Records Tumble as 'Impact' Reigns Supreme

HOKKAIDO, Japan-Hopes were high that the JRHA Select Sale would continue the upward curve it has charted the last number of years and when yearlings took centre stage at Northern Horse Park for the opening session on Monday, those hopes were realized in no uncertain fashion. Trade was headed by a son of Deep Impact (Jpn) that sold for ¥250 million, but it was the depth of trade throughout the day that lead to a record breaking aggregate of ¥9,674,500,000 (US$87,585,779/£65,682,082/€74,432,021/A$117,109,043), up on last year's total of ¥8.63 billion. 211 of the 233 offered yearlings changed hands for a clearance rate of 90%, in line with last year's figure and those that sold did so at an average of ¥45,850,000 (US$415,145/£311,355/€352,742/A$555,179) and a median of ¥31,000,000 (US$280,683/£210,493/€238/469/A$375,351). Both these figures represented rises of 15% and 5% respectively.

To lend further credence to the robustness of the market, last year 12 yearlings made in excess of US$1 million, but on Monday that number reached 17.

At the close of business, Katsumi Yoshida, whose Northern Farm were the session's leading vendor, said, “This is a surprising result, much stronger than expected for both clearance rate and aggregate. The top yearlings were difficult to purchase and it wasn't all about one stallion either. We had a lot of overseas buyers here but they found it very difficult to buy, unfortunately for them. We can now look forward to Tuesday's foal session with confidence when a number of young stallions will be represented by their first crop of foals.”

The sale certainly got off to a flyer when lot 1, a son of Heart's Cry (Jpn) from Northern Farm, sold to Makoto Hayano for ¥135 million and it didn't take long for that price to be overshadowed when lot 13, a colt by King Kamehameha (Jpn) from the same farm made ¥240 million. The yearling is the second produce out of GI Gamely S. winner Miss Serendipity (Arg) (Not For Sale) who also scored at the top level in Argentina and was knocked down to Yoshihisa Ozasa.

“When I inspected the horses at Northern Farm I really liked this colt,” the buyer said. “I liked his confirmation and pedigree, in particular his dam-line but the price was a bit more than I thought it would be.”

Impact Factor…

The first Deep Impact offering was the sale-topping lot 21 and the full-brother to stakes winner Satono Arthur (Jpn) out of the G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas winner King's Rose (NZ) continued the mare's excellent record at this sale when selling to Danox Co Ltd for ¥250 million. The first produce out of King's Rose, the above mentioned Satono Arthur made ¥195 million in 2015 and her second produce, an unraced 2-year-old colt by Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) sold for ¥180 million in 2017. While Monday's price easily eclipsed the two previous significant sales, the successful buyer, Masahiro Noda, felt he still got some good value.

“He was my pick of the sale and I was determined to buy this colt after seeing him at Northern Farm,” he said. “With such a strong start to the sale I thought he would have made more so I am very happy to get him at that price.”

A Deep Impact colt out of a six-time American Grade I winner could be expected to be a headline act at any major international select sale and especially when the dam Ginger Punch (Awesome Again) has already produced a MGSW in Rouge Buck (Jpn) (Manhattan Café {Jpn}). Lot 52 did the 15-year-old mare proud when selling to Kaneko Makoto Holdings Co. Ltd for ¥190 million. The same price was achieved by the son of a mare whose progeny are no stranger to making a 'deep impact' at this sale. Lot 100 is out of Listen (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) whose son topped this session last year when selling for ¥270 million and while Monday's offering didn't quit scale those heights, he still fetched the more than respectable sum of ¥190 million to agent Tony Club.

The tried and trusted method of mating an American Grade I winner with Deep Impact also bore fruit when lot 104 stepped into the ring. When the mare Dubawi Heights (GB) is, as her name suggests, by Darley's great stallion, she is a half-sister to a Group 1 winner in Make Believe (GB) (Makfi {GB}). It really is a combination of elements that can spark fireworks in a sales ring and it was Hajime Satomi who stepped up to the mark to add the Shadai Farm-bred colt to his string for ¥180 million.

Satomi's top class G1 Arima Kinen winner Satono Diamond (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) has been a little disappointing this year and should the dual Group 1 winner fail to recapture his sparkle, Satomi may well have another son of the stallion to potentially fill the void in lot 71. Satomi was pushed to ¥160 million to acquire Shadai's colt out of European stakes winner Nova Hawk (GB) (Hawk Wing), who has a perfect breeding record to date with two winners from two foals of racing age.

Speaking about his purchases Satomi said, “I like the European element of lot 104's pedigree, he is slightly small at the moment but we think he will grow sufficiently and hopefully he can be a classic type. Lot 71 is a big, strong Deep Impact, a bit different to the other one but I am delighted to get two such colts by the sire. I thought they might make US$2 million each so I am pleasantly surprised at the price of each one.”

Deep Impact raced in the colours of Kaneko Makoto and midway through the session the owner forked out ¥140 million for the colt out of the brilliant Azeri (Jade Hunter), offered as lot 116. The first filly to break the million-dollar mark was lot 33 also by Deep Impact and another out of a South American star in G1 Mil Guineas winner Safari Miss (Arg) (Not For Sale {Arg}), whose pedigree also includes G1 Prix Saint-Alary winner Queen's Jewel (GB) (Pivotal {GB}). The filly was bought by Mizuki Noda for ¥115 million. Overall 22 of the 25 offered yearlings by Deep Impact sold for an average of ¥110 million which equates to $995,000/£746,325/€845,830.

Heart's On Fire…

Owner Riichi Kondo has campaigned a number of horses with the 'Admire' prefix, among those the G1 Japan Cup and G1 Dubai Duty Free winner and current Darley stallion Admire Moon (Jpn), and heading a number of acquisitions for Kondo on Monday was lot 26. This ¥230-million colt by Heart's Cry is out of dual Argentinian Group 1 winner Life For Sale (Arg) (Not For Sale {Arg}) and Kondo has big aspirations for the Northern Farm-bred yearling.

“Yasuo Tomomichi will train him and he was very keen for me to buy him,” Kondo said. “He thinks he is a typical top-class mile and a half colt so I hope he will be correct. It is a strong market, but the catalogue has a good spread of proven stallions that offer a bit more choice than in previous years.”

17-year-old Heart's Cry has established himself as one of the top stallions in Japan through the exploits of this year's G1 Osaki Hai winner Suave Richard (Jpn), among others and having an international stakes representative like recent GI Turf Classic S. winner Yoshida (Jpn) has raised his profile outside of his homeland. As a result his progeny were in demand and another to star on the day was lot 92. This colt had a reserve of ¥40 million, but when Danox beat off strong competition for the chestnut, the bid board displayed a price of ¥200 million, five times the reserve set by Northern Farm for the son of GI Spinaway S. winner So Many Ways (Sightseeing).

 Pharoah In Demand As Young Sires Make Their Mark…

2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah's first yearlings are likely to be much sought after in America in the coming months if the stallion's sole offering at JRHA is anything to go by. Lot 72, a sturdy colt from Northern Farm out of GI Santa Anita Oaks winner Crisp (El Corredor) was the subject of a flurry of bids before the hammer came down at ¥180 million in favour of Masahiro Noda's Danox Ltd.

“He is a really nice individual,” said Noda. “Being honest we can't yet say if American Paroah's progeny will be particularly suited to racing in Japan, but with this colt's pedigree he can probably race anywhere in the world.”

Just A Way (Jpn) was the highest rated horse in the world in 2014 and he has made a good impression with his first 2-year-old runners in Japan this year. This gave confidence to Tatsuo Tanikake to purchase lot 109, a Just A Way sire colt out of G2 Prix de Royallieu winner Maria Royale (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) for ¥125 million. Dalham Hall resident Golden Horn (GB) enjoyed a glorious season on the track in 2015 and breeders who supported him since will be encouraged when his first yearling offered at auction sold for ¥36 million. The filly, lot 60, was offered by Mishima Farm on behalf of Sheikh Fahad Al Thani out of his Irish stakes winner Pearl Of Africa (Ire) (Jeremy). Another stallion represented by his first yearlings was Kizuna (Jpn) and this son of Deep Impact's 10 catalogued were headed by lot 169 which sold for ¥50 million to Thoroughbred Club Lion Ltd.

The action continues at Northern Horse Park from 10 a.m. on Tuesday when the focus switches to foals.