R2:33.0 –1.0 (Meisho Eikan) Katsumi Minai [4]
1988 – four-year-old season
Jan 5 Turf 2000 m (Good) Kyoto Kimpai GIII Kyoto 2.2 (1st) 16 1st 2:03.7 –0.1 (Hallow Point) Katsumi Minai [4]
Mar 13 Turf 3000 m (Good) Hanshin Daishoten GII Hanshin 1.7 (1st) 7 1st 3:12.1 – Dyna Carpenter (dh) Katsumi Minai [4]
Apr 29 Turf 3200 m (Good) Tenno Sho (Spring) GI Kyoto 4.4 (1st) 18 1st 3:21.8 –0.5 (Running Free) Katsumi Minai [4]
Jun 12 Turf 2200 m (Good) Takarazuka Kinen GI Hanshin 3.0 (2nd) 13 1st 2:13.2 –0.4 (Nippo Teio) Katsumi Minai [4]
Oct 30 Turf 2000 m (Firm) Tenno Sho (Autumn) GI Tokyo 2.6 (2nd) 13 1st 1:58.8 –0.2 (Oguri Cap) Katsumi Minai [4]
Nov 27 Turf 2400 m (Firm) Japan Cup GI Tokyo 3.2 (1st) 16 2nd 2:25.6 0.1 Pay the Butler Katsumi Minai [4]
Dec 25 Turf 2500 m (Firm) Arima Kinen GI Nakayama 2.4 (1st) 13 2nd 2:34.0 0.1 Oguri Cap Katsumi Minai [4]
  • R indicated that it was a record time finish

Stud career

Tamamo Cross's descendants include:

c = colt, f = filly

Foaled Name Sex Major wins
1990 Bridge Teio c Soshun Sho, Takeyoriwake Sho
1991 Black Cross c Derby Grand Prix
1991 Kanetsu Cross c American Jockey Club Cup, Epsom Cup, Naruo Kinen
1992 Hiro de Cross c Yasuda Kinen
1993 Shirokita Cross c Kobe Shimbun Hai
1994 T.M. Tokkyu c Kabutoyama Kinen
1994 Tamamo Inazuma c Diamond Stakes
1994 Makoto Raiden c Sirius Stakes
1995 Dantsu Sirius f Tulip Sho, Shinzan Kinen
1999 My Sole Sound c Hanshin Daishōten, Kyoto Kinen, Milers Cup, Kyoto Kimpai, Chunichi Shimbun Hai
2000 Win Generale c Nikkei Sho
2003 Tamamo Support c Radio Nikkei Sho, Kyoto Kimpai

An anthropomorphized version of Tamamo Cross is featured in the Japanese media franchise Umamusume: Pretty Derby, voiced by Naomi Ōzora. She is depicted as a small girl with a Kansai dialect.[7] She comes from a poor family and takes every opportunity she can to save money, reflecting her real-world counterpart's farm going bankrupt early in his life. She is often paired with her friend and roommate Oguri Cap in various situations, whose literal-mindedness and gluttony exasperates her. Due to her small build and as part of a running gag, Super Creek often coddles and sometimes infantilizes her despite her protests.

In the manga Midori no Makibaō, the titular character Midori Makibaou (voiced by Inuko Inuyama in the anime adaptation) is believed to be based on Tamamo Cross. He is depicted as a small, white mule who, despite his size, races against thoroughbred horses.[8]

Pedigree

Pedigree of Tamamo Cross (JPN)
Sire
C.B. Cross (JPN)
1975		 Fortino (FR)
1959		 Grey Sovereign Nasrullah
Kong
Ranavalo Relic
Navarra
Zuisho (JPN)
1968		 Partholon Milesian
Paleo
Cumulus Turk's Reliance
Royal Deal
Dam
Green Chateau (JPN)
1974		 Chateaugay (USA)
1960		 Swaps Khaled
Iron Reward
Banquet Bell Polynesian
Dinner Horn
Queen Bee (JPN)
1966		 Tudor Period Owen Tudor
Cornice
Corsa Hindostan
Miss Channel

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "タマモクロス (Tamamo Cross) - Profile & Race Record". JBIS Search (in Japanese). Japan Bloodhorse Breeders' Association. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  2. 1 2 "タマモクロス - 5代血統表". JBIS Search (in Japanese). Japan Bloodhorse Breeders' Association. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  3. ↑ "【サラブレッド・ヒーロー列伝 101】風か光か、稲妻II世". Yushun (in Japanese) (October 1994). Japan Racing Association. 1994.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 "タマモクロス 競走成績". netkeiba (in Japanese). Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  5. ↑ "【今月の記録室】矢のような伸び 新星誕生タマモクロス". Yushun (in Japanese) (February 1988). Japan Racing Association. 1988.
  6. ↑ "【第98回天皇賞・秋詳報】白い馬たちのマッチレース、府中に光った"稲妻II世"". Yushun (in Japanese) (December 1988). Japan Racing Association. 1988.
  7. ↑ "タマモクロス｜ウマ娘 プリティーダービー 公式ポータルサイト｜Cygames". ウマ娘 プリティーダービー 公式ポータルサイト (in Japanese). Retrieved 1 December 2025.
  8. ↑ "TVアニメ『みどりのマキバオー』30周年記念サイト".
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