Bred To Win

[Horny Harry]

Heart Ruler's First Foal Wins in Japan
http://www.stallions.com.au/images/photos/Danehill.jpg
DANEHILL
COSMO MARSCAY, a strapping three year old colt by Danehill (USA) from Heart Ruler has won his first race in Japan for owners the Okada family of Big Red Farm, taking out a 1200 metre three year old maiden at Sapporo by a length and a half.
Cosmo Marscay is the first foal of talented staying mare Heart Ruler, a narrow winner over Sydney Cup hero Linesman in the 1997 Metropolitan Gr 1. Heart Ruler, by Marscay from Born to Be Queen, was bred and raced by George Altomonte and his wife, before retiring to their Corumbene Stud in 1998.
Cosmo Marscay launched Heart Ruler's commercial breeding career in fine style when he fetched $500,000 at the 2001 Australian Easter Yearling Sale. Her yearling colt by Peintre Celebre (USA) is a big scopey individual and has been entered for Easter next year.
Inglis Updates
By: Racenet - Tuesday, 8 October 2002
Big Red Farm
Shizunai cho
Hokkaido
JAPAN
http://www.ruffian.co.jp/img/urawa.jpg
http://www.ruffian.co.jp/img/mauta.jpg
http://www.ruffian.co.jp/img/cosmo.jpg
http://www.ruffian.co.jp/img/meiwa.jpg

[Horny Harry]

FUJI KISEKI
http://www.stallions.com.au/images/photos/Fuji_Kiseki.jpg
http://www.stallions.com.au/images/race.jpg
Age Starts Wins Seconds Thirds
2 3 3 - -
3 1 1 - -
4 4 - -
Stakes won: JPY 120,650,000
1st Asahi Hai Sansai 2YO Stakes-JpnG1, Nakayama (1600m)
Hochi Hai Yayoi-Sho-JpnG2, Kyoto (2000m)
Miniji Stakes, Hanshin (1600m)
Newcomer Stakes, Niigata (1200m)
Undefeated Champion 2YO in Japan
http://www.stallions.com.au/images/latest.jpg
October 6, 2002.
Fuji Dancer (ex Dancer's Glory by Danzatore) finished second in the G2 Edward Manifold Stakes (1620m) at Flemington on Saturday, October 5.
Fuji Dancer settled well back in the field with the speed slowing mid-race. As the field rounded the turn Fuji Dancer unleased a great run from the tail of the field to just go under to Coupe (Spinning World - Kingston Coup) by the barest margin. Coupe had enjoyed a trouble free run on the speed.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
September 8, 2002.
Fuji Belle (ex Belle Denise by Bellotto) made it back-to-back victories with her win in the Cadbury Confectionery Class 1 Handicap over 1800 metres at the Gold Coast on Saturday September 7, 2002.
Fuji Belle scored by a long neck from Obrigado (Flying Spur - Astute Angel) with Pekay Pete (Shalford - Unrest), 1-3/4 lengths further back in third.
In the meantime on the same day in Victoria, Fuji Dancer (ex Dancer's Glory by Danzatore), finished third in a dead heat with Frightening (Langfuhr - Nassabelle), in the Drumstick Royale Plate over 1400 metres at Flemington.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
September 2, 2002
Two-year-old dark brown filly Wana (ex Meronpan by Theatrical) won the Niigata Nisai Stakes Jpn-G3 at Niigata racecourse over 1600 metres on the turf on Saturday August 31, 2002.
Wana was stepping out in her second lifetime start and to emphasise the fillies ability her victory created a new course record with the slick time of 1-33.80. She will more than likely start in the Himba Stakes Jpn-G1, the only Group One race for two-year-old fillies in Japan.
Meronpan is a half sister to My First Star (Caerleon) who produced the VRC Newmarket Handicap and Lightning Stakes (G1) winner Isca (Rory's Jester), the AJC Adrian Knox Stakes (G3) winner Star Alight (Kenmare) along with the VATC Debutant Stakes (LR) winner Slapstick (Rory's Jester).
Fuji Kiseki is currently in fifth place on the leading sires list in Japan.
Fuji Kiseki JPN
Sunday Silence-Millracer {Le Fabuleux}
Service Fee
$24,750 inc GST
http://www.arrowfield.com.au/stallion-images/fujihead.gif

[Horny Harry]

Two existing stakeswinning Arrowfield graduates had near misses in stakes company on the weekend.
Fouardee was a close up third in the Gr.3 The Shorts having already won the Gr.3 Concorde Stakes this season while Fuji Dancer went down by the shortest of margins in the Gr.2 Edward Manifold Stakes at Flemington.
Fuji Dancer is by Fuji Kiseki out of the well-related Danzatore mare Dancer’s Choice, a winning half sister to Sovereign Red, Gurner’s Lane, and Trichelle.
Fuji Dancer came from second last on the turn in what was a slowly run race and reeled off a 33.53 seconds last 600m to just fail catching the winner who had sat on the pace. Given her pedigree and her slashing run in the Edward Manifold, her trainer David Racovolis understandably has the VRC Oaks targeted for this filly.

[imaufo]

Coolmore Stud’s English Two Thousand Guineas (G1) winner King Of Kings will be leased to East Stud, Japan in 2003. He will be accompanied by the veteran stallion Southern Halo, the leading sire in Argentina for the past eight seasons, who will stand the 2003 season at Arrow Stud.
http://www.racenet.com.au/breeding/news_images/KingOfKings2.jpg
KING OF KINGS
A half brother to the ill-fated General Monash, King Of Kings is a striking son of legendry stallion Sadler’s Wells out of the Habitat mare Zummerudd. His oldest Australian progeny are three-year olds. From 43 runners King Of Kings has sired 14 winners with earnings of $353,850. His 7 winners from 37 runners in the northern hemisphere include Prestige Stakes (G3) winner Geminiani, who is undefeated in two starts.
King Of Kings and Southern Halo stand at Ashford Stud, Kentucky and will follow the same path of previous Coolmore stallions Thunder Gulch, Spinning World, Last Tycoon, Hennessy, Danehill, and Royal Academy, which have all spent at least one season in Japan.
By: Mark Smith - Friday, 8 November 2002

[Handy Harry]

Appare Appare began his year with a second in an 1800m maiden at Kyoto on January 12. At years end the son of former shuttle stallion Bubble Gum Fellow has registered four wins and over A$1.1 million, highlighted by a season ending 2-lengths win in the Group 2 Nagoya Grand Prix at Japan’s Nagoya Racecourse on December 22.


BUBBLE GUM FELLOW


It also completed a top year for Bubble Gum Fellow who looks likely to finish second to Fusaichi Concorde (Caerleon) on the second season sires list in Japan.

A day before Appare Appare’s win at Nagoya, two-year old colt That’s The Plenty stormed home to win the Group 3 Radio Tampa Hai Nisai Stakes over 2000m at Hanshin. The four-lengths victory was the first stakes win and the second win overall from three starts for That’s The Plenty, which finished runner-up in the Kyoto Nisai Stakes on November 23. One of the favourites for next years Classics That’s The Plenty is closely related to Bubble Gum Fellow (Sunday Silence).. That’s The Plenty is a son of Sunday Silence’s champion son Dance in the Dark out of Bubble Gum Fellow’s half sister Bubble Prospector (Miswaki).

The continuing success of Bubble Gum Fellow in Japan and the New Zealand stakes win of Rockabubble from his first Australian conceived crop should put the spotlight firmly on the excellent draft of 13 yearlings by the triple Group 1 winner at the Premier Yearling Sale on the 10th, 11th and 13th of February.

The yearlings by Bubble Gum Fellow include:
Lot 34 Black filly, half-sister to the mighty midget Noircir (Bueaucracy) the winner of 9 races and over $500,000 including the VRC Hardy Brothers Classic (G2).
Lot 98 Brown filly, the third foal of the BTC Coca Cola Classic (G3) winner Sardana (Zeditave).

Lot 136 Chestnut colt, half-brother to 3 winners out of the VRC Dalgety Bloodstock Stakes (LR) winner Star Of Tristram (Military Plume) a half-sister to stakes winners Star Pyramul and Varikos.
Lot 187 Bay colt, the first foal of the crackerjack racemare Vonanne (Creese) winner of 10 races and over $480,000 including the VATC J.J. Liston Stakes (G2), MVRC Diamond Jubilee Stakes (G2) and VATC Easter Cup (G3). Vonanne is a sister to the prolific winning, stakes placed mare Ciao Baby, which will also be represented by her first foal at the sale, a colt by Perugino.
Lot 518 Chestnut filly, third foal of the VRC Let’s Elope Stakes (LR) winner Amuse Us.


By: Mark Smith - Thursday, 26 December 2002

[imaufo]

Future generations will probably divide Japanese racing during the period spanning the end of the 20th century to the beginning of the 21st into before and after Sunday Silence. U.S.-bred stallion Sunday Silence (by Halo, USA, out of Wishing Well, USA), who ended his days on August 19 at the age of 16, had a spirit that forcibly impacted the parameters of horse racing in Japan. How will his absence effect Japanese racing?

.http://www.jair.jrao.ne.jp/library/journal/v10n5/photo_07.jpg
Manhatten Cafe by Sunday Silence

Sunday Silence and the Shadai Group which managed him brought the "theory of numbers" to the racehorse breeding industry. After turning stud in 1991 in Japan, he covered an amazing 1,688 mares by the end of 2001. He was still in service until this May, and ended up covering a total of more than 1,800 mares before he died. By how much does this number out-distance the rest? China Rock (GB, by Rockefella, GB), sire of Haiseiko and Takeshiba O, among others, serviced 1,385 mares in 22 years of stud service between the ages of 8 and 29. His spirit elicited wonder at the time. Northern Taste (CAN, Northern Dancer, CAN), standard bearer for the Shadai Group before Sunday, serviced 1,594 mares in 24 years, from age 5 to 28. His offspring had JRA victories every year from 1979.

Northern Taste had his highest number of coverings, 98, in 1982, and never broke 100 within a year. In Sunday's case, however, his first triple-digit year came with 118 in 1994, quickly growing to 142 in 1995, and then followed by 183, 171, 185, 199, 197 and 224. It was as if there were no limit. This high volume mounting undoubtedly would not have been possible without the advances in techniques for improving the live foal ratio. Sunday Silence had 1,215 registered foals up to 2000, actually impregnating 83.7 percent of the mares he serviced. Northern Taste had 1,008 registered offspring and a live foal ratio of 63.2 percent. A broodmares' physical condition is scrupulously supervised and efforts are made to ensure the timing is right for easy impregnation. Reducing the number of wasted attempts also reduces the burden on stallions, and enables high volume service. This 20 percent disparity may indeed be the dynamic underlying the current Shadai empire.

http://www.jair.jrao.ne.jp/library/journal/v10n5/photo_03.jpg

Fuji Keseki

From GI winners such as Fuji Kiseki and Dance in the Dark to unraced Eishin Sunday, 46 of Sunday's progeny are currently carrying out stud duty. The 33 stallions in service last year covered a total of 2,107 mares. This year alone, 13 of his offspring have begun standing.

The new group -- which includes Agnes Tachyon, Black Tuxedo and Stay Gold -- is also popular and each has had more than 150 coverings, a pace that could reach 3,000 this year, one-quarter of the approximately 12,000 mares that were serviced last year. Considering that 600 fillies were also born among Sunday's progeny, an extraordinary situation in which around 30 percent of the thoroughbreds born in Japan this year will be his descendants is in the making. There are concerns about "bloodline saturation," previously noted by pedigree analyst Joji Yoshizawa. Overall, bloodhorse breeding has been declining in Japan and if the concentration on a single bloodline continues within the narrow foundations of breeding, the extent of the damage that will occur is hard to envision.

I have proposed for some time now that the only way to avoid this sort of situation is to sell Sunday's progeny overseas for stud service. However, contrary to the saturation in Japan, no stallions have been sold in Europe or the U.S., even though there is shuttle service for the Southern Hemisphere. There may be two reasons for this -- first, very few of Sunday's progeny have campaigned overseas and, second, there have been few stallions with appeal overseas as well and scant merit in exchanging them for Sunday's offspring.

Dance Partner was the first of Sunday's offspring to go overseas in 1995, and until Air Shakur some five years later, they ended up only running in Japan. JRA's large purses have deprived people involved in horse racing of the motivation to create horses that could become sires overseas. El Condor Pasa's owner Takashi Watanabe was the unique exception, and although he was unable to achieve it after all, he seriously pursued breeding horses for stud service in the U.S.

However, currently the environment is such that even large investments can be fully recovered by putting Sunday progeny that have won GI races out to stud. This has created a situation in which Sunday offspring have fenced in Japan, both in racing and breeding. This is the harmful outcome of Japanese racing inflation, in which both purses and the prices of horses are high. Shadai Farm's Teruya Yoshida made the point early on that Sunday was the top stallion in the world. Viewed from the potential he showed in Japan, that was no exaggeration. However, it is also undeniable that his progeny have yet to establish records internationally that are equivalent to the "best in the world."

http://www.jair.jrao.ne.jp/library/journal/v10n5/photo_04.jpg
Special Week winner of the 1998 Japanese Derby and the 1999 Japan Cup (by Sunday Silence, out of Campaign Girl)(Photo by J.Fukuda)


Overseas, Japan has been criticized as the "graveyard of top horses," meaning that, as if it were a black hole, information concerning the progeny of horses exported to Japan has never been transmitted to Europe or the U.S., including their racing results and whereabouts. In his own work, the late Masato Sato, a JRA Equine Cultural Award recipient, also issued the refutation that they had been sold because they had been deemed not needed. There were similar circumstances with Sunday. A syndicate seeking $10 million in 40 lots of $250,000 received no more than three subscriptions. Since the sales price to Japan was $15 million, it was a good deal from the Americans' standpoint.

The American breeding industry probably now bitterly regrets that mistake. Saying "if" is prohibited in history, but if Sunday had been able to win approval befitting his capabilities in the U.S., it is possible that his pedigree would be spread around the world by now, similar to Northern Dancer (CAN, by Nearctic, CAN) and Mr. Prospector (USA, by Raise a Native, USA). In view of his low valuation at the time, the possibility of failure due to poor pairings cannot be denied. But if he had succeeded, his progeny would surely have come to Japan.

In that sense, Japan's breeding industry ended up monopolizing what Sunday had to offer. Frankly, while on the one hand Sunday's offspring certainly convey the high potential of their father, one has the impression that there were many horses that were like miniaturized reproductions. Silence Suzuka and Agnes Tachyon have both been exceptions and expectations rest on the surviving Agnes Tachyon as a sire. Whatever the case, unless one of Sunday's surviving sires contributes to world racing or horse breeding, the "graveyard" theory will continue, although with a somewhat different nuance.

Even so, Sunday had 180 registered offspring the year before last. Even at an average of 40 millionYEN per horse, this would mean 7.2 billionYEN dropped into the breeding industry. Breeding output that year was at the 43 billionYEN level, so one can appreciate the importance of the proportion. These monies were probably channeled in three directions: Brian's Time (USA, by Roberto, USA) and other Japan-bred horses, foreign-bred horses, or they were completely withdrawn from horse racing. The first two options fall far short of the brand name power possessed by Sunday's offspring. In the final analysis, the most realistic scenario is that investment monies will fall considerably.

In global terms as well, as a stallion who had become a central axis is now missing, the breeding industry will be faced with difficult questions from 2004 when no more Sunday offspring will be born. This poses the risk of entering into an unstoppable downward spiral

[imaufo]

by John P. Sparkman

IN THE 1960s and ‘70s, the running joke in English breeding and racing circles was that a surefire way to ensure that a less than successful stallion would produce a champion was to sell him to Japan. As the English breeding industry struggled to compete on the worldwide stage, breeders often seemed to shoot themselves in the foot by selling subsequently successful stallions too soon.

That method of operation seems to have been co-opted to a degree by American stud masters in the 1990s. Pressure of high bids from Japan, coupled with demands for immediate success from the commercial breeding industry, led to the premature export of such horses as French Deputy and 2002 leading sire Dehere.

Dehere was sold to Japan in 1999, when his first crop was only three years old, and sure enough since then his success rate on both the American and the international scene has risen sharply. After a successful year in 2001, when he was ninth on the general sire list, Dehere soared all the way to the top of the list in 2002.


http://www.stallions.com.au/images/photos/Dehere.jpg

Stakes won: $723,712

1st Champagne Stakes-G1, Belmont Park (8f)

Hopeful Stakes-G1, Saratoga (6.5f)

Fountain of Youth S-G2, Gulfstream Park (8.5f)

Saratoga Special Stakes-G2, Saratoga (6f)

Sanford Stakes-G3, Saratoga (6f)

2nd Futurity Stakes-G1, Belmont Park (7f)

Champion 2YO Colt in USA


The son of Deputy Minister sired 126 winners from 275 starters in the 13 countries for which the Jockey Club Information Systems receives complete racing data for earnings of $8,099,500. Those 126 winners included 13 stakes winners, led by Take Charge Lady, a finalist for an Eclipse Award as champion three-year-old filly.

Dehere’s total is the seventh highest in American history, and he becomes the eighth member of the Northern Dancer line to lead the American sire list. The Northern Dancer tribe has led the American sire list in each of the last eight seasons and 11 out of the last 12, a sequence interrupted only by Broad Brush in 1994.

Heir to the line

Bred in Kentucky by Robert Brennan’s Due Process Stable, Dehere is by two-time leading sire Deputy Minister out of Sister Dot, by Secretariat. Dehere is the 22nd leading American sire to be sired by a prior leading sire.

Dehere, who was trained by Reynaldo Nobles, won five of seven starts as a two-year-old in 1993, capturing the Champagne (G1), Hopeful (G1), Saratoga Special (G2), and Sanford (G3) Stakes. Though beaten by Holy Bull in the Futurity Stakes (G1) and finishing unplaced in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), Dehere won champion two-year-old honors. He raced only twice at three, winning the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) before fracturing his right hind cannon bone in a workout, forcing his retirement to stud with a record of six wins in nine starts for earnings of $723,712.

Dehere retired to Ashford Stud near Versailles, Kentucky, for the 1995 season with a lot to recommend him. He was the first champion son of Deputy Minister, a stallion who established his credentials through champion fillies Open Mind and Go for Wand. Dehere was also a very handsome, correct horse, though perhaps a little light of bone, and his immediate pedigree was certainly good enough.

His dam, Sister Dot, by 1992 leading broodmare sire Secretariat, won four races and $101,406, and placed in minor stakes. Her dam, Sword Game, by Damascus, was a full sister to Diabolo, winner of the 1975 California Derby (G2) and ‘74 Del Mar Futurity (G2).

Although Diabolo had failed at stud and the nether reaches of his pedigree were somewhat unorthodox, Dehere was one of the most eagerly sought young stallions of his generation. His first crop of 43 yearlings sold at auction in 1997 averaged $132,394, listing him as third among first-year sires that year.

Slow start

When Dehere’s first crop of two-year-olds reached the races in 1998, the double-edged sword of expectation, coupled with the pressure of large crops of foals, began to work against his reputation. In the contemporary commercial environment, young stallions, especially those with large crops of foals, must impress breeders with their first crops or they are quickly--often much too quickly--judged as failures.

Thirty-seven of Dehere’s 81 first-crop North American foals raced at two in 1998 and 15 of them won, including Laurel Futurity (G3) winner Millions and stakes winner Arrested Dreams, but that was overshadowed by the sensational first crop of leading freshman sire End Sweep. Dehere’s first crop eventually included only four stakes winners, not enough to satisfy the breeding industry.

Dehere’s second crop, foals of 1997, did better, but it was already too late. Midway through Dehere’s annual Southern Hemisphere sojourn at Coolmore Australia in 1999, it was announced that he had been sold for a reported $9-million to the Japan Bloodhorse Breeders’ Association to stand at Shizunai Stallion Station in Hokkaido.

Naturally, Graeme Hall demonstrated Dehere’s possibilities by winning the Arkansas Derby (G2) early in 1999, and Dehere’s record has improved steadily since then.

His progress has been helped along by his annual trips to cover mares in Australia, where he has sired ten of his 43 stakes winners to date, including champion Australian three-year-old filly Belle du Jour and Group 1 winner Defier.

Defier is one of 13 stakes winners of 2002 by Dehere, contributing $533,274 to his total through three group stakes wins in 2002, including the George Main Stakes (Aus-G1).

The stallion’s biggest star of 2002, however, was doubtless Take Charge Lady, who earned $1,388,635 for six victories in ten starts for trainer Ken McPeek, including the Ashland (G1) and Overbrook Spinster (G1) Stakes.

Three-year-old colt Finality, winner of the Jamaica Handicap (G2), and juvenile colt Soto also contributed graded wins. Easyfromthegitgo was one of the year’s toughest three-year-olds, earning $606,905, and two-year-old Outta Here captured one of the biggest juvenile purses, the $500,000 Delta Jackpot Stakes.

Foreign and domestic

The performances of Dehere’s foreign-based runners clearly put him over the top. He ranked slightly behind El Prado (Ire) on the earnings of his North American runners only.

Dehere’s last American-sired foals are three-year-olds of 2003, so his prominence in North America will wane in a few years, though, for the foreseeable future, earnings of his Japanese and Australian runners are likely to keep him high on the list. To date, Dehere has sired 43 career stakes winners (6.3%) from 679 foals three-year-olds and older. Given the large crops he has sired in America and Australia, his totals are bound to climb sharply, though his percentage of stakes winners does not mark him as a great sire, and he has yet to sire an American champion.

Take Charge Lady might do so this year, however, and his undefeated son Soto is reported to be highly regarded by trainer Michael Dickinson.

Although exported prematurely, Dehere has proven his merit too late for impatient American breeders to take full advantage of his potential.

[Handy Harry]

ELIZA PARK has added the exciting stallion prospect Grass Wonder (USA) to the stud's stallion roster for this year¹s breeding season.

http://www.shadaitc.co.jp/information/outline/sutarion/shuboba/images/GrassWonder.jpg

Grass Wonder, who will be standing in conjunction with Japan's Shadai Stallion Station, was an outstanding racehorse with nine wins, seven in Group races on turf, and a second from his 15 outings for prizewinnings equivalent to $US5,987,405.

His most important success was in the Saahi Hai Sansai Stakes-Gr.1 (1600m), Japan's "Golden Slipper", in which he defeating the topflight performers Agnes World and Meiner Love in course record time of 1:33.6.

Grass Wonder's victories also featured the Keisei Hai Sansai Stakes-Gr.2 (1400m), which he won by six lengths in 1:21.9.

Foaled in 1995, Grass Wonder is by Silver Hawk, who is the sire of winners of more than $A42m including 15 Gr.1 winners and 65 stakeswinners. Foremost amongst them, in addition to Grass Wonder, are Mutafaweq, Hawkster, Memories of Silver, Benny the Dip, Silver Ending, Hawk Attack, Wonder Again, Devil River Peek, Zoonaqua, Red Bishop, Lady in Silver, Magnificent Star, Albarahin, Silver Wizard and Mubtaker.

http://www.h5.dion.ne.jp/~uma-squ/nh_image/takaraduka22.jpg

15 starts, 9 wins 1 seconds 0 thirds in Japan.

Won: 1997 Asahi Hai 2yo Stakes(G1,turf1600m), 1998 Arima Kinen(G1,turf2500m),
1999 Takarazuka Kinen(G1,turf2200m), 1999 Arima Kinen(G1,turf2500m),
1999 Mainichi Okan(G2,turf1800m), 1997 Keisei Hai 2yo Stakes(G2,turf1400m),
1999 Keio Hai Spring Cup(G2)
2nd: 1999 Yasuda Kinen(G1,turf1600m)
3rd:

1997 Best Two-year-old Colt.
1999 Special Award.


His dam Ameriflora (USA) is by Danzig. Although unraced Ameriflora has also produced Wonder Again, a sister to Grass Wonder, whose four wins in succession last year were highlighted by her triumph in the Belmont Garden City Breeders' Cup-Gr.1 and the Saratoga Lake Placid Handicap-Gr.2. Importantly, from an Australian viewpoint, both Wonder Again's Group victories were scored on turf.

Ameriflora is in turn from Graceful Touch, by His Majesty who significantly is the sire of Danehill's dam. That makes Ameriflora a sister to the high class performer Tribulation and a half-sister to the very capable Graceful Derby.

Tribulation won the Keeneland Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup-Gr.1, Pimlico Gallorette Handicap-Gr.3 and Meadowlands Boiling Springs Handicap-Gr.3 while Graceful Darby won four times at Gr.3 level.

In addition Champion United States mare of 1980 Glorious Song, US Champion Turf Horse of 1996 and four-time Gr.1 winner Singspiel and 1983 US Champion Two-Year-Old Colt Devil¹s Bag appear in Grass Wonder¹s pedigree through his fourth dam Soaring.

By Graeme Kelly

http://www3.vc-net.ne.jp/~omata/grass/top.jpg

[Handy Harry]

Following the pleasing response from breeders to the top-class Japanese sprinter Black Hawk (Nureyev) Eliza Park Stud will launch the Australian career of Japan’s Champion two-year old of 1997, Grass Wonder (USA), which will shuttle from Japan’s Shadai Stallion Station in 2003.

A $250,000 purchase at the 1996 Keeneland September Yearling Sale Grass Wonder (USA) is a son of the international stud success Silver Hawk (Roberto) whose progeny earnings of $A42m include 15 Group 1 winners and 65 stakeswinners. His son Benny The Dip was named Champion 3yo colt in England where his wins included the Epsom Derby. Other notable racehorses by Silver Hawk include St Leger (G1) winner Mutafaweq, Secretariat Stakes (G1) winner Hawkster, Beverley D. Stakes (G1) winner Memories of Silver, Pegasus H. (G1) winner Silver Ending, Secretariat Stakes (G1) winner Hawk Attack, , Oak Leaf Stakes (G1) winner Zoonaqua, San Juan Capistrano H. (G1) winner Red Bishop, French oaks (G1) winner Lady In Silver, and Yorkshire Oaks (G1) winner Magnificent Star.

Grass Wonder (USA) is a full brother to last years Garden City Breeders’ Cup Handicap (G1) and Lake Placid Handicap (G2) winner Wonder Again. His dam, the unraced Danzig mare Ameriflora, is a sister to Keeneland Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) winner Tribulation and a half sister to multiple stakes winner Graceful Derby the winner of 8 races and over $418,000.

Ameriflora’s dam Graceful Touch (His Majesty) is a three-quarter sister-in-blood to Monmouth H. (G1) winner Mehmet the winner of 9 races and over US$718,000. Graceful Touch is a daughter of Pi Phi Gal (Raise A Native) a half sister to Ashland Stakes winner Miss Swapsco (Cohoes) the dam of Fairview Park Stud’s Jan Murray (Storm Bird) and a minor winner named Ballade (Herbager) who earned fame as the dam of Champion Two-Year Old colt Devil’s Bag (Halo), the ill fated top class stallion Saint Ballado (Halo) and the Canadian Horse Of the Year Glorious Song (Halo) the dam of Darley Stud’s champions Singspiel (In The Wings), prominent U.S. based stallion Rahy (Blushing Groom), leading South African based stallion Rakeen (Northern Dancer) and Westminster Stud’s former prolific winner getter Rivotious (Riverman).

In a magnificent career on the racetrack Grass Wonder (USA) started 15 times for 9 wins and one second with earnings the equivalent of $US5,987,405. He was named Champion Two-Year Old in Japan in 1997 after victories including the Asahi Hai 2yo Stakes(G1)on turf over 1600m at Nakayama where he defeated the following seasons Sprinters Stakes (G1) winner Meiners Love (Seeking The Gold (USA)) by 2 1/2-lengths in course record time with Widden Stud’s high-class Agnes World (Danzig) another 4-legths back in fourth place. In his juvenile year Grass Wonder (USA) was also a 6-lengths winner of the Group 2 Keisei Hai Sansai Stakes.

As a three-year old Grass Wonder (USA) won the Group 1 Arima Kinen over 2500m at the expense of Group 1 winner Mejiro Bright who was named that season as Japan’s Best horse by a homebred sire. In third place was Stay Gold a regally bred son of Sunday Silence who was to later earn fame as the winner of the Dubai Sheema Classic (G2) defeating Darley Stud’s world champion Fantastic Light, with Silvano, Give The Slip, Daliapour, Catiano and Mutafaweq left in his wake. Stay Gold then ventured to Hong Kong to win the Group 1 Hong Kong Vase.

Grass Wonder (USA) stamped the seal on a great career in his final year on the track as a 4yo. That season he earned the prestigious Special Award following wins in the Group 1 Takarazuka Kinen(2200m), Group 1 Arima Kinen(2500m), Group 2 Keio Hai Spring Cup (1400)and Group 2 Mainichi Okan(1800m).

Once again Grass Wonder (USA) added some pretty impressive scalps to his belt. In the Takarazuka Kinen he defeated the multiple Group 1 winner Special Week, the Japan Cup winning son of Sunday Silence, by 3-lengths with Stay Gold 7-lengths back in third place. In the Arima Kinen he again nosed out Special Week with the superstar T.M. Opera O, Japanese Horse Of The Year in 2000, a neck back in third place. In the Keio Hai Spring Cup over 1400m Grass Wonder was too strong for Air Jihad who was that season named Japan’s Champion Sprinter or Miler.
Grass Wonder (USA) had Midnight Bet 6-lengths astern in the Mainichi Okan. The previous year Midnight Bet gave an international field a hiding in the Hong Kong International Cup (G2). The race was particularly significant for Eliza Park as the runner-up Johan Cruyff (Danehill (USA)) and the sixth placed Northern Drake (Varick (USA)) both reside at the progressive Victorian stud.

There is no doubt Grass Wonder was a world-class racehorse. With the Roberto sireline receiving renewed credibility in the region through the efforts of Red Ransom (USA), Grass Wonder is a welcome addition to the Victorian stallion ranks in 2003.



By: Mark Smith - Tuesday, 25 February 2003

[Handy Harry]

By GLENYE CAIN

http://a1112.g.akamai.net/f/1112/492/7D/www.wired.com/news/reuters/photos/images/mdf166325.jpg

No Sex please, were American!

War Emblem's story line seemed preposterous, even for some of the soap operas produced in the town where he claimed his award.

On Sept. 8, War Emblem was set to make his debut in the third race at Arlington Park, just outside Chicago. He got only as far as the paddock, where he tossed jockey Alfredo Javier against a wooden post before running 300 yards over a horsepath back to his barn and missed the race.

“A character all right,” says former owner Russell Reineman, who was watching his colt for the first time when the events unfolded. “Very hard to handle, but I never expected that.”

It was another month before War Emblem made it to the track. He went wire-to-wire and won by 1 3/4 lengths, but it was far from smooth sailing to the top.

Through victories in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, he's been one tough hombre to handle — throwing riders, biting hotwalkers and chomping on outriders' ponies.

At Churchill Downs, he charged two hotwalkers the morning he was shipped to Baltimore for the Preakness. After winning the second leg of the Triple Crown, War Emblem took a bite of the pony escorting him to the winner's circle.

“He's an ornery one,” says Bob Baffert, who took over as War Emblem's trainer three weeks before the Derby. “We've gotten him to relax more, but you can't turn your back on that dude.”

The tough-guy routine started a few months after War Emblem left the 45-acre spread he roamed at Nukols Farm with 10 other yearlings. Born on Feb. 20, 1999, the son of moderately successful Our Emblem, out of Sweetest Lady, Kentucky was his home for nearly 21 months.

He arrived at Webb Carroll's Training Center in St. Matthews, S.C., on Nov. 2, 2000. The center prepares horses for the races — it's where they are saddled for the first time, learn to wear a bridle, carry a rider and gallop around a track.

All went routinely until War Emblem's six-month stay was nearly over. “That's when he woke up and became a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed little boy,” says Carroll. “It was never mean, ugly or hateful. He was just rambunctious, hard to handle, beginning to feel stronger. A mind of his own. Those are characteristics of a good horse, one with a lot of heart.”

In his second start, also at Arlington Park, War Emblem tried a mile on the turf on Oct. 20 and finished seventh, 17 1/2 lengths behind the winner. At the Fair Grounds in New Orleans, he won his final 2-year-old race, a $32,000 allowance on Nov. 23.

That's when folks began to notice, and 84-year-old Reineman was ready to sell, his Chicago-based steel company struggling financially. His asking price was a reported $600,000 — a far cry from the 2000 Keeneland yearling sales, when Reineman tried to sell but no bidders were willing to pay the $20,000 minimum asking price.

Trainer Elliott Walden was among the first to nip, especially after Springer told him War Emblem was a powerhouse-in-the-making. But Walden's veterinarian found a bone chip in each front ankle and one of the front knees, and Walden passed.

A few weeks later, trainer John Ward, who saddled 2001 Derby winner Monarchos, took a look for owner John Oxley. Ward also was worried about the chips, so he passed, too. Oxley later paid $1 million for Booklet, who skipped the Derby and finished 12th in the Preakness.

The buzz about War Emblem died down somewhat after the colt opened his 3-year-old campaign with losses in the Lecomte and Risen Star at the Fair Grounds.

Carroll says War Emblem's lack of focus may have had something to do with the poor performances in New Orleans. “He probably still wasn't ready to pay attention all the time,” Carroll says.

War Emblem returned to Illinois, this time to Sportsman's Park, and buried the opposition with a 10 3/4-length win in an allowance race on March 17. “That's when he made a great impression on me,” Reineman says. “We knew he had ability, but how much we didn't really know.”

Then came the Illinois Derby on April 6. Baffert was watching the simulcast from the paddock at Santa Anita, with his final Kentucky Derby hope, Danthebluegrassman, about to finish last in the Santa Anita Derby; and Saudi Prince Ahmed bin Salman tuned in from Saudi Arabia.

After War Emblem went wire-to-wire and beat top Derby prospect Repent by four lengths, Baffert's reaction was: “Wow!” Once Springer then announced War Emblem would skip the Derby and race next in the Preakness. Baffert and Salman jumped. Baffert talked with Richard Mulhall, racing manager for Salman's The Thoroughbred Corp. Their thoughts were the same: “Can we buy him?”

A sales agent then called Baffert and asked if he'd be interested. Five days after the Illinois Derby — on April 11 — Salman bought 90 percent of War Emblem for $900,000 and sent him to Baffert's Barn 33 at Churchill Downs. Baffert and Springer spoke by phone, and the new trainer found out what the old trainer already knew. “He's one tough horse to deal with,” Baffert says Springer told him. “I just know that when I got War Emblem, he looked great.”

Two months later, War Emblem was on the verge of racing history. “No matter how far you go, he keeps on running and finishes very strong,” said jockey Victor Espinoza at the time, who first set eyes on War Emblem at the Kentucky Derby. “He has unbelievable power.”

For War Emblem, the dream was over at the start. One stumbling stride out of the gate, and his quest to become the 12th Triple Crown winner already had become the wrong kind of history. Bob Baffert had said fate owed him a sweep of the classics, but destiny had a message for him: tough luck again, white-haired wise guy. Maybe next time.


Jockey Edgar Prado celebrate after riding Sarava to victory in the Belmont. On this strange day at Belmont Park, an ignored longshot named Sarava suddenly became the anointed one of the racing gods. Trainer Kenny McPeek couldn't get to the Derby with Repent and couldn't hit the board in Louisville or Baltimore with Harlan's Holiday, so he sent his third-stringer to the Belmont. Sarava, ridden by Edgar Prado, blew away logic and stunned a record crowd of 103,222 by outfighting Medaglia d'Oro down the stretch and gutting out a half-length victory at the insane odds of 70-1. His win payoff of $142.50 was the biggest in the 134 runnings of "The Test of the Champion."

"I am pinching myself, of course," McPeek said. "Who wouldn't at 70-1?"

War Emblem was purchased by new owners just three weeks before the Kentucky Derby, which he won as a 20-1 longshot. Two weeks later, he added the Preakness Stakes.

He stumbled badly at the start of the Belmont Stakes, losing his chance to become the 12th Triple Crown winner and the first since Affirmed in 1978. His owner, Prince Ahmed bin Salman, died of a heart attack in July. He was syndicated at year's end and was sent to stud duty in Japan upon his retirement. Russell Reineman, who sold War Emblem following his victory in the Illinois Derby, and the heirs of Prince Ahmed, who raced as The Thoroughbred Corporation, squabbled over the distribution of a $1 million bonus earned for sweeping the Illinois Derby and Kentucky Derby.


http://www.drf.com/crown2002/belmont/images/sarava_200x308.jpg
The sweet smell of victory: Sarava was still enjoying his blanket of white carnations Sunday morning at Belmont.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - When Shadai Stallion Station in Japan bought 2002 Kentucky Derby winner War Emblem for more than $17 million last year, it looked like a good investment in a champion 3-year-old and classic winner. But making the deal may have been the easiest part for Shadai, which so far hasn't been able to convince War Emblem to actually mate with most of the mares presented to him.

http://images.usatoday.com/sports/horses/2002triplecrown/_photos/2002-05-18-war-emblem2.jpg
Jockey Victor Espinoza strikes a familiar pose after guiding War Emblem to victory in the Preakness

War Emblem, a notoriously aggressive colt during his racing career for the late Prince Ahmed Salman's The Thoroughbred Corporation, apparently has little interest in the mares. His difficulty, first reported online Tuesday by The Blood-Horse, does not involve a fertility problem but stems from a lack of libido.

War Emblem, a 4-year-old by Our Emblem, covered his first mare on March 9, nearly a month after the breeding shed opened, and has covered only five mares since then. The farm has booked about 200 mares to War Emblem this year.

http://images.usatoday.com/sports/gallery/2002preakness/2002-05-18-fourth-turn.jpg

A Shadai representative declined to comment on War Emblem's status.

But the farm is in negotiations with its insurer in an attempt to recoup some of its investment in the stallion. It is not clear what the horse's future would be if his owners in Japan are able to reach a settlement, but it is usual practice for insurers to take ownership after paying out a claim on a horse.

One potential complication in War Emblem's case is the fact that his problem does not stem from infertility, a condition that is routinely covered by insurance. Libido problems, according to Lexington-area equine insurers, are not usually written into policies, which more often require certification by two vets that a stallion is "infertile, impotent, or incapable of covering mares due to accident, sickness, or disease."

http://images.usatoday.com/sports/gallery/2002preakness/2002-05-18-finish.jpg

War Emblem's low libido is the latest bad news for the farm, owned by the Yoshida family. Last year, three of Shadai's stallions died, seriously depleting what had been the most impressive stallion roster in Japan. Sunday Silence, the 1989 Horse of the Year and legendary Japanese sire, died in August, following the deaths of El Condor Pasa and End Sweep, both considered highly promising young sires.

Libido problems are not unheard of in young stallions, although experts agree that it is unusual for such issues to linger. Lack of interest can trace to physical pain or illness, a change in environment, or simply a horse's youth and inexperience.

http://images.usatoday.com/sports/gallery/2002preakness/2002-05-18-classic.jpg

"The first questions you ask in this kind of case are 'Is he sore? Is he hurt? Does it hurt him to stand on his hind legs? Does he have a bladder infection, for example, that's making a urethra painful?'" said Steve Johnson, the president of Margaux farm.

But lack of libido can also stem from psychological conditioning, and most stallion farms go to great lengths to introduce and accustom young stallions to the breeding procedure.

Johnson noted that farms can do some things to encourage a stallion's libido, including stabling the horse within view of arriving mares or the breeding shed, where he can see mares in heat and watch other stallions at work.

http://images.usatoday.com/sports/gallery/2002preakness/2002-05-18-smile.jpg

In many cases, a young stallion will overcome initial libido problems, as did 1977 Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew. The subject of a then-record $12 million syndication deal at Lexington's Spendthrift Farm, Seattle Slew paid little attention to mares when he first arrived in the breeding shed in 1979.

Johnson, who was Spendthrift's broodmare manager at the time, recalled that "the tension was so thick you could chip away at it" when Slew approached the shed.

"He'd come out and just stand and stand and stand," Johnson said. The farm's management and breeding shed staff devised a procedure that involved letting the stallion stand near the shed and watch as mares in heat passed by to be bred to other stallions. A nurse mare in heat also was kept standing near him. When the stallion eventually became aroused, the shed would quickly replace the nurse mare with Slew's assigned breeding mate.

Seattle Slew overcame his shyness with patient handling and went on to be one of the world's top stallions. That fact might give hope to the Yoshida family that owns Shadai.

"Sexual behavior is a learned thing," Johnson said, adding that he didn't know of a stallion who was unable to overcame a low libido. "A lot of times it just takes patience and time."

########################################
On Saturday I was fortunate to have the chance to visit the Shadai group of farms up in Hokkaido, Japan. And not on a tour, but being shown around by the son of the boss, and at times the boss himself (Mr. Katsumi Yoshida)! I don't know if anyone would be interested, but just in case some are, I thought I would post a bit of a report here - as it was certainly a wonderful experience. I took a couple of photos which I'll put on here once I've finished the film...


http://groups.msn.com/TheNewHorseRacingCommunityForum/breedingtalk.msnw?action=get_message&mview=0&ID_Message=92228&LastModified=4675412027978175815

[imaufo]

Japanese breeder and owner Teruya Yoshida recently purchased a 50% share in top European performer and 2002 Japan Cup (Jpn-G1) winner Falbrav.

The five-year-old Irish-bred son of Fairy King will campaign this year in the colors of Scuderia Rencati for the partnership of Italian owner Luciano Salice and Yoshida before he joins the stallion roster of the Shadai Farm on the Japanese island of Hokkaido.

Falbrav is now training in Newmarket with Luca Cumani, following a split earlier this earlier between Salice and trainer Luciano d’Auria.

"He is training good and at this stage, I’m very happy with him," Cumani said of Falbrav, whose most recent start came on November 11 when he defeated Sarafan by a nose in the Japan Cup at Nakayama racecourse on November 24.

"He learns English quickly, but [I have not yet decided on a race] for his comeback [probably in May]," Cumani said.

Among the most likely targets is the Premio Presidente della Repubblica (Ity-G1), on May 11 at Rome, a race that Falbrav won last year.

Falbrav won four of six races last year, including the Gran Premio di Milano (Ity-G1), en route to being the highweighted older horse on the Italian Free Handicap between 11 and 14 furlongs and between 9 1/2 to 11 furlongs. He has compiled an overall record of eight wins and seven placings in 16 career starts in three seasons and has earned $2,811,672.—Franco Raimondi

[imaufo]

The Tony McEvoy-trained Confectioner came from near last of the 16 runners on the home turn to win the $75,000 Listed Anzac Day Stakes (1400m) by a widening 1 ½-lengths at Flemington today becoming the first Australian stakes winner for the former Champion Japanese two-year old Bubble Gum Fellow (Jpn).

http://www.racenet.com.au/breeding/news_images/BubbleGumFellow.jpg

BUBBLE GUM FELLOW

Ridden by Steven Arnold Confectioner defeated Ambulance (Grand Lodge (USA) - Emergency (Marauding (NZ)) with Botero (Pentire (GB) - Another Sound (NZ) (Sound Reason (CAN)) a short-head back in third place.

It was just the third race start for Confectioner (ex Princess Blue by Our Poetic Prince), which became the first winner in Australia for Bubble Gum Fellow (Jpn) when successful at his first start in a maiden at Balakava on March 26.

Imported to Australia by Arrowfield Stud, Bubble Gum Fellow (Sunday Silence (USA) – Bubble Company by Lyphard (USA)) stood for two seasons at Chatswood Stud, Victoria where he shuttled from Shadai Stallion Station. Last year Bubble Gun Fellow was runner-up to Fusaichi Concorde as leading second crop sire in Japan.

Bubble Gum Fellow's first Australian conceived crop also includes the New Zealand stakes winner Rockabubble.

The third and final foal of his dam Princess Blue, which died in March 2001, Confectioner comes from one of the hottest families in the studbook. Princess Blue could manage only one win, a maiden at Murtoa, in her 15-start career however she is a sister to the VRC Oaks (G1) runner-up Wild Thunder. Second dam Wild Blue is a three-quarter-sister to Tranquil Star Stakes (G3) winner Richenburg (Vice Regal) the dam of multiple stakes winner Romanee Conti (Sir Tristram) the dam of champion Ethereal (Rhythm).


By: Mark Smith - Friday, 25 April 2003

[Handy Harry]

Final crop by Sunday Silence highlights JRHA sale


http://www.horse-races.net/bcphotos/photos/sunday1s.jpg

The last crop of foals by the great Sunday Silence (USA) will highlight the 302 lots to be offered at the 2003 Japan Racing Horse Association Select Foal sale to be held at Northern Horse Park, Hokkaido Japan on July 7-8.

The 8-times champion sire in Japan has twenty-four foals on offer, a number only equaled by Arrowfield Stud’s new recruit French Deputy (USA). In fact Arrowfield will be watching the results with great interest as French Deputy’s son Kurofune (USA) has 17 entries, Fuji Kiseki (JPN) 17, the ill-fated End Sweep (USA) 12 and Dehere (USA) 1.

Eliza Park Stud will also monitor the sale closely. Grass Wonder (USA) has 12 catalogued and Black Hawk (GB) has 3.

Ex shuttle stallions represented include Bubble Gum Fellow (JPN) (3) and Tayasu Tsuyoshi (JPN) (2) and Jade Robbery (USA) (3) while stallions standing in Australia this season, all with one foal catalogued, include Helissio (FR), Galileo (Ire) and Giant’s Causeway (USA).

http://www.h5.dion.ne.jp/~uma-squ/nh_image/takaraduka22.jpg

GRASS WONDER

Grass Wonder

Due to shuttle to Eliza Park Stud for the first time this spring is GRASS WONDER (USA) (Silver Hawk) the champion 2-year-old colt in Japan in 1997, winner of 9 races in 15 starts including the Arima Kinen (Grand Prix) [JPN-G1] twice, Takarazuka Kinen [JPN-G1], Asahi Hai Sansai S. [JPN-G1], Mainichi Okan [JPN-G2] andKeio Hai Spring Cup [JPN-G2]. He has 12 second crop foals to represent him including a colt out of EIDAI QUEEN (JPN), by Mejiro McQueen (JPN). 4 wins in Japan, Queen Cup [JPN-G3], Chukyo Sansai S, Akamatsu Sho, 2nd Nakayama Himba S [JPN-G3], Queen S [JPN-G3], 3rd Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup [JPN-G1], Fuji S [JPN-G3], 5th Hanshin HimbaTokubetsu [JPN-G2].

[Handy Harry]

Kurofune

http://www.arrowfield.com.au/screenpics/pictures/stallions-profile-Kurofune.jpg

The first crop by Kurofune include a colt (Lot 64) out of FUSAICHI AIREDALE (JPN), by Sunday Silence (USA). 5 wins in Japan, Yonsai Himba Tokubetsu [JPN-G2], Shinzan Kinen [JPN-G3], Lord Derby Challenge Trophy [JPN-G3], Mermaid S [JPN-G3], 2nd Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) [JPN-G1], Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup [JPN-G1] (twice), Yonsai Himba Tokubetsu [JPN-G2], Rose S [JPN-G2], 3rd Fuchu Himba S [JPN-G3],
Lot 227 b c half brother to SILVER COCKPIT (USA) (97 c. by Silver Hawk (USA)) 4 wins in Japan, Mainich Hai [JPN-G3], Kisaragi Sho [JPN-G3], Fukujuso Tokubetsu, 3rd Radio Tampa Hai Sansai S [JPN-G3] out of PAMPERED STAR (USA), by Star de Naskra (USA). 5 wins in N.A., Monmouth Oaks [G2], Fair Grounds Oaks [G3], 3rd Alabama S [G1], Hollywood Oaks [G1].

Lot 290 a grey filly the second foal of the Sunday Silence mare LADY BELLONA a daughter of SHINKO LOVELY (IRE), by Caerleon (USA). 10 wins in Japan, best older mare in Japan, Mile Championship [JPN-G1], New Zealand Trophy Yonsai S [JPN-G2], Mainichi Okan [JPN-G2], Swan S [JPN-G2], Radio Tampa Sho [JPN-G3], Queen S [JPN-G3], 2nd Mile Championship [JPN-G1], Keio Hai Spring Cup [JPN-G2].

A World Champion Miler

Kurofune, the Champion 3yo Colt of Japan in 2001 was also rated the Champion 3yo Miler of the World in that year on the International Classifications with a rating of 125. As a result, the handsome grey son of French Deputy has started his stud career at Shadai Stallion Station with tremendous support from breeders there.

Two Group One wins highlight Kurofune’s superlative racing career. He had four starts at two, winning twice and finishing second and third in the other two. In the spring of his three-year-old season, Kurofune took on the best of his generation in The NHK Mile Cup G1 over 1600m on turf and turned in a display of brilliance that ignited his cult following in Japan. Standing the runaway race leader Grass Eiko O (also by French Deputy) more than six lengths at the 200m marker, Kurofune was the only runner to make ground in the straight to overhaul and pull away from the Grass Eiko O on the line – he stopped the clock in a world class time of 1.33.00. In the autumn of his three-year-old season he took on the older horses for the first time in The Tokyo Chunichi Spots Hai Mushashino G3 over 1600m beating them by a massive nine lengths in 1.33.30. He followed up that hollow victory to win The Japan Cup Dirt G1 over 2100m where he was simply devastating. Effortlessly circling the field from near the rear before the turn, he careered away to a widening seven lengths victory in track record time. In total, Kurofune faced the starter 10 times winning six times and placing in a further three races for career earnings of over US$3 million.

Kurofune has a pedigree that is already proven in Australasia. He is by the internationally successful stallion French Deputy, a son of Deputy Minister who is also the sire of Dehere. Kurofune is out of the stakeswinning mare Blue Avenue, a daughter of Classic Go Go who is a son of Golden Slipper winner and expatriate Australian racehorse and sire Pago Pago. Blue Avenue herself is a half sister to dual Group One winner Brought to Mind and traces back to the New Zealand Great Northern Oaks winning filly Catania II ancestress of successful Australian racehorses such as Silver Knight, Free Gold, Regina Madre and Fashion Café. In addition to Kurofune, Blue Avenue has also produced the multiple stakeswinning filly and outstanding two year old Bella Belluci, a full sister to Kurofune.

Kurofune was a champion racehorse, is out of a top class female family and importantly, he is by a proven sireline in this country.

[Handy Harry]

http://www.stayerect.com/mspf-bottle-sm2.gif


By GLENYE CAIN

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Japan's Shadai Stallion Station in Hokkaido has received breeding-related claims from two of the four companies that insured War Emblem, a farm spokesman confirmed. The winner of the 2002 Kentucky Derby has refused to cover his book of mares since retiring to stud at Shadai.

But the 4-year-old War Emblem's future is not clear. Shadai, which purchased War Emblem from The Thoroughbred Corporation in 2002 for $17 million, will have to relinquish the Our Emblem horse to the insurers upon settlement of all claims. At that point, the insurance companies will control War Emblem and will decide whether to sell or stand the horse.

http://images.usatoday.com/sports/gallery/2002preakness/2002-05-18-finish.jpg

"It's a complicated issue," said Shadai spokesman Eisuke Tokutake, speaking by phone through an interpreter. "At the moment, we do not know what will happen with War Emblem. He is still at Shadai Stallion Station at the moment. When everything is settled, if everything is settled, we will have to discuss with the insurance companies about what to do with the horse."

Tokutake, who would not disclose the total insurance for War Emblem, said that a third insurance company is close to paying out its claim. "But the last insurance company, we do not know if they will settle," he said.

Insurance agents say that in all probability the four insurers eventually will all pay out. But the process can take time. For example, an insurer might dispute a farm's stallion management practices, in which case most policies provide for a panel of veterinarians to arbitrate. If the panel sides with the insurer, the farm may have to take additional time to try new management techniques in the hope of solving the stallion's problem.

It's not unusual for a variety of companies to be involved in a single insurance policy.

"There are multiple companies because of reinsurance," said Nina Hahn, owner of Nina Hahn Equine Insurance in Paris, Ky. "Every insurance company has a reinsurance contract. They may take the first 40 percent of the risk, for example, but then the balance may be placed under their reinsurance contract."

On a large policy covering a valuable stallion prospect like War Emblem - whose policy is rumored to be between $17 million and $18 million - the initial insurer may only be liable for several million, with a reinsurer carrying another few million, and so on until the horse is covered for the full insurance amount.

"The logic behind reinsurance is that the company doesn't get wiped out with a single catastrophic loss," Hahn said.

There have been several catastrophic losses in the stallion world in recent years, with the loss of such important sires as Shadai's own flagship horse, Sunday Silence, who died last year. His loss and the recent untimely deaths of Unbridled, Danehill, and others young sires has made insurers more cautious than ever, according to Ron Kirk of Kirk Horse Insurance in Lexington.

In the wake of such high-priced losses, the insurance companies that are still in the Thoroughbred business are being more careful about what they will cover and on what terms.

"There are fewer companies willing to cover horses," Kirk said. "It's become a seller's market."

That means policies are more likely to be tailor-made with the insurer's concerns in mind, and therefore somewhat variable.

"Fertility coverage is very gray," Kirk said. "There isn't just one set of terms that is accepted universally by everybody."

War Emblem's situation is unusual in that it doesn't involve physical infertility but a lack of desire to breed. The horse reportedly impregnated seven mares earlier in the season but then refused to continue.

"Policies generally read that the stallion must get a certain percentage of mares in foal," Hahn explained. "If he doesn't cover the mares, they didn't get in foal. The policy doesn't generally specify why the mares didn't get in foal."

If the insurers put War Emblem back on the market, the difference will be critical to potential buyers, because libido problems are considered easier to treat than outright infertility. That bodes well for War Emblem's immediate future, which could include a change of location and a second chance at fatherhood, unless Shadai buys him back from the insurers and tries again. If not, agents in Lexington say they're already fielding calls from farms that are considering making a bid for the horse if he returns to the United States.

In the meantime, Shadai reports that War Emblem remains at the farm and is happy and healthy.

http://www.drf.com/crown2002/belmont/images/sarava_200x308.jpg

[imaufo]

Success for shuttle stallions in Japan

With so many Japanese based stallions now standing in Australia and New Zealand there has been plenty of interest in Japan in recent weeks for Australian breeders but it was Japanese champion Agnes Digital that stole the show last Sunday.

Takao Watanabe’s world traveler Agnes Digital (6yo h Crafty Prospector-Chancey Squaw, by Chief's Crown) recorded his first victory this year with a fast finishing win over Admire Max (4yo c Sunday Silence-Dyna Shoot by Northern Taste) and the favourite Lohengrin (4yo c Singspiel-Carling by Garde Royale) in the Grade 1 Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo racecourse on June 8. Hero of the Hong Kong Cup (HK-G1) over Darley Stud’s Tobougg (Barathea) which begins stud duty in Australia this season, the Tenno Sho (Jpn-G1) over Japanese Horse Of The Year T.M. Opera O, and the Mile Championship (Jpn-G1) on by Turf and Dirt, Agnes Digital was winning for the twelfth time in 27 starts while his earnings skyrocket to almost A$12 million.

The highest earning son of the veteran stallion Crafty Prospector (Mr Prospector-Real Crafty Lady by In Reality), who stands for a fee of US$25,000 at Brookdale Farm Kentucky, Agnes Digital is the first foal of the Chief’s Crown mare Chancey Squaw a half sister to three stakes winner out of a half sister to champion racehorse and sire Blushing Groom.

[Handy Harry]

Monday, 7 July 2003:

A $2.79 m US Sunday Silence colt out of Australian mare Seto Flowerian hit the lead in the race for the highest priced lot midway through session one of selling at the JRHA Select Foal sale in Japan today.

Bellotto mare Seto Flowerian raced in Australia under the care of Warwick Farm trainer Paul Cave whilst racing in Japanese interests. The striking dark-brown mare won five races including the Group 3 Adrian Knox Stakes at three, before running second in Alcove’s 1994 AJC Oaks (Group 1).

Seto Flowerian is a daughter of Yeats mare Yeatsina, who has also produced handy stakeswinning mares The Golden Dane (by Danehill) and Presina (by Prego). Her fourth dam Wiley Trade is the dam of 1992 Melbourne Cup winner, Subzero.

At stud, Seto Flowerian is the dam of 4 foals of racing age, and has produced two winners. Her 1999 Sunday Silence colt Tiger Café is the winner of two races, and has been placed in Group company in Japan including a second in the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) JPN Gr 1.

Her subsequent foal Fureika, a filly by Sunday Silence, is the winner of two races in Japan.

Seto Flowerian was a 1992 graduate of the Magic Millions Premier Sale, and was secured by her owners for a mere $35,000.

The colt was consigned by leading Hokkaido nursery Shadai Farm, the former home of the colts’ sire Sunday Silence.

He was purchased by Fusaro Sekiguchi, who is best known as the flamboyant managing part owner of Kentucky Derby winning superstar, Fusaichi Pegasus.

At the close of session one selling, 109 lots were sold grossing $32m US, at an average of just over $294,000. The sale concludes today.

[Handy Harry]

http://www.dosanko.co.jp/selectsale/index-e.html

select sale...live on the net.

Broadband best...takes a while to get going. Click no to anyt changes.

[Handy Harry]

Six foals made more than Y100million (A$1,260,000) on the second and final day of the Japan Racing Horse Association Select Foal but none came near to challenging the Y330million (A4,095,300) for the Sunday Silence colt out Seto Flowerian sold at the opening session.

Sunday Silence sired five of the six foals to bring more than Y100million yet he did not supply the session topper. That honour fell to a colt from the second crop of Coolmore Stud’s 2000 European Horse of the year Giant’s Causeway.


GIANT'S CAUSEWAY

http://www.racenet.com.au/breeding/news_images/Giant's_Causeway2.jpg

Fusaro Sekiguchi, who purchased the sales topper on the opening day, paid Y160million (A$2,208,000) for the bay or brown colt out of the stakes-placed Red Velvet (USA) (Avenue of Flags) a sister to Oak Leaf Stakes [G1] winner Notable Career and a half sister to General Challenge (USA) (General Meeting) whose 9 wins in N.A. included the Santa Anita Derby [G1], Pacific Classic S [G1], Santa Anita H [G1].

Second highest price on the day was Y154million (A$1,945,000) for the Sunday Silence colt out of Fanjica (IRE) (Law Society) winner of the Lancashire Oaks [G3], Yerba Buena H [G3], 2nd Yellow Ribbon S [G1], Santa Barbara H [G2], Sheepshead Bay H [G2].

A chestnut colt by Sunday Silence out of the Group 3 winning Hector Protector mare Promotion (JPN) made Y139million (A$1,755,570) to the bid of Riichi Kondo while a bay colt by the 8-time champion Japanese stallion out of the stakes winning Northern Taste mare Sing Like Talk (JPN) was snapped up for Y136million (A$1,719,000).

Some notable transactions by shuttle stallions on the second day include a colt by Former Arrowfield stallion Unbridled’s Time out of the multiple Grade 3 winner Traces Of Gold (USA) (Strike Gold) that sold for Y52million (A$657,280).

Takaya Shimakawa paid Y64million (A$808,960) for a French Deputy full brother to the very smart Nobo Jack the winner of 11 races in Japan including the JBC Sprint [JPN-G1], Tokyo Hai [JPN-G2], Kurofune Sho [JPNG3] (twice), Gumma Kinen [JPN-G3] (twice), Hokkaido Sprint Cup [JPN-G3], Cluster Cup [JPN-G3], Subaru S, Hyacinth Stakes.

A French Deputy half brother to The Deputy (IRE) (Petardia) whose 4 wins in N.A. and England included the Santa Anita Derby [G1] and Santa Catalina S [G2] sold for Y60million (A$758,400).


SUNDAY SILENCE

A Kurofune half brother to multiple Japanese Group 3 winner Silver Cockpit (Silver Hawk) out of Pampered Star (USA) (Star de Naskra) sold for Y45million (A$568,800). Pampered Star won 5 races in N.A., including the Monmouth Oaks [G2], Fair Grounds Oaks [G3], 3rd Alabama S [G1], Hollywood Oaks [G1].
Fuji Kiseki got among the action near the end of the sale when a colt out of Group 3 winner Fashion Show (JPN), (Northern Taste) made Y50million (A$632,000).

Overall 211 of the 276 foals offered were sold for a record total of Y7,073,200,000 (A$89,405,248) at an average of Y33,522,2759 (A$423721) and a median of Y21,000,000 (A$265,440). It was a marked improvement over last year’s sale when 186 foals grossed Y5,439,600,000 at an average of Y29,245,161 with a median of Y19,000,000.

While the loss of Sunday Silence will obviously be a crippling blow to future foal sales there was plenty of positives to be taken from this year’s sale. The first crop by Kurofune was extremely well received as was the first crop by Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) winner Agnes Tachyon a son of Sunday Silence. The internationalization of the sale has also proved a positive move. Lord and Lady Lloyd Webber’s Watership Down Stud were well rewarded for their initiative in consigning a Singspiel half sister to Eliza Park shuttle stallion Black Hawk to the sale. The daughter of the Silver Hawk mare Silver Lane was the second highest priced filly of the sale at Y80million.

The sales topping son of the Australian-bred mare Seto Flowerian can only benefit the Australian industry as more Japanese breeders turn their attention south of the equator. And it is a two-way street with Australasia set to reap the benefits of some wonderful Japanese based stallions visiting our shores.

By: Mark Smith - Tuesday, 8 July 2003

[imaufo]

By ALAN SHUBACK

http://www.racingseries.com/newspix/alamshar.jpg

Alamshar has been sold to the Japan Racing Association by The Aga Khan and will not run in the Canadian International at Woodbine.

Winner of the Irish Derby and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes, Alamshar will have one more race before heading to Japan for stud duties: the 1 1/4-mile Champion Stakes at Newmarket on Oct. 18.

Trainer John Oxx said that the Canadian International was ruled out because of the presence of West Nile virus near Toronto, which would make passage into Japan difficult.

Meanwhile, Arc runner-up Mubtaker is still a possibility for the Canadian International, although trainer Marcus Tregoning said that getting him on a plane by Friday for the Oct. 19 race is a tight fit.

The Japan Cup and the Hong Kong Cup are options for Mubtaker, but Tregoning also said that the 6-year-old may not run again until next year.

As for Falbrav, trainer Luca Cumani said the Breeders' Cup Turf is the preferred spot for the six-time Group 1 winner, but a choice between that race and the Champion will not be made until after his next workout. Falbrav must be supplemented to the Turf for $180,000.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/graphics/2003/07/27/shbruf270703.jpg

[imaufo]

http://www.racingpost.co.uk/nags/graphics_v2/moon_ballad240.jpg



MOON BALLAD and Grandera, who between them won over £4.3 million in prize-money for Godolphin, were retired on Monday to become stallions in Japan.

Their racing careers ended with neither having added to their records in Europe this year, yet they each made a significant contribution to their stable's pursuit of worldwide success.

In March Moon Ballad (pictured ) became Godolphin's third winner of the Dubai World Cup in four years.

[Handy Harry]

One for Hobbes perhaps?

Three colts from the final crop of Sunday Silence are guaranteed to draw international attention to the William Inglis Australian Easter Yearling sale beginning on April 13.

http://www.racenet.com.au/breeding/news_images/Sunday-Sonoray.jpg
Lot 229 Sunday Silence/Sonoray colt.

Arrowfield Stud photo

Further credibility to the southern hemisphere conceived colts has come with the success of Vril (Sunday Silence - Phantom Creek), purchased by Japanese based owner/breeder Mr Shigeyuki Okada of the Big Red Farm for A$1.7 million at the 2003 Australian Easter Yearling sale, the highest priced yearling ever sold in Australia.

Vril has won two of his three starts in Japan.

Vril is out of the regally bred Mr Prospector mare Phantom Creek, a half sister to champions Arazi and Noverre.

Arrowfield will offer a half brother to Vril by Redoute’s Choice at the 2004 Easter sale.

The first Sunday Silence to go through the ring will be Lot 60 a half brother to stakeswinner and $405,450 earner Miss Bussell (Danzero) out of the Group 1 Auckland Cup winning mare Lurestina (Sir Tristram).

Lot 229 is a brown colt bred on the same Sunday Silence/Mr Prospector cross as Vril. His dam Sonoray is an unraced mare by Gone West out of the Grade 1 winning, million dollar earning Pleasant Colony mare Colonial Waters.

Lot 373 is a chestnut colt out of the stakesplaced Zilzal mare Bright Finish (USA) the winner of two races in France. She is a half sister to G1 winner Carter H (G1) winner Alydeed out of a half sister to leading sire and noted speed influence Clever Trick.

[imaufo]

1.5 Million Sunday Silence Colt Heads To Japan


We should of put in a bid!

Leading Japanese trainer Hideyuki Mori made the winning bid of $1.5 million to secure the second last yearling to be offered anywhere in the world by the legendry Japanese stallion Sunday Silence.


http://www.racenet.com.au/breeding/news_images/SundaySon.jpg

Heading to Japan the $1.5 million Sunday Silence colt

The finely chiselled colt is the first foal of the unraced Gone West mare Sonoray a daughter of the Group 1 winning Pleasant Colony mare Colonial Waters.

Mori purchased the colt on behalf of 38-year old advertising executive Yoshinori Sakae who is also the president of Zomo corporation a leading manufacturer of putters.

“This is the first horse Mr Sakae has purchased”. “He wanted the best Sunday Silence in the sale and in my opinion this it”, said Mori through an interpreter.

“I thought he was the most typical Sunday Silence in the sale”.
“He looks a real Classic type, this is the last chance to secure a son of Sunday Silence and, I can’t wait to get him back home”, said Mr Mori.

By: Mark Smith - racenet...Wednesday, 14 April 2004

[Handy Harry]

Review of 2003, Year to Mark Fillies Triple Crown of Still in Love


http://www.jair.jrao.ne.jp/library/journal/v12n1/photo_06.jpg

Toshiyuki Shimokobe (Center) with his sons, Takayuki (second son, left), Yukio (eldest son, right), and lovely dog, Max



"Last year was a great year, wasn't it. Not only did we have a classic race winner at last, but we also produced a famous horse that will go down in history."

A broad smile came over the relaxed features of Toshiyuki Shimokobe, President of the Shimokobe Farm. The farm has produced a number of great horses since it was founded in 1933, but, strangely, had failed to capture a single classic race in all that time.

But last year, that was all to change.

Still in Love, the first classic winner bred by this famous old farm, not only took the Oka Sho (1,600m Japanese 1000 Guineas) and theYushun Himba (2,400m Japanese Oaks), but capped it with the Shuka Sho (2,000m 3 YO Fillies) to become the first horse in 17 years to win the Triple Crown for fillies, and only the second ever. This, the 'younger sister' to the historically older Triple Crown for colts, is actually said to be more difficult to achieve. So great is the intrinsic difficulty in managing the delicate physical condition of the filly.

Nevertheless, racehorse breeding based on conviction and principle has at last blossomed in a major way.

Horsebreeding Theory and Principle

"I used to think racehorse breeding basically meant introducing good broodmares, and matching them with good stud horses. But now I think it has more to do with 'repeated cycles'."

Mating, delivery, rearing. The work of a stud farm is a case of repeated trial and error. And it takes a long time to produce results. No one would deny that Still in Love was the prime product of the farm last year. But horses produced by the Shimokobe Farm have maintained a high level and proven themselves extremely reliable performers over the last few years. It is precisely because the overall level of breeding has risen, that an outstanding winner like Still in Love can emerge. This is one theory of horsebreeding.

"Of course, I'm not satisfied yet. But I sense that we are, step by step, coming closer to our goal", says Shimokobe, with a flush of pride, He scours overseas markets looking for good broodmares, seeks out good stud horses and good mating conditions, and has made unstinting investments. For horse breaking and training, he actively sends his staff on overseas training schemes, giving them direct experience of the differences with Japanese styles. This illustrates his emphasis on improving individual levels. Nor has he forgotten to value the 'unseen' aspects of pasture and soil management. Amid such repetition of orthodox work, a sudden stroke of luck can turn into an unexpected strength and yield major results.

Untold Story about Bradamante

He wasn't actually planning to buy Bradamante (USA), dam of the Triple Crown winner. In autumn 1990, he bought two broodmares under auction during the November sales at Keeneland, USA. Sadly, one of them died after an accident while ferrying her in the float. So Shimokobe rushed back to the auction and bought Bradamante instead.

In the limited time available, you have to examine a horse's "bloodline, physique, racing record, age, and foal in stallion". The ideal broodmare must be "a young horse with a good bloodline and an excellent racing record". But such horses are expensive, and not so common, either. Despite having no racing record, Bradamante was chosen because she was young and had many successful relatives. "I spent less than I'd expected", says Shimokobe.

Fact can be stranger than fiction. Behind the feat achieved by Still in Love lay Shimokobe's conviction - one that was strong enough to create his own good fortune. That may not be how he explains it. But he certainly gained confidence with the recent success. "My way was right after all", he says, adding with disarming bluntness: "But that's already in the past."

Reform of his Farm

The Shimokobe Farm in 2004 is already a very different place, in quite detailed ways, to the farm that produced Still in Love. Reform through trial and error is now backed by confidence - and that's what they call progress.

"Of course, it's important to cultivate bloodlines. Even we have mare lines that we value. But for a broodmare, I'm looking for something better." Shimokobe makes sure he replaces several broodmares every year. But since top-1evel broodmares are very expensive, he is also experimenting. "Recently, I've been buying them as racehorses and importing them as broodmares", he says.

If globalization - or the liberalization or horseracing- is to continue in future, producing strong horses will be a priority task. But when all's said and done, breeding Thoroughbreds depends largely on the size of your wallet. And when you get to the level of the Shimokobe Farm, the competition is usually global in stature. A single Japanese entrepreneur has little chance of beating the world's capitalists with their oil dollars, however much he puts into it.

Instead, Shimokobe says the thing he values most is "people". He pointed out emphatically that most people directly involved in Japan's horsebreeding are mentally and physically competent with high comprehensive abilities including good educational levels. This must have been uppermost when he invited trainers from overseas and absorbed their know-how, after properly launching his Training Division in charge of horse rearing and breaking as part of his farm reform.

It was about ten years ago that he started to work on reforming the Shimokobe Farm. Those were the days of economic growth - the so-called 'bubble era'.

Changes in Japan's Horsebreeding

In fact, "the last 10 years" have been the turning point, Shimokobe recalls. Just before that, towards the end of the 1980s, was a real boom time The JRA's yearly pari-mutuel betting turnover were growing by 500 billion yen every year, and, as if in tandem, sales on Thoroughbred yearling markets in breeding areas topped 6 billion yen.

But, sooner or later, a reality check was bound to occur. And that it did - in no time at all. All that remained was to pay the bill for over-investment - made on the assumption that growth would just continue upwards.

"Japanese horsebreeding areas have changed a lot in the last ten years or so. In fact, it's fair to say that today's breeding industry was created by the two waves of globalization and the collapse of the bubble", he says with a pained expression. Certainly, Japan's horsebreeding industry, overwhelmingly made up of small and medium breeders with no more than 10 resident broodmares, has started to polarize over the last 10 years or so. Globalization has progressed; then Sunday Silence had his explosive success.

At the time, what was expected of the breeding industry supporting Japanese horseracing was to breed stronger horses. These were 'genuine', high-quality horses that would justify the investment made in them. Then, as the bubble economy neared its demise, the polarization quickened. At this, Shimokobe rings an alarm bell.

"To me, the bubble era was responsible for widening the gap in Japan too far. We were so eager to respond to globalization that we made optimistic investments. But they are now weighing us down in this long recession". The stagnation of the Japanese economy and the financial instability it caused, have dealt a serious blow to horsebreeding areas.

But Japanese racing, as a whole, managed to bottom out, thanks to continued investment and selective weeding. So much so that, today, "Top class Japanese horses have risen to a level at which they can compete with the best in the world." But at the same time, the gap has widened further - so far, in fact, that it is no longer possible to talk of 'Japanese horses' as a single concept. If we think specifically about the horses labeled 'top class', the polarization of breeding areas is starkly obvious.


http://www.jair.jrao.ne.jp/library/journal/v12n1/photo_07.jpg

The Shimokobe Farm


Future Ways to Breakthrough

"To break through this stagnation, we have to establish horsebreeding as an industry. In other words, we need to broaden the market. But as things are now, it would be difficult to break into global markets right away. So the best solution for now would be for local government racing to recover its vigor." Though it appears a paradox, there can clearly be no globalization unless local government racing is first revitalized.

It is a fact that Japanese horsebreeding has grown through dependence on imports since the liberalization of live horse imports. Another fact is that a paternal bloodline unique to Japan - that of Sunday Silence - is now being cultivated from this. The direction for Japan in future will be to seek out stud horses that are compatible with broodmares sired by Sunday Silence, and then to develop that bloodline. "Sunday Silence was a wonderful stud horse. And if we look a little further afield, we see the outstanding success of the Hail to Reason (USA) line - Brian's Time (USA), Real Shadai (USA) and Kris S. (USA). But I'm not sure we should keep mating horses from the same bloodline for successive generations like this.

"Indeed, the former great St. Simon (GB) is said to have gone into decline because the bloodline was too concentrated. In this sense, Shimokobe says, it is vital that we introduce broodmares that have good, different bloodlines not found in Japan. "By replacing 3-4 mares every year, we gradually mix in little bits of different bloodlines from different countries. And we don't just do it for fun - I feel this is really necessary", he says with a modest smile. Perhaps this is his 'lateral thinking'. But it is not unusual, on the Thoroughbred scene, for this kind of thinking to bring tremendous vitality to an entire stud farm.

JRA's Contribution to Horsebreeding

Thanks to the efforts of the JRA, Japanese horseracing has achieved amazing growth as a major leisure industry that is widely popular with the Japanese people. In recent years, that growth myth has started to become a thing of the past. But this is the time, now that racing circles as a whole have lost their way, for everyone involved in horseracing to adopt a common awareness, put all our strengths together, and pool our know-how in rebuilding a system that can bring 'passion', 'excitement' and 'joy' to horseracing fans. In doing so, the role of the breeding industry should be, more than anything, 'to produce strong racehorses'. Or to put it another way, 'to establish an infrastructure for breeding high-quality, genuine racehorses'. But to bring this to fruition, support from the JRA in policy measures will be indispensable. There may be something to gain from taking a vaguely ingratiating approach in our relationship with the leading horseracing nations of Europe and America, whose economic systems are completely different. But there would also be much to lose. Rather, we need to further develop the unique horseracing system that we have built up so far in Japan, and first allow Japanese racing to accumulate more power. Setting his sights on the further glory of Japanese racing, Shimokobe closed by saying: "One day, the world will come to buy Japanese horses as a matter of course. My aim is to keep working towards that goal". A bold sentiment, indeed.

Toshiyuki Shimokobe

Profile

Born in Urakawa, Hokkaido, on June 14th, 1942.
After graduating from Seikei University, he joined Nippon Kogyo Co., Ltd. (now Japan Energy Corporation).
Later worked on a stud farm in Hokkaido.

President of Thoroughbred Breeders Club Co., Ltd.
President of Breeders Stallion Station Co., Ltd.
Vice-Chairman and Director of Japan Racing Horse Association
Director of Hidaka Horse Breeders Association

The Shimokobe Farm
Fukumitsu, Monbetsu-cho, Saru-gun, Hokkaido
Founded in 1933
Lot area: 150 hectares
Resident broodmares: 70

http://www.jair.jrao.ne.jp/journal/v12n1/main.html

[Handy Harry]

Sunday Silence and his successes. (http://www.jair.jrao.ne.jp/journal/v12n2/main.html)


http://www.jair.jrao.ne.jp/library/journal/v12n2/photo_01.jpg

[hobbes]

[Handy Harry's Reply Repost]


Sale News
Sekiguchi Buys Up Big Again

Outlaying more than US$10.5-million during the two-day Japan Racing Horse Association select sale of foals that concluded on Tuesday, big spending Japanese owner Fusao Sekiguchi pulled the Japanese breeding industry out of a sinking fear that the domestic bloodstock market would falter with no more offspring by the late Sunday Silence available for buyers. Following up his record bid of US$4,537,037 for a Dance in the Dark colt on Monday, Sekiguchi signed the ticket for a Gone West colt for US$2,592,593 to highlight Tuesday’s session at the Northern Horse Park on the island of Hokkaido. "This is a well-bred and strong-bodied colt," Sekiguchi said. "I wanted to buy him no matter who else was bidding against me." (July 15)

JRA Sale Up Everywhere

Of his lavish spending, which was described as a record for a single buyer during the 7 year history of the sale, he said: "I wanted to support the bloodstock market in this country." He accomplished that goal with great success. Sale officials reported an all-time record gross of US$71,129,630, up 18.9% from the US$59,840,948 recorded in 2003. Of the 308 foals offered this year, 234 were sold for an average of US$303,973, up 7.2% from last year’s average of $283,606 for 211 foals sold. The buy-back rate rose less than 1% to 24%. "This is more than a success," exclaimed Teruya Yoshida, JRHA vice chairman and master of Shadai Farm. "Since Sunday Silence was gone, we expected the sale to be down to some extent, so I think the economy of Japan is on quite a comeback." (July 15)


--

What's a Nice Girl Like... Hey, where are you going?

[imaufo]

Pentire’s four-year old son Craft Work overpowered Danehill’s champion daughter Fine Motion to capture the A$550,000 Group 3 Hakodate Kinen over 2000m on the turf at Japan’s Hakodate racetrack on Sunday.

Watch the race (http://www.jra.go.jp/videointeractive/asx/rep_hakodateki_dsl_h16.asx)

http://www.racenet.com.au/breeding/news_images/Pentire.jpg

PENTIRE

Despite racing fiercely in the early stages under Norihiro Yokoyama Craft Work finished strongly from midfield in the 13-runner field to defeat 2002 Champion 3-year old filly Fine Motion by a neck with a further ¾-length back to Wild Sniper, a 5-year old son of Bubble Gum Fellow, completing a clean sweep for shuttle stallions. A nose back in fourth place was Tiger Café the 5-year son of Sunday Silence and the stakes-winning Australian bred mare Seto Flowerian.

It was the first stakes win for the Yoshiyuki Goto-trained colt who was runner-up in the Tokyo Shimbun Hai on February 1 then was given a let-up following a fifth in the Chukyo Kinen on March 7. He takes his overall record to 4 wins 3 seconds and 3 thirds from 14 starts for earnings the equivalent of A$2.3million.

Formerly shuttling between Shadai Farm, Japan and Rich Hill Stud, New Zealand Pentire now stands the northern hemisphere season at Gestüt Isarland, Germany.

The former King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes (G1) winner received a pedigree boost on the weekend through the deeds of the Niarchos family’s top-class 2-year old Kingmambo filly Divine Proportions, which remained undefeated in three starts when capturing the Group 2 Prix Robert Papin at Maisons-Laffitte. She now will be aimed at the G1 Prix Morny at Deauville August 22 a race that was won by her brother-in-blood Whipper, a son of Kingmambo’s full brother Miesque’s Son, which shuttled to Vinery Stud.

The stakes-winning Myth To Reality (Sadler’s Wells), the dam of Divine Proportions, is out of the Mill Reef mare Millieme, a sister to Epsom Derby winner Shirley Heights and a three-quarter sister to Ribblesdale Stakes (G2) winner Gull Nook, the dam of Pentire.
Currently ranked fifteenth leading sire on the Australian list the son of Be My Guest has earned a service fee hike to $15,000 (+gst) Live Foal Guarantee, at Rich Hill Stud, Matamata this spring.

By: Mark Smith -racenet.com.au Tuesday, 27 July 2004

[imaufo]

Arrowfield Stud's internationally proven stallion FRENCH DEPUTY (by Deputy Minister) sired his first Japanese bred stakeswinner when his 2YO daughter AMBROISE won the Group 3 Hakodate Nisai Stakes over 1200m on turf yesterday.


http://www.racenet.com.au/breeding/news_images/French_Deputy2.jpg

FRENCH DEPUTY

The win of Ambroise brought up a double on the weekend for French Deputy and shot him to the top of the Japanese First Season Sires list.

Ambroise made it two wins from as many starts when she won the G3 Hakodate Stakes by 3/4 of a length with a further length to third. She was one of six fillies in the 16 strong field and carried 54kg, the same weight as the colts, and covered the 1200m on turf in 1.10.4.

“It is most pleasing to see French Deputy get off to a great start with his first crop runners in Japan,” said Arrowfield Managing Director John Messara. “He is a very good looking stallion who sires magnificent foals and like his fellow Arrowfield stallion Dehere, who is also by Deputy Minister, he is one of those rare stallions who can sire top class runners wherever he stands.”

French Deputy is now the sire of 26 stakeswinners from his 251 runners giving him an impressive stakeswinners-to-runners ratio of 10.3% and his 179 winners have come at a rate of 71.3%. He has sired six G1 winners, two of which have been on turf, including World Champion Miler Kurofune and USA Eclipse Award winner Left Bank.

French Deputy's latest stakeswinner is out of a Sunday Silence mare and is his third stakeswinner out of a Turn-To line mare. This line is available in Australia primarily via
Sir Tristram, Halo and Roberto. Ambroise’ second dam is by Sadler’s Wells creating the Turn-To/Nearctic cross which is also present in 4 of his 6 Group 1 winners.

French Deputy covered a book of quality mares last year and will cover his second strictly limited Australian book in 2004 at a fee of $38,500 including GST.

Arrowfield Stud News

By: Mark Smith - racenet.com.au Tuesday, 10 August 2004

[imaufo]

http://www.jair.jrao.ne.jp/library/journal/v12n5/cover.jpg

Air Groove 2004 [by Dance in the Dark, out of Air Groove], traded at a historic high of 490 million YEN on July 12 when the Japan Racing Horse Association organized the Select Sale of foals at the Northern Horse Park in Tomakomai, Hokkaido.

http://www.jair.jrao.ne.jp/journal/v12n5/main.html

[imaufo]

http://www.jair.jrao.ne.jp/library/journal/title.jpg



by by Dr. Takenori Yoshida, D.V.M.

JAIR Executive Director

Introduction

It is said that horse auctions in a country reflect accurately its current economic conditions, as well as pari-mutuel handle on its horse racing. Japan's economy has been sluggish for about 14 years since the bubble burst in 1989, but recently there are bright signs of its recovery.

For example, the disposal of huge bad loans has progressed to a great extent in financial institutions. The Nikkei Stock Average recovered to a level of 12,000 YEN to 12,900 YEN in April 2004 from a record-low level of 7,600 YEN in April last year. The unemployment rate decreased to 4.6% in May 2004 from last year's 5.5%.

As far as horseracing is concerned, however, JRA's pari-mutuel handle has not yet bottomed out since last year. In fact, the handle from January 1 to July 25, 2004 decreased by 3% compared to last year's level during the same period. Some local governments regrettably went out of racing business last year. Also this year, two other prefectures will withdraw from racing at the end of 2004.

Amid these unfavorable conditions, the total pari-mutuel turnover of local government racing showed a year-on-year decrease of 9.3% in the first half of this year. It seems still impossible to curb the downward trend.

Under these difficult circumstances, horse auctions have been held in many parts of the country, centered in Hokkaido, since the beginning of this year. Up until September 10, 2004, horses were auctioned in 15 markets for a total of 24 days, following almost the same schedules as last year. From the end of April to the end of May, training sale auctions of two-year-old horses were held. In the beginning of July, the Japan Racing Horse Association (JRHA) organized the Select Sale of foals. From the middle of July to the middle of September, auctions for one-year-old horses were held throughout Japan. Before all the schedules reach a complete end, there remain two more auctions in October this year. One is the Autumn Sale to be hosted by the Hidaka Bloodhorse Breeders' Association (HBA) and the other is the Hachinohe Market to be sponsored by Aomori-ken Bloodhorse Breeders' Association.

Following is a summary of the progress this year's auctions have made to date:


http://www.jair.jrao.ne.jp/library/journal/v12n5/photo_01.jpg

Training Sale of two-year-old horses on May 26 under the auspices of the Ryooso Bloodhorse Breeders' Association in the Funabashi Racecourse in Chiba.



Training Sales of Two-year-old Horses

Until today there have been a total of 5 training sales of two-year-old horses all over the country, including the resumed Premier Training Sale, which was suspended last year.

It is to be noted that the Korea Racing Association (KRA) purchased 6 horses for the first time in the Kyushu Training Sale and Chiba Training Sale in preparation for the opening of its Pusan Racecourse next year.

In an effort to research qualities and levels of Korean racehorses, the Japan Bloodhorse Breeders' Association (JBBA) bought two-year-old horses as research horses in these auctions and donated them to KRA. These horses are expected to show good performances in races at the Seoul and Busan racecourses in the near future. It is also expected that markets of Japanese-bred horses will further widen and extend in global terms, beginning with the Korean outlet.


Foal Sales

Every year, three auction markets of foals in Japan, the JRHA's Select Sale, the HBA's Select Sale, and the Hachinohe Market's Foal Sale are held, among which the JRHA's Select Sale is prominent in terms of the market scale and sales.

JRHA Foal Select Sale 2004

JRHA sponsored the Foal Select Sale 2004 at the Northern Horse Park in Tomakomai City, Hokkaido on July 12 and 13 this year.

Before the auction, it was really difficult for JRHA, the organizer, to foresee exactly how this year's sales would develop in light of no appearance of Sunday Silence's foals, which used to be vigorously auctioned at very high prices in the past. On the first day, it was a real surprise that Air Groove 2004 (by Dance in the Dark, out of Air Groove) was successfully bid at a record-high price of 490,000,000 YEN in Japan's auction history.

The total sales for two days increased to 7,682,000,000 YEN by more than 600,000,000 YEN, compared to last year's results.

The absence of Sunday Silence's foals had no negative effects on the auction market, which was so brisk and bull this year that it was hard to imagine the current sluggish turnovers of Japan's horseracing. The auction venue was full of feverish excitement, as if it were another world. I will investigate factors which made the Foal Select Sale 2004 such a success and give a summary of the auction below. (See Table 1.)

JRHA's Foal Select Sale wins an established high rating from bidders to the effect that it always lists horses with the best and highest qualities, abilities and potentials.

From among the horses traded recently in this auction, winners of GI races have been continuously emerging, such as Manhattan Cafe , Admire Groove [by Sunday Silence (USA), out of Air Groove], King Kamehameha [by Kingmanbo (USA), out of Manfath (IRE)], and Ingrandire [by White Muzzle (GB), out of Marilyn Momoko]. This year's auction was the seventh Foal Select Sale and during the past seven years it has steadily enhanced bidders' rating and credibility, which is believed to be the major factor to have underpinned this year's great success.

When the numbers of enrolled horses and listed horses are compared between 2003 and 2004, in 2003 out of 300 enrolled horses, 276 were listed with 24 absentees, a relatively large number. Meanwhile in 2004, out of 315 enrolled horses, 308 were listed with only 7 absentees. The decrease in the number of absentee horses this year underscored breeders' strong desire to sell their horses, which is also believed to be one of the major reasons for the success.

http://www.jair.jrao.ne.jp/library/journal/v12n5/photo_02.jpg

Mr. Fusaro Sekiguchi, the winning bidder for Air Groove 2004, the most expensive foal in history at the auction of the Select Sale of foals on July 12, organized by the Japan Racing Horse Association at the Northern Horse Park in Tomakomai, Hokkaido.

[B]Stallions sired by Sunday Silence showed good performances.

This year, in place of Sunday Silence's foals, those of Dance in the Dark, sired by Sunday Silence, were prominently rated high on the market.

Before this auction, Tsurumaru Boy, a foal of Dance in the Dark, won the Yasuda Kinen (GI) on June 6, 2004, adding a momentum to the bids for other foals of Dance in the Dark. When breaking down this auction's total sales into individual stallions, out of 23 listed foals of Dance in the Dark, 18 were sold at an average price of 76,200,000 YEN for a total of 1,372,000,000 YEN, the highest sales for one stallion.

Following are the their successful bid prices of foals of other stallions which were also sired by Sunday Silence. Out of 25 listed foals of Agnes Tachyon , 21 were sold at an average price of 40,000,000 YEN for one horse. All 10 listed foals of Manhattan Cafe were sold at an average price of 29,700,000 YEN for one horse. Among foals of stallions which were not sired by Sunday Silence, those of Kurofune (USA) [by French Deputy (USA), out of Blue Avenue (USA)], Jungle Pocket [by Tony Bin (IRE), out of Dance Charmer (USA)], and Brian's Time (USA) [by Roberto (USA), out of Kelly's Day] were sold at high prices.

[B]Conformation and bloodlines of listed horses maintained high qualities.

There was a concern about an overall decrease in the qualities of listed horses this year due to no appearance of Sunday Silence's foals on the auction market. When I asked opinions about the qualities of the listed horses from some bidders, many of them said that their conformation and bloodlines maintained good qualities as high as those in the past. This factor is believed to have caused buyers to purchase the horses.

I will explain about a "horse imported in foal". A mare is covered or serviced overseas and gets in foal. Then she is imported to Japan, where she delivers. Her foal born in Japan is called a "horse imported in foal". This auction listed 28 horses imported in foal, a record-high level, out of which 22 were sold at an average price of 44,000,000 YEN for one horse, helped by their dams' good bloodlines and successful performances and by their outstanding sires ranked as first-class stallions, including Gone West (USA) , Fusaichi Pegasus (USA) [by Mr. Prosepctor, out of Angel Fever], and Seeking the Gold (USA) [by Mr. Prosepctor, out of Con Game].

The average price of 44,000,000 YEN for one horse imported in foal exceeded 32,820,000 YEN, the market's average sales for one horse sold. Among others, Seattle Sunset 2004 sired by Gone West was sold at the second highest price of 280,000,000 YEN during the two-day period. In this connection, sales results of last year's horses imported in foal also made a great success, given that 11 out of 12 listed horses in this category were sold at an average price of 61,000,000 YEN for one horse, which largely surpassed 33,520,000 YEN, the market's average sales for one horse sold. It is believed that JRHA, the organizer, lined up horses with high qualities in place of Sunday Silence' foals, as part of the measures to stimulate the auction, which certainly contributed to increasing sales to a great extent.



[B]There were more bidders with new buyers than in usual years.

http://www.jair.jrao.ne.jp/library/journal/v12n5/photo_03.jpg

Scene of Summer Sale of one-year-old horses on August 2~5 hosted by the Hidaka Bloodhorse Breeders' Association, at the Hokkaido Market in Shizunai-town, Hidaka, Hokkaido.

The heavy buyers of the Foal Select Sale, Mr. Fusaro Sekiguchi, Mr. Riichi Kondo, Mr. Masato Kaneko and the Big Red Farm Inc., with Mr. Shigeyuki Okada as president, participated in the auction this year as in the past. Mr. Sekiguch and Mr. Kondo bitterly contended with each other, as particularly exposed in the competitive bid for Air Groove 2004, which drew all the attention.

Mr. John Ferguson Bloodstock, one of the world's famous buyers, made no appearance last year, but he took part in this year's auction and bought 3 horses. With regard to new market participants, Danox Co. Ltd., a development company of business software, purchased 6 horses, and also Mr. Mizuki Noda, president of this company, bought 3 horses in his own name, all at very high bid prices.

It is believed that this auction invited these new heavy bidders, mainly because the Foal Select Sale sponsored by JRHA, (of which the Shadai Farm Group is the major member), has obtained a high rating and great credibility from buyers.

Other factors

Buyers are mostly business owners or managers and I believe that they could afford to buy horses in auctions, because of the recent favorable economic conditions. Since JRA's races always maintain the prize money at the same levels, it is this factor that stimulates bidders to buy, because they consider the prize money they gain will offset the bid prices.

Sales of One-year-old Horses

Summer Sale

The Summer Sale hosted by HBA has been emphasized as the most important auction, because this market has always listed the largest number of one-year-old horses in Japan. This year's Summer Sale was held at the Hokkaido Market in Shizunai-town for 4 days from August 2 to August 5, 2004.

A total of 1,031 horses composed of 568 colts and 463 fillies were listed, of these 203 colts and 91 fillies were sold. As a result, the sold-horse-ratio increased to 28.5% from 22.4% of the previous year and total sales also increased by 300,000,000 YEN to 1,656,270,000 YEN, compared to last year's sales. Both the sold-horse-ratio and total sales surpassed last year's levels for the first time in the past three years.


http://www.jair.jrao.ne.jp/library/journal/v12n5/photo_04.jpg

Dance in the Dark [by Sunday Silence (USA), out of Dancing Key (USA)], in the spotlight as the sire of Air Groove 2004, sold at the highest price in history at the JRHA auction of Select Sale of foals on July 12.

(Photo by Ms. Mikiko Ueda)

Among one-year-old colts, one sired by Dance in the Dark and out of Reborn Garnet was successfully bid at the highest price of 27,405,000 YEN. Among one-year-old fillies, one sired by Commander in Chief (GB) and out of Swamp Cat (USA) was successfully bid at the highest price of 12,600,000 YEN.

When average sales prices of individual stallions are compared, Dance in the Dark gained the highest average of 16,240,000 YEN, followed by Forty Niner (USA) at the second highest average of 12,180,000 YEN. Among new stallions, Bachir (IRE) won the highest average of 9,450,000 YEN, followed by Stay Gold at the second highest average of about 8,600,000 YEN, Meisho Doto (IRE) [by Big Stone (IRE), out of Princess Reema (USA)] at the third highest price of about 7,800,000 YEN, and Desert King (IRE) [Danehill (USA), out of Sabaah (USA)] at the fourth highest price of about 7,750,000 YEN. Among heavy buyers, JRA purchased 59 horses for 379,470,000 YEN. It was noteworthy that the Big Red Farm aggressively bought 20 horses for 117,450,000 YEN.

According to the organizer, it is believed that total sales increased due to the following factors: a gradual recovery of the Japanese economy, and increases in market deals and decreases in private sales helped by much effort to promote auctions. (See Table 2.)


Japan Racing Horse Association Foal Select Sales

Year Date Horses Listed Horses Sold Sold-Horse-Ratio (%) Total Sales (US$) Highest Price Average Price

2004 12 and 13 July 308 234 76.0 US$69,836,363 US$4,454,545 US$298,446

2003 7 and 8 July 276 211 76.5 US$58,493,333 US$2,750,000 US$279,333

2002 8 and 9 July 277 186 67.2 US$45,330,000 US$2,791,667 US$243,708

2001 Beginning of July 279 185 66.3 US$43,048,333 US$1,583,333 US$232,692

2000 Ditto 268 173 64.6 US$55,149,090 US$2,909,090 US$318,780

Table-2

Hidaka Bloodhorse Breeders' Association Summer Sales
Year Date Horses Listed Horses Sold Sold-Horse-Ratio (%) Total Sales (US$) Highest Price Average Price

2004 2 ~ 5 August 1031 294 28.5 US$15,057,000 US$249,136 US$51,214

2003 28 July ~ 6 August 1010 226 22.4 US$11,271,312 US$157,500 US$49,873

2002 End of July ~

Beginning of August 1078 266 24.7 US$13,140,487 US$149,625 US$49,400
2001 Ditto 1043 325 31.2 US$17,269,437 US$245,000 US$53,136
2000 Ditto 819 253 30.9 US$18,325,936 US$453,409 US$59,693


Note 1: Total sales, and highest and lowest prices are converted into US dollars at the rate of 110 YEN for one US dollar in 2000 and 2004 and at the rate of 120 YEN for one US Dollar in 2001,2002, and 2003.

Note 2: Total sales, and highest and lowest prices are all gross amounts with tax included in Table 2.

[B]Conclusion

When looking back on this year's auctions held to date, it is believed that economic recovery was reflected in them on one side, but on the other side, sluggish performances of current horseracing circles, particularly those of the run-down local government horseracing had negative effects on them. I believe that JRA's decreasing turnovers seriously affected them on the whole.

Until now, there were 15 auction markets. It is apparent that they were clearly divided into active and inactive markets. With respect to foal auctions, the Select Sale sponsored by JRHA improved the results much better than last year. The Select Sale hosted by HBA also achieved favorable results in both auctions of foals and one-year-old horses more than last year. In contrast with these favorable auctions, the Hachinohe Market's sold-horse-ratio declined to 15.1% and total sales fell well below last year's level.

As explained earlier, this year's Select Sale owed its success to the buildup of the organizer's efforts to sell as many horses as possible on the auction markets. When looking over this year's auctions, which gained good performances, I believe that the listing of high-quality horses determined their success. Concerning the three auctions which achieved exceptionally good outcomes this year, they rigorously screened bloodlines and conformation of many applied horses and selected as listed horses only those with high qualities. They also tried hard to minimize withdrawing horses just before the auctions and worked hard on providing good services for buyers. Moreover, horses traded on these markets have shown good performances in races, and greatly helped elevate the ratings of these auctions every year.

As described earlier, it is believed that this year's Hachinohe Market gravely backfired, mainly because it was directly affected by the local government horseracing's current slump. This market auctioned and traded horses at relatively low prices in previous years, so market participants involved in local government horseracing mostly came to the auction from all over the country.

This year, the entire local government horseracing was depressed to the extent that the Morioka horseracing in the home district of Tohoku raised the issue of its probable abolishment. I believe that it was this factor that hindered the Hachinohe Market from increasing sales.

Meanwhile there was encouraging news in this year's auctions. Horse owners of KRA and those of the Hong Kong Jockey Club visited the auction venues as buyers and actually bought 7 horses for the first time from Japanese auction markets, even though the number of horses they bought was little. In an effort to expand markets of Japanese-bred horses, JBBA bought research horses on auction markets and donated them to the Seoul Racehorse Owners Association. These research horses are expected to run in races in Seoul and Busan.

If they run successfully against Korean runners and show their good qualities and abilities, it is believed that JBBA can devise forward looking and proactive strategies to expand markets of home-bred horses in global terms.

It is generally acknowledged that all organizers of auctions have been making painstaking efforts to work out and implement various measures for the promotion and enhancement of auction markets. I sincerely hope that in future, all organizers will continue to compete with each other in reforming auction markets to become more easy-to-buy for buyers, thus contributing to a further development of Japan's auction markets.



http://www.jair.jrao.ne.jp/journal/v12n5/main.html

[imaufo]

RISING SONS: Inglis marketing manager Melissa O'Gorman has just returned from a visit to Japan, where she inspected two of the expensive two-year-olds purchased from last April's Easter Sale.

The colts involved were by Sunday Silence out of Sonoray and Fusaichi Pegasus from Dashing Eagle, which fetched $1.5m and $650,000 respectively.

Both are in the stable of leading Japanese trainer Mr Mori, who was the buyer of the $US8m ($10.46) Storm Cat yearling in Kentucky a couple of months ago.

The colts are in pre-training and hopefully will be ready to race by February, O'Gorman advised, adding that Mori would be returning to Australia for the major sales in 2005.

http://www.hollowayracingservices.com.au

[imaufo]

French Deputy Champion First Crop Sire in Japan

Arrowfield Stud shuttle stallion French Deputy has made an immediate impact with his first crop runners in Japan claiming the Champion First Season Sire title.


FRENCH DEPUTY


http://www.racenet.com.au/breeding/news_images/French_Deputy2.jpg

From 63 runners, French Deputy was represented with 23 winners who earned 340 million yen which was more than 70 million yen ahead of the second leading sire Meiner Love. Furthermore, French Deputy was Japan’s 2nd leading 2yo sire
overall with only perennial champion sire Sunday Silence ahead of him.

Although his 2004 runners were from his first Japanese bred crop, prior to this, French Deputy had enjoyed tremendous success with the handful of USA bred runners in Japan including Kurofune, a multiple G1 winner and the World Champion Miler of 2001 as well as G1 winning sprinter Nobo Jack. As a consequence, French Deputy was imported from America to stand his first season in Japan at Shadai Stallion Station in 2002.

From his first six crops bred in America, French Deputy's boasts exceptional figures. From 247 runners he has sired 186 winners (75.3% winners to runners) with a stakeswinners to runners ratio of 10.5% and he is credited with two champions among his six individual G1 winners – the abovementioned World Champion Miler Kurofune and USA Eclipse Award winner and triple G1 winner Left Bank. Furthermore, his progeny have been effective on both dirt and turf with 2 of his 6 G1 winners being on turf and a total of 8 stakeswinners on turf.

Like Dehere, who has been a leading sire in both hemispheres and was Leading Active Sire of Australia in 2003, French Deputy is by emerging sire of sires Deputy Minister. In addition to the Arrowfield duo, Deputy Minister is the sire of leading US based sires Awesome Again – sire of 2004 Breeders’ Cup winners Ghostzapper and Wilko - as well as Silver Deputy, and Touch Gold.

Overall, 2004 was a stellar year for Arrowfield stallions with four of the seven proven sires capturing Champion Sire titles. In addition to French Deputy, Danzero and Redoute’s Choice were champion sires in Australia with Danzero Champion
2yo Sire and Redoute’s Choice Champion First Season Sire. Making up the quartet was Hussonet who continued his dominance in Chile capturing both the 2004 Champion General Sire and Champion 2yo Sire titles.

“We try to stand stallions that suit local conditions and it’s rewarding that our current roster is proving to be successful,” said Arrowfield Managing Director John Messara.

Arrowfield Stud

[imaufo]

String of first-crop foals born to new stud horses



With the new year upon us, the breeding season for horses in the Hidaka region of Hokkaido starts in earnest.

In the past, foals born in January and February tended to be looked on unfavorably as it was believed the winter season was "too cold for foals to thrive" or "foals needed to eat green grass as soon as they were born." In recent years, however, Japan has seen advances in the care and raising of foals, and the trend to "produce early and race early" in growing in Japan as it is in America.

Just recently, as if in confirmation of this trend, some of Japan's new stud horses saw the births of their first foals.

The first foal by Wild Rush arrived Jan. 1. A filly, the foal was produced by Take My Heart at Sasamatsu Farm in Urakawa. Though born considerably earlier than expected, the filly is full of vigor and growing quickly. Foals by Wild Rush in the U.S. have enjoyed great success. U.S.-breds imported to Japan, such as Personal Rush (out of the Alydar mare Personally), an eye-popping winner of the Derby Grand Prix (JPN-G1) by nine lengths and traveled to join the Breeders' Cup Classic (USA-G1) in 2004, and other crops, have also been very active.

Despite talk of bringing Wild Rush back to the States, the syndicate says it has no intention of selling, indicating the great expectations placed on this new stud. The bloodline of this first-crop filly includes great grand-dam Victoria Crown, chosen Best 3-year-old in 1981 and Best 4-year-old Filly in 1982, both in Japan.

On Jan. 5, a "first son" was also born to Symboli Kris S, Horse of the Year in 2003 and holder of the record for most coverings last year. His first colt is related to the famous stallion Seeking the Gold (sire of Meiner Love). His dam is the American-born Kitten Tricks (by Stormcat). The foal was born at Shiraoi Farm, one of the Shadai Group.

Jan. 2 saw the birth of another foal at Shiraoi, a filly by Falbrav (who beat Symboli Kris S in the Japan Cup in 2002). The mare is Great Fever (by Kaldoun). This filly was also born early but reportedly doing well and frolicking in her pasture.


http://horseracing.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jair.jrao.ne.jp% 2Findex2.html

[imaufo]

Symboli Kris S Popular at Foal Sale


http://www.jair.jrao.ne.jp/topics/image/t10167.jpg http://www.jair.jrao.ne.jp/special/awrd2002/body/image/a01_02.jpg


Three colts broke the U.S$1 million barrier at the opening session of the Japan Racing Horse Association Foal Sale at Northern Horse Park. Top price of 210million yen (US1,875,000) was paid by Danox Co. Ltd. for a half brother to this seasons starr 3yo filly Rhein Kraft (End Sweep) from the first crop of Horse Of The Year Symboli Kris S.

http://channels.bloodhorse.com/images/content/SymboliKrisSEmpCupAP.jpg

Japanese Horse of the Year Symboli Kris S, winning the Emperor's Cup.


Winner of the Oka Sho (Jpn Gr1) (Japanese 1000 Guineas) and the NHK Mile (Jpn G1), Rhein Kraft is one of three winner produced by the unplaced Sunday Silence mare Must Be Loved , a full sister to Group 1 winner Admire Max.

The progeny of Symboli Kris S were in much demand on the opening day. His daughter out of the Group 1 winning Caerleon mare Shinko Lovely was the top priced filly of the session at 51million yen (US$455,357).

Northern Farm also consigned the second top lot, a half brother to three stakes winners colt by the promising young Sunday Silence stallion Admire Vega, which was snapped up by Nobutaka Tada for 170million yen (US$1,517,857).

The colt is the seventh foal of the Nureyev mare Fairy Doll, which has already left the Japanese Group 1 winning filly To The Victory (Sunday Silence) who covered herself in glory when second to Captain Steve in the Dubai World Cup (G1).

Takaya Shimakawa outlaid 120million yen (US$1,071,429) for Shadai Farm’s Agnes Tachyon (Sunday Silence) colt out of the Lancashire Oaks (G3) winner Fanjica (Law Society). The colt is a three-quarter brother to Group 2 winner and Japanese Derby third Higher game (Sunday Silence).

Some other sales of interest were a Fasliyev colt (US$803,571), Fusaichi Pegasus colt (US$723,214), colt from the first crop of Falbrav (US$607,143), Jungle Pocket colt (US$607,143), Langfuhr colt (US$580,357), Giant’s Causeway colt (US$464,286), French Deputy (US$455,357), Grass Wonder colt ($US$267,857) and a Twining colt (US$223,214).

The sale concludes tomorrow.

By: Mark Smith - Monday, 11 July 2005