A horse with a heart-shaped mark on its head may prove popular among gamblers in Hokkaido, reports Mainichi:

The one-year-old male horse, brought up at a stable in Hokkaido, is due to begin racing for the Hokkaido Keiba racing association next spring. The 500-kilogram equine has not yet been named.

It is common for horses to have white markings on their heads, but unusual for them to have a mark that is so clearly shaped like a heart.

Racing officials hope that the horse will put some spark back into prefecturally operated racing, which has suffered continued financial woe.

A similar heart mark racehorse has been getting a lot of attention in Iwate Prefecture, but Hokkaido racing officials think their horse is better:

“We’re making various plans to hype up the horse’s debut so we don’t lose out to Iwate,” the official said.