Espoir City is a lively character from Umamusume: Pretty Derby, known for her bright chestnut hair and her love for black accessories. She is a strong-willed gal who calls herself "A-shi," has a rebellious attitude, and often talks back to people in charge. Even though she acts tough, she's secretly kind at heart and worries about making mistakes, sometimes failing when she's most confident. Espoir City has a rough, sassy way of speaking but has many fans and is cared for by older students. Her story highlights both her powerful racing spirit and her gentle side.
Espoir City is a small girl with golden brown hair, styled in a side ponytail on her left side.
She decorates her hair with many black accessories.
Her eyes feature vivid blue and red eyeshadow that matches her racing colors.
She wears stylish nail polish.
Her racing outfit is very casual and reveals her stomach, shoulders, and back, showing off her gal style.
She adds fun, face-shaped decorations and ribbons to her look.
In her street clothes, she prefers black clothing and wears a short necklace.
During special events, Espoir City wears a parade uniform that still shows her belly but looks a bit like a band outfit.
Character Stats
- Birthday: April 22
- Height: 153 cm
- Bust/Waist/Hips: B79/W55/H79
Espoir City is always feisty and acts rebellious, especially towards teachers and trainers.
She calls herself "A-shi" instead of "I."
She tries to show everyone how strong she is by running hard in races.
She often messes up when she acts the toughest, which makes her feel frustrated.
Even with a rough mouth, her friends say she's actually sweet and caring underneath.
She secretly can't resist buying candies with lottery prizes and is weak against popping candies.
She does not want to reveal her weight at all!
Espoir City is inspired by the famous Japanese racehorse Espoir City, who was the ace of the central dirt races in the same generation as Smart Falcon.
In Umamusume: Pretty Derby, she appears as one of the nine new characters announced for the game's 3rd anniversary.
She lives in the Ritto Dorm and attends high school.
At home, she has a mother who is often sick in the hospital, a good relationship with her parents, and a younger brother.
Her family even has a group chat together.
Espoir City is a strong dirt track runner.
She stands out for her wild and active racing style.
She is known for her impressive sprints and can fight rivals toe-to-toe.
When she’s at her best, she is a tough opponent, even for top runners.
She is friends and rivals with Transcend.
Transcend calls her "Espon" while others like Wonder Acute call her "Espon-chan."
She also gets along with Smart Falcon, who she sees as a big rival but is friendly with outside races.
She was the first to invite Furioso, who felt lonely after transferring to the central school, to run together and became good friends.
She likes to leave candies for Smart Falcon at street performances.
Older students adore her for being tough but sweet inside.
Espoir City also has a little brother.
- "I told you, I’m the best! I’ll show you how strong I am!"
- "I’ll peep and peck you to bits!"
Game Debut
Espoir City was first shown in Transcend’s main story in the Umamusume: Pretty Derby mobile game, starting March 12, 2024.
She and Transcend are major rivals, clashing with each other because Transcend likes data and Espoir City likes to act on pure energy.
On September 10, 2024, she was added as a support card (R and SSR).
Helping Furioso
Espoir City was also important in Furioso’s story.
She was the first to reach out to Furioso, who just transferred and felt alone, and offered to run together.
They soon become friends, and Espoir City is even shown promising to take Furioso to try special food in Funabashi.
Night Parade Event
In the story event "Lighting Up the Dreamy Night Parade" (April 30, 2025), Espoir City takes the lead.
She decides to join the parade as a trumpet player because she likes to stand out and be flashy.
Her family story is shown during this event. Espoir City joins the parade to keep a promise to her mother.
When the parade is in trouble because of bad weather and equipment failure, she works hard to save the event.
- Espoir City acted as the wolf in a school play and shouted, "Just let me eat you quietly, you idiot!"
- She is based on the real-life Espoir City, a famous dirt racehorse with over 10 million yen in winnings.
- Her victory photo on the SSR support card is based on her comeback win in the 22nd Kashiwa Kinen race.
- Espoir City’s voice actress, Asaka, started following horse racing because of Umamusume. She is mainly a singer, making her one of the few voice actresses in the franchise whose main job is not voice acting.
- She once appeared in an FC Gifu soccer event, wearing an Oguri Cap jersey with her name.
- Before her official character reveal, she was hinted at in events as a secret "Umamusume E" with a similar cheeky personality.
Solo Song
Her solo song is called "Don’t Mess With Me! I’ll Go All Out and Stir Up This Dirt," with the catchphrase "I’ll peck you to bits!"
Racehorse: Espoir City
The real Espoir City was born in 2005 and became a champion dirt racehorse.
She started her career later because of her wild personality and some early losses on turf.
Once she switched to dirt, she rose quickly and won many big races.
Famous for her comebacks even after tough times, Espoir City brought hope and excitement to fans.
After racing, she became a stallion and made many winning horses, keeping her legacy alive.
Espoir City is still loved as a symbol of hope and determination.
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