Shadai Stallion Station's Deep Impact lived up to his name July 10-11, as the leading Japanese sire produced the top-priced individuals at the Japan Racing Horse Association's selected foal and yearling sale.
The second-highest price in the 20-year history of JRHA's selected sale was established July 11 when Japanese owner Riichi Kondo went to ¥580 million (US$5.087 million) for a son of Deep Impact produced from French group 1 winner Elusive Wave. Consigned as Hip 362 by Katsumi Yoshida's Northern Farm, the bay colt foaled Jan. 27 of this year is out of an Elusive City mare who won the group 1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches.
The highest price in the sale's history is ¥600 million, paid by Globe Equine Management for a filly foal by King Kamehameha out of To the Victory at the 2006 JRHA sale.
Kondo said part of his motivation in going as high as he did to secure the colt was to ensure that he remained in Japan, where he will be trained by Yasuo Tomomichi.
"Both myself and my trainer are determined we have to buy this colt," Kondo said. "I visited Northern Farm for four or five times to inspect foals and I have found this colt has everything. He is very well-balanced, has a nice head, and I feel an aura around him. JRHA is international market and the buyers from foreign countries are active. I don't want to let such treasure to flow out of Japan. I have prepared to pay this kind of money to buy him, after seeing the market, which is very strong."
During Monday's yearling session, Satomi Hajime won a protracted seven-minute bidding war to secure a colt by Deep Impact produced from the Sadler's Wells group 1-winning mare Listen for ¥270 million (US$2.366 million).
The sale's gross of ¥17,327,000,000 (US$151,807,000) for 406 horses sold was a two-day JRHA record, as was the average price of ¥42,677,340 (US$373,908), and 87.9% clearance rate.
"The market is very strong and I am very happy with the result," said Teruya Yoshida, acting chairman of JRHA. "Japanese breeders have spent a lot of money to buy mares with wonderful race records and beautiful pedigrees during the last decade, and I think the quality of Japanese-bred horses has improved significantly. And I think this year's catalog of JRHA sale is one of the best catalogs in the world.
"And I am impressed to see new buyers are active at every price range, from the top to the bottom," Yoshida continued. "I understand we must keep working hard to improve the quality of horses we breed, but I would like to enjoy the moments today after having such a good sale."
