Nakamura
🐎 Nakamura (IRE)
Foaled: 21st February 2023 | Sex: Gelding | Colour: Bay
Sire: Kodi Bear (IRE) | Dam: Ahab (GB) (by Alhebayeb (IRE))
Trainer: Sam England
Why This Horse?
Nakamura is an exciting addition to the Ursa Major Racing team, bringing with him proven winning form and valuable experience from the Irish Flat racing scene. A son of Kodi Bear, he showed his ability as a two-year-old, winning twice in Ireland and demonstrating that he has the pace and competitiveness required to make his mark on the track. Now joining Ursa Major Racing and Sam England, we believe he deserves the opportunity to begin a fresh chapter and build on what he has already achieved.
One of the things we look for when assessing a horse is the potential for further improvement, and Nakamura offers an interesting opportunity to explore what he can achieve in a new environment. A change of scenery, a different training routine and careful race planning can sometimes help a horse take the next step in its career. We are looking forward to working with Sam to identify his strengths, find the conditions that suit him best and give him every opportunity to add to his winning record.
🏇 Racing Profile
Nakamura arrives with a solid foundation of racing experience, having competed in Ireland against a range of opposition on the Flat. He announced himself as a winner in August 2025 at Navan, scoring over just beyond five furlongs, before following up at Cork in September over six furlongs. Winning at two different courses demonstrated his ability to get the job done, and his early performances suggested that shorter distances could play to his strengths.
He continued to gain experience through the 2026 season, competing in sprint handicaps and showing that he could remain competitive in stronger company. One particularly encouraging effort came at Fairyhouse in June 2026, when he finished second over six furlongs, beaten by just half a length. That performance highlighted his ability to stay involved in a competitive finish and showed that another win was within reach.
With that experience behind him, Nakamura now has the opportunity to make a fresh start in Britain. His previous record gives Sam a useful indication of the distances and conditions worth exploring, although assessing how he responds to his new surroundings will be important. The aim will be to find suitable opportunities, build on his existing experience and give him the best possible chance of returning to the winner's enclosure.
🏠 Training
Nakamura will now be based with Sam England, who will oversee his preparation and guide him through this next stage of his career. The first priority will be to help him settle into his new surroundings, assess his current fitness and allow Sam time to understand his temperament, preferences and individual requirements. Every horse is different, and taking the time to establish the right routine is an important part of building a successful partnership between horse and trainer.
With Nakamura having already demonstrated his ability on the Flat, the focus will be on making the most of that experience while identifying the best way to bring him forward. His previous performances provide a useful starting point, but Sam will have the opportunity to assess him first-hand and determine the most suitable approach to his training. From building his fitness to finding the right balance between preparation and race opportunities, the aim will be to have him in the best possible position to perform when he returns to the track.
As with all our horses, patience and communication will be central to the process. We want Nakamura to settle, develop confidence in his new surroundings and progress at a pace that suits him, with decisions made in his best interests.
🧬 Pedigree Highlights
Nakamura is bred to be an effective Flat performer, being by Kodi Bear, a high-class racehorse who won the Group 2 Celebration Mile and established himself as a successful sire. Kodi Bear has produced winners across a range of Flat distances, with his progeny often displaying the speed and competitiveness required for sprinting and mile races. Nakamura's own record, including two victories over shorter distances, fits well with those qualities.
His dam, Ahab, is by Alhebayeb, another former high-class two-year-old who won the Group 2 July Stakes. Alhebayeb's influence adds further speed to Nakamura's pedigree, making the combination particularly interesting for a horse who has already shown an ability to compete over sprint distances. The presence of two sires associated with juvenile ability and speed provides a strong foundation for his Flat racing career.
While pedigree can provide useful clues, Nakamura has already shown on the track that he possesses winning ability. The challenge now is to bring together that natural speed, his racing experience and Sam England's assessment of him to identify the conditions in which he can be most effective.
🌟 Looking Ahead
Nakamura's arrival at Ursa Major Racing marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter, and we are looking forward to seeing what he can achieve under Sam England's guidance. With two career victories already on his record and experience gained in competitive Irish handicaps, he comes to the team with an established racing background and plenty for his new connections to assess.
The priority will be to help him settle into his new home, allow Sam to get a feel for the horse and establish a plan that plays to his strengths. We will be looking carefully at suitable distances, ground conditions and race opportunities, with the aim of placing him where he has the best chance of being competitive. There is no need to rush the process; finding the right opportunity and preparing him properly will be key to making the most of his potential.
For Ursa Major owners, part of the enjoyment of racing is following a horse through a new phase of its career and seeing how it develops with a different team around it. We are excited to welcome Nakamura into the Ursa Major family and look forward to sharing regular updates as he settles in, progresses with Sam and works towards his next racecourse appearance. Hopefully, this new partnership will bring plenty of enjoyable days and more winning moments for everyone involved.
