Cover image courtesy of JRHA
Recent history suggests high-class mares that achieved success racing in Australia, and their progeny, are very popular with the Japanese, and that trend is expected to continue at this year’s Japanese Horse Racing Horse Association (JRHA) Select Sale, especially given the deeds of the brilliant filly Liberty Island (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) - a daughter of Yankee Rose (All American), who was a two-time Group 1 winner in Australia.
Group 1-winning Sale graduates include Admire Mars (Jpn), Admire Moon (Jpn), Daring Tact (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}), Deep Impact (Jpn), Fierce Impact (Jpn), Just A Way (Jpn), King Kamehameha (Jpn), Mikki Isle (Jpn), Titleholder (Jpn), Tosen Stardom (Jpn) and Zenno Rob Roy (Jpn). The majority of these have gone on to become elite-level-producing sires, none more so that the legendary Deep Impact - one of the greatest stallions of all-time.
This year’s catalogue features 231 yearlings (before withdrawals) and 432 foals (before withdrawals), with the majority consigned by Northern Farm and Shadai Farm.
Last year, a yearling colt by Maurice (Jpn) from four-time Australian Group 1 heroine Mosheen (Fastnet Rock) sold for a staggering ¥450,000,000 (AU$4.8 million) - a record for a yearling out of an Australian-bred mare in Japan. The colt was bought by Masahiro Noda of Danox Co. Ltd, who races horses with the ‘Danon’ prefix, such as Danon Fantasy (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Danon Smash (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}).
Melbourne-based Group 1-winning trainer Michael Kent Jnr, who works alongside Mick Price, was on the sale complex last year and he went to ¥60,000,000 (AU$643,500) for Hip 134 - a granddaughter of Mosheen. The yearling filly is by Epiphaneia (Jpn) out of Paronella (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), making her a half-sister to the triple-Group 3 victress Primo Scene (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}).
In addition to progeny by Youngstar, Funstar and Seabrook, this year’s sale features horses out of She Will Reign (Manhattan Rain) and Set Square (Reset), both of who scored in top company in Australia before being exported to Japan.
In terms of stallions, Maurice (Jpn) is well-known to the Australian market, being a shuttler to Arrowfield Stud and the sire of the Group 1 winners Hitotsu and Mazu.
Sydney-based Japanese bloodstock agent, Satomi Oka, who is in Japan for the sale, said the catalogue is ladened with quality and the horses being offered with an Australian flavour will likely be well sought-after.
“The best horses that are bred in Japan are sold at this sale and it has proven to be one of the best sales in the world,” Oka told The Thoroughbred Report.
“The best horses that are bred in Japan are sold at this sale (JRHA Select Sale) and it has proven to be one of the best sales in the world.” - Satomi Oka
“There’s no doubt the high-quality mares from Australia have become increasingly popular, especially after Liberty Island.
Satomi Oka
“Japanese breeders like to import good mares from all over the world, whether that’s Australia, Europe, the US. They are always trying to improve the bloodstock industry.”
Given the extraordinary deeds of the global superstar Equinox (Jpn), Oka expects the progeny of his sire, Kitasan Black (Jpn), to be in high-demand.
“Being the sire of Equinox, Kitasan Black will be very, very popular,” Oka said. “Epiphaneia, Bricks And Mortar and these are the last yearlings by Duramente, so that will be interesting.
“Being the sire of Equinox, Kitasan Black will be very, very popular.” - Satomi Oka
“Maurice throws nice types, so I think they will sell well. He proved himself with less-quality mares.”
Yearlings of interest
Hip 1 is the 2018 G1 Queensland Oaks heroine Youngstar’s first foal. The colt by Kizuna (Jpn) will be offered by Northern Farm.
Youngstar was bought by Northern Farm’s Katsumi Yoshida for $1.4 million from the Middlebrook Valley Lodge consignment at the 2020 Inglis Chairman’s Sale.
The colt boasts a number of top-class performers on his page, including Funstar (Adelaide {GB}), Tofane (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) and No Compromise (NZ) (Pins).
Hip 1 - Kizuna (Jpn) x Youngstar (colt) | Image courtesy of JRHA
“At the Select Sale, they don’t put a reserve price on the first and last lot,” said Oka.
“He will be very popular, I’m sure.
“The colt has very good bloodlines, she was a great mare, and the colt is a really nice type.”
“The colt (Hip 1) has very good bloodlines, she (Youngstar) was a great mare, and the colt is a really nice type.” - Satomi Oka
Another Australian Group 1-winning mare that will feature on Monday is Seabrook. Her Real Steel (Jpn) colt - her first foal - will be offered by Northern Farm as Hip 22.
Seabrook - the winner of the 2018 G1 Champagne S. - was purchased privately by Northern Farm in 2020.
Hip 22 - Real Steel (Jpn) x Seabrook (colt) | Image courtesy of JRHA
The colt is closely related to the stakes winners My Emotion (NZ) (Savabeel) and Aloha (Encosta De Lago). The latter has thrown two stakes winners - Libertini (I Am Invincible) and Hawaii Five Oh (I Am Invincible).
Hip 112 is a filly by Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) from Hana’s Goal (Jpn) (Orewa Matteruze {Jpn}) and she herself travelled to Australia with success, landing the 2014 G1 All Aged S. The filly will be offered by Jingru Xiao.
Hip 112 - Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) x Hana's Goal (Jpn) (filly) | Image courtesy of JRHA
Espinosa (Esperanto {USA}) - the Group 3 Frank Packer Plate scorer of 1994 - hails from this family, as does Benko (Bianconi {USA}) - a two-time winner and stakes performer in Australia.
Foals of interest
Champion Sire Fastnet Rock’s only entry in the sale is Hip 322 - a filly from the Bel Esprit mare Special Flight, who notched three minor placings with Tony Haydon in Queensland before being exported, and is a half-sister to the stakes winners Just James (GB) (Spectrum {Ire}) and Blue Jack (GB) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}). Asrun Co. will present this filly.
Hip 345 is sure to have plenty of admirers, being a filly by Saturnalia (Jpn) from the 2017 G1 Golden Slipper S. and Moir S. heroine She Will Reign. The filly will be consigned by Northern Farm.
She Will Reign - a half-sister to the G2 Silver Slipper S. victor Time To Reign - has thrown the 3-year-old colt Danon Tornado (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}) - a Niigata winner on debut who also placed second in the G2 Kyoto Shimbun Hai at Kyoto. The colt fetched ¥165,000,000 (AU$1.8 million) at this sale in 2021.
Hip 345 - Saturnalia (Jpn) x She Will Reign (filly) | Image courtesy of JRHA
“I haven’t seen this filly yet because he will come onto the sale ground on Tuesday, but She Will Reign has already produced Danon Tornado, who was second in a Group 2, so the filly will probably be popular,” Oka explained.
Hip 441 is Funstar’s first foal and the Kizuna colt is another member of Northern Farm’s huge draft.
Hip 441 - Kizuna (Jpn) x Funstar (colt) | Image courtesy of JRHA
After a brilliant career on the track that featured wins in the 2019 G1 Flight S., the 2019 G2 Tea Rose S. and 2020 G2 Phar Lap S., Funstar made $2.7 million on the Inglis Digital platform in July 2021, with Yoshida again the buyer.
Hip 467 is a filly from Set Square - the 2014 G1 VRC Oaks victress. Since being sold privately to Northern Farm in 2016, she has produced three foals that are racing age and two are winners - Bullet Arch (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}) and Danon Pedro (Jpn) (Satono Diamond {Jpn}).
