Deep Impact the headline act yet again as JRHA Select Sale draws to a close

It was a nearly identical story to the yearlings auctioned 24 hours earlier at the JRHA Select Sale as a Deep Impact colt foal stood out on his own during Tuesday’s foal session.

Riichi Kondo had swooped for the mighty Japanese stallion’s top lot, consigned by Northern Farm on Monday, when picking up a son of smart international mare Musical Way for ¥360,000,000 (£2,647,000/$3,273,000), and the major owner had to go even higher to acquire his best foal.

It came through Tiznow mare Titan Queen, who was placed in America but has proved far more influential in the world of breeding. She has already delivered Japanese Grade 3 scorer Strong Titan, Saratoga Grade 3 winner Fashion Alert and Renee’s Titan, who landed the Grade 2 Santa Ynez Stakes at Santa Anita in 2013.

Her meeting with Deep Impact presented an arresting colt (lot 358), who took the Northern Horse Park by storm as he eventually reached an astronomical ¥470,000,000 (£3,466,000/$4,273,000), the fourth highest price at the foal session of the JRHA Select Sale.

"My trainer, Yasuo Tomomichi, is very keen for me to buy him, which was quite unusual," Kondo said of the sales topper. "I paid ¥580,000,000 for a Deep Impact colt here two year ago, which was more expensive than today's one, though I think today's colt is a better one at this point of the Select Sale."

Tomonichi added: "He has everything. Beautiful conformation and he's a very good mover. And I like his head particularly, which gives me a special feeling."

It comfortably exceeded the second top lot of the day, another Deep Impact from Katsumi Yoshida’s Northern Farm.

This particular youngster (400) hails from one of Japan’s grandest families, with his unraced mother Venenciador, by King Kamehameha, being a half-sister to such names as To The Victory, Silent Deal and Be Positive.

The foal is a full-brother to Denim And Ruby, who was beaten a whisker in both the Japan Cup and Takarazuka Kinen, and it took the Danox Co Ltd some ¥290,000,000 (£2,138,000/$2,636,000) to get him.

Offspring of Lord Kanaloa were also in demand, with the smart stallion responsible for the third highest figure of the day (382).

Yoshihisa Ozasa went to ¥270,000,000 (£1,991,000/$2,455,000) for the grey son of four-time winner Admire Temba, who is from the immediate family of luminaries Admire Groove and Duramente.

Ozasa, the chairman of Link and Motivation Inc, a consulting company for business organisations, said: "My bloodstock adviser recommends this colt strongly. Though I have bought some expensive foals by King Kamehameha in the last couple of years, I am here this year to find a nice colt by Lord Kanaloa, which has more speed than his sire, King Kamehameha. The price was much more than I expected."

International buyers were on the ground, too, with Australian Gai Waterhouse swooping for a colt by Rulership (337) and North American owners Gary Barber and Charles Fipke getting in on the act through the day.

New record figures were set throughout at the foal session. Through 194 foals sold for an aggregate of ¥9,784,000,000 (£72,132,000/$88,945,455), there was an increase of 18.5 per cent on 2018. The average price of ¥50,432,990 (£372,000/$458,482) was 25.2 per cent higher and the clearance rate improved from 88.7 per cent in 2018 to 89.8 per cent in 2019.

As there had also been new bests for trade on the opening session it gave the event, which was inaugurated in 1998, a rosy look in the round.

"The market was very strong and it was a really good sale, especially for Northern Farm, which is run by my brother," Teruya Yoshida, the active chairman of the JRHA, commented with a laugh at the conclusion of the sale.

"We have received many first-time visitors from foreign countries this year and I am very glad to hear that they are saying the quality of Japanese-bred horses is very high. I am also very impressed to see unproven new stallions are very popular. And I am delighted to see many new buyers, who enjoy all activities at the sales ground. It is really good for horseracing and the breeding industry.

"I do hope the horses bought here yesterday and today will run well at racecourses."

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