Japan’s Select Sale sets new records

One way to measure the quality and strength of  Japan’s record-setting JRHA Select Yearling Sale, held on Monday, is to compare its key statistics with those of the 2019 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.  

The global recognition of Japan’s supersire Deep Impact is obvious and his dominance of domestic racing is matched by his dominance of the yearling market. The 7-time Champion Sire’s 2019 prizemoney is already more than twice that of his nearest rival Heart’s Cry whose JRHA Yearling average is $856,174.

Returns against current service fee show that Deep Impact is not the only sire whose progeny is in demand.  His average is around 3.3 times his fee of ¥40 million (~$530,000); Harbinger achieved a multiple of 11;  King Kamehameha – 8.9; Rulership – 8.7; Heart’s Cry – 8; leading 2nd Season sire Just A Way – 7.6; Lord Kanaloa – 3.7; and the first yearlings by King Kamehameha’s Champion 3YO son Duramente averaged 9.2 times his 2019 fee.

In that context, the results achieved by the first-crop yearlings of Arrowfield shuttlers Maurice and Mikki Isle are more than pleasing. All of Maurice’s 13 lots were sold, averaging almost $340,000 – 6.4 times his Japanese fee. His top price of ~$690,000  was paid for the half-brother to Group 1 winner Normcore (ex Chronologist), by the Sale’s leading buyer Makoto Kaneko, who raced not only Deep Impact, but also King Kamehameha and Kurofune. 

Mikki Isle’s three lots sold for an average of $286,863, or 14.4 times his 2019 fee. His top-priced yearling was Lot 160, Northern Farm’s filly out of the Harbinger mare Schiroinger, a daughter of multiple stakeswinner Yukichan. Her buyer at ~$345,000 was Nagoya Keiba Co. Ltd.

Japan’s current leading First Season Sire Real Impact, whose first Australian 2YOs race in 2019/20, also had three yearlings sell for an average 0f $353,062 – a handsome 33 times his Japanese fee. His top price of ~$530,000 was paid by Masahiro Noda’s Danox Co. Ltd for the Northern Farm colt out of Abundant, a Harbinger mare descended from a half-sister to 1991 Japan Cup winner Golden Pheasant. Danox has achieved notable racing success with the likes of Danon Platina, Danon Premium, Danon Shark, Danon Fantasy & Danon Smash. 

Tuesday’s Foal Sale also set new marks for total sales ($129,538,000), average price ($667,723) and clearance (89.8%), and the top price of $6.2 million was paid for Northern Farm’s Deep Impact-Titan Queen colt. The buyer was Riichi Kondo who signed for the top-priced yearling too. 

Maurice & Mikki Isle (himself a JRHA Sale graduate) were both represented at the Foal Sale, averaging about $374,000 and $595,000 respectively. 

Both of their top-priced foals were offered by Northern Farm. The Mikki Isle colt out of US Grade 2 winner Shes All Eltish made ~$925,000, while the Maurice filly from Chilean Horse of the Year Belle Watling was knocked down to G. Riviere Racing for ~$795,000.

The first Australian yearlings by Mikki Isle and Maurice will be offered at the 2020 sales and both stallions, along with new Deep Impact son Real Steel, will shuttle to Arrowfield for the upcoming breeding season. 

All ¥ to $A conversions calculated on 10 July 2019.