As a two-year-old he showed promising form by winning two races including the Grade III Sapporo Nisai Stakes in record time.
Jungle Pocket was a bay horse standing 16 hands high[2] with a narrow white blaze bred in Japan by Northern Farm.
Three weeks late he was moved up in class and faced twelve opponents in the Grade III Sapporo Sansai Stakes over the same course and won from Tagano Teio in a record time of 1:49.6.
In the Grade III Radio Tampa Hai Sansai Stakes over 2000 metres at Hanshin Racecourse on 23 December he finished second of the twelve runners behind Agnes Tachyon.
[5] On his three-year-old debut, Jungle Pocket contested the Kyodo Tsushin Hai over 1800 metres at Tokyo Racecourse on 4 February and won from Pregio and ten others.
Agnes Tachyon had sustained a career-ending injury, but Dantsu Flame was in the field along with the American-bred Kurofune, winner of the NHK Mile Cup.
[6] After a break of eight weeks, Jungle Pocket returned for the Grade II Sapporo Kinen in August and finished third behind Air Eminem and Fight Commander.
Another lengthy absence was followed by a return to Grade I level for the Kikuka Sho over 3000 metres at Kyoto on 21 October and a fourth-place finish behind Manhattan Cafe, Meiner Despot and Air Eminem.
In the following month he produced his best performance of the year when he finished a neck second to Manhattan Cafe in the spring version of the Tenno Sho over 3200 metres with Narita Top Road in third place.