You’re staring at the screen. It’s April. The cherry blossoms are practically blinding in the game’s interface, and you’ve got a training run that feels "just okay." Then it hits you—the Osaka Hai Uma Musume hurdle. It is, honestly, one of the most annoying G1 races to consistently win if you aren’t paying attention to the specific terrain of Hanshin.
Most players treat it like just another 2000m race. Big mistake.
Hanshin’s inner track is a beast of its own. Unlike the wide, sweeping turns of Tokyo, Hanshin is tight. It’s cramped. It has that nasty uphill slope right at the finish line that eats stamina for breakfast. If you’ve ever wondered why your high-speed Sakura Bakushin O (wait, why are you running her at 2000m?) or even a solid Mejiro McQueen suddenly hits a wall in the final 200 meters, it’s usually because you underestimated the "Power" requirement of this specific race.
The Hanshin 2000m Trap
The Osaka Hai Uma Musume event takes place at the Hanshin Racecourse. It's a 2000m Medium distance race, right-handed, and it happens in early April (Spring). Because it's an "Inner" track race, the final straight is incredibly short. We’re talking about 350-ish meters.
That short straight changes everything.
In a long-straight race like the Japan Cup, your Sashi (Betweener) or 追い上げ (Chaser) girls have plenty of time to wind up their engines. At the Osaka Hai, if you aren't already moving by the time you hit the final bend, you’re done. It’s over. You'll watch the leaders cross the line while your girl is still stuck in traffic. This is why Betweeners often struggle here unless they have specific acceleration skills like "Non-Stop Girl" or "Let's Anabolic!" (Mejiro Ryan’s unique).
Actually, let's talk about the hill.
There is a steep incline in the last 200 meters. In the Uma Musume: Pretty Derby mechanics, hills check your Power stat. If your Power is low, your speed drops significantly as you climb. It doesn't matter if your Speed stat is 1200; if your Power is 400, that hill will feel like climbing a vertical wall made of molasses.
Which Girls Actually Dominate the Osaka Hai?
Not everyone is built for this. Since it's a Medium distance race, you have a lot of options, but the meta usually leans toward those who can handle the tight turns.
Kitasan Black is an obvious monster here. Her "Do-ka-ni" unique skill triggers ideally on the final corner, and since she’s a Runner (Runner/逃げ), she dictates the pace. Because the straight is short, if Kitasan gets a three-length lead going into the final turn, catching her is basically a nightmare for the rest of the pack.
Then there’s Agnes Tachyon. She’s basically the queen of Medium distance in the early-to-mid game scenarios. Her unique skill restores stamina, which allows you to greedily pump points into Speed and Power without worrying about her "sinking" (gas out) before the hill.
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Don't sleep on Rice Shower either. While she’s often pegged as a Long-distance specialist, her stamina stats make the Hanshin hill look like a flat sidewalk.
But honestly? The real sleeper hit for the Osaka Hai is often Tokai Teio. Her "Step" skills help her navigate the crowded inner track of Hanshin perfectly. If she doesn't get boxed in—which is a huge "if" on this track—her final spurt is legendary.
Stamina: The Great Deception
How much stamina do you actually need for a 2000m G1?
People see 2000m and think, "Oh, I'll just get to 500 and I'm fine."
Maybe.
But the Osaka Hai Uma Musume race happens in the "Senior" year of training. By this point, the AI rivals have decent stats. If the race pace is "High," 500 stamina without a recovery skill (Gold Skill like Maestro) might actually leave you empty right at the 150m mark.
I’ve seen it happen. A player has 1000 Speed, 800 Power, and 450 Stamina. They look like they’re winning. Then, the "Spurt" starts, the stamina hits zero, and the girl starts "doing the hula"—that's what the community calls the tired animation. She slows down, the screen goes grey-ish, and she finishes 5th.
Aim for 600 stamina. Or, if you’re stuck at 500, make sure you have at least one reliable recovery skill. It’s better to have a bit of "waste" stamina than to run out 50 meters before the post.
Essential Skills for the Osaka Hai
If you’re building a girl specifically to crush the Osaka Hai or for a Room Match/Champions Meeting featuring this track, you need to prioritize these:
- Right-Handed (右回り): Hanshin is a right-handed track. This is a cheap, easy speed boost.
- Spring Girl (春ウマ娘): It’s an April race. Again, easy stats.
- Hanshin Racecourse (阪神レース場): Gives a Stamina boost. Very helpful for the hill.
- Non-Stop Girl: This is crucial for anyone not in the Lead (Runner) position. Because the track is narrow and the straight is short, girls get bunched up. This skill lets you weave through the crowd without losing momentum.
- Cornering Skills: Since the "Inner" track has tighter turns, having "Medium Distance Corner" or "Corner Proficiency" is significantly better than "Straight" skills here.
The "Inner Track" Strategic Nuance
Let's get nerdy for a second.
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In Uma Musume, the track is divided into segments. The "Inner" (内回り) track at Hanshin means the turn starts earlier and is sharper than the "Outer" track used for the 1600m races (like the Oka Sho).
This means the "Final Corner" and the "Fourth Corner" are essentially the same thing. Skills that trigger on "The Final Corner" are god-tier here. Skills that trigger on "The Final Straight" are less effective because you have less time to utilize the speed boost.
You want to be accelerating during the turn.
If you are playing a Betweener (Sashi), you need "Acceleration" (加速) skills, not just "Speed" (速度) skills. Speed increases your ceiling; Acceleration helps you hit that ceiling faster. On a short straight like the Osaka Hai, hitting your top speed 2 seconds earlier is the difference between 1st and 4th.
Why Does the Osaka Hai Matter in Training?
In the URA, Aoharu, or Grand Live scenarios, the Osaka Hai is a key G1 for the "Autumn/Spring Senior Triple Crown" (depending on your goals).
If you win the Osaka Hai, Tenno Sho (Spring), and Takarazuka Kinen, you get a massive hidden stat bonus in many scenarios. We're talking +15 to +25 in multiple stats and a chunk of Skill Points. Missing the Osaka Hai because you forgot to check your stamina or because you got blocked on the inner rail is a huge blow to your final build.
Also, it’s worth a lot of "Fans." If you’re trying to hit the Legend rank (320,000+ fans), you cannot skip the Osaka Hai. It’s one of the highest-value races in the first half of the Senior year.
Real World Context: The True Osaka Hai
It’s easy to forget these are based on real horses. The real Osaka Hai was promoted to a G1 fairly recently (2017). Before that, it was a G2 trial race.
This is reflected in the game’s "history." The AI rivals you face in the Osaka Hai are often heavy hitters from the late 90s and 2000s—horses that actually used this race as a stepping stone to the Tenno Sho.
When you see Air Groove or Mihono Bourbon lining up against you, remember that these are horses that thrived on grit. The game models that grit through the "Guts" (根性) stat. While Guts was a "meme" stat for a long time in the game, in modern patches, it's actually vital for the "Last Spurt" battle. In the Osaka Hai, a high Guts stat helps you win the "positioning fight" in the final corner.
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Troubleshooting Your Runs
If you keep losing this race, check your logs.
Was your girl "Blocked"? (掛かり). If so, you need more Intelligence (賢さ). Intelligence isn't just for skills; it's for positioning. A girl with 200 Intelligence will run into the back of another horse like a blind lawnmower.
Did she "Out of Breath"? That’s Stamina.
Did she get overtaken in the last 50m? That’s either Power (the hill) or a lack of Speed.
Practical Steps to Master the Osaka Hai
Stop treating every 2000m race like it's the same. To win the Osaka Hai consistently, you need a specific checklist.
First, target a Power stat of at least 600 by the time April of the Senior year rolls around. This ensures the Hanshin incline doesn't kill your momentum.
Second, prioritize "Corner" skills over "Straight" skills. The geometry of the Hanshin Inner track rewards those who can carry speed through the bend.
Third, if you're using a Runner, ensure you have "Groundwork" (地固め) or similar start-dash skills. Getting the "lead" on the inner track is 70% of the battle. If you own the rail, the other girls have to run a wider, longer circle to get around you.
Finally, keep an eye on the weather. Spring in Uma Musume is usually clear, but if you get a "Heavy" (重) track, the stamina drain increases by about 10-15%. If you see rain on the forecast, consider grabbing a "Recovery" skill even if you think your stamina is "just enough."
The Osaka Hai isn't just a race; it's a test of whether your training balance is actually functional or just a collection of high numbers. Fix your Power, respect the hill, and stop getting boxed in on the turns.