By Kate Hunter
Global political turmoil appears to be having no ill affect on the Japanese sales industry, if the results of the Hokkaido Summer Sale are anything to go by. The four-day sale on Aug. 19 to 22 saw a 17.11% increase in gross and the overall sale well outperformed the 2018 edition. The four-day gross was ¥4,937,652,000 (US$46,581,622/€42,058,919/£38,046,744), with a clearance rate of 71.8%. The average of ¥5,748,139 (US$54,227/€48,956/£44,291) and the median of ¥4,536,000 (US$42,792/€38,633/£34,945) saw a 15.88% and 5% increase, respectively, over the previous year. On-site participation was high each day, with satellite parking areas being utilized to handle overflow.
The sale topper, lot 640, was a Rulership (Jpn) colt out of the Special Week (Jpn) mare Admire Kagura (Jpn). He was purchased by Equine Racing for ¥29,160,000 (US$275,094/€248,292/£224,648). The highest-priced filly of the week was lot 289, a Sinister Minister daughter of the Deep Impact (Jpn) mare You Are Mine (Jpn) who was purchased by Yoshizawa Stables for ¥21,600,000 (US$203,773/€183,920/£166,389). Yoshizawa Stables is run by Katsumi Yoshizawa, who campaigned Master Fencer (Jpn) in the American Triple Crown this year.
The two reigning kings of the sale were the late South Vigorous, who sold 27 of his 29 lots for a gross of ¥230,040,000 (US$2,170,188/€1,959,020/£1,772,052) and Sinister Minister, who sold 28 of his 29 lots for ¥209,304,000 (US$1,974,566/€1,782,432/£1,612,147). Each had a top lot that hammered down at ¥21,600,000 (US$203,773/€183,920/£166,389), and their averages were ¥8,520,000 (US$80,377/€72,549/£65,624) and ¥7,475,142 (US$70,520/€63,652/£57,532), respectively. Both stallions produce highly reliable dirt runners in Japan.
Two first-crop sons of the late King Kamehameha (Jpn), Leontes (Jpn) and Lovely Day (Jpn), both did quite well at Japan's largest yearling auction, selling 30 and 32 lots, respectively, and grossing ¥207,360,000 (US$1,956,226/€1,765,804/£1,595,935) and ¥171,612,000 (US$1,618,981/€1,461,386/£1,321,180), respectively.
Five stallions averaged over ¥10-million yen during the sale, and the overall leader was Rulership (Jpn) who had his 11 lots average ¥11,781,818 (US$111,149/€100,322/£90,704). First-crop sire Maurice (Jpn) was the runner-up with his four lots averaging ¥11,475,000 (US$108,254/€97,709/£88,331). Kizuna (Jpn), who ruled the last Hokkaido sale, proved just as popular at the Summer Sale selling all 17 lots with an average of ¥10,882,588 (US$102,665/€92,649/£83,771). First-crop sire Duramente (Jpn) sold nine lots averaging ¥10,296,000 (US$97,132/€87,655/£79,227).
The next sale in Hokkaido will be the September Sale on Sept. 17 and 18.
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