Deep Impact colt from penultimate crop sells for £3.35 million in Japan

A colt from the penultimate crop of the late, great Deep Impact has sold for ¥517,110,000 (approximately £3.35m/€3.9m) at the Chiba Thoroughbred Sale in Japan.

The two-year-old is out of the Irish-bred mare Premier Steps, who was placed at Group/Grade 3 level in France and the United States.

She began her career with Tom Dascombe, winning an Ascot maiden before finishing third in the Albany and then being beaten just a short neck in the Prix du Calvados on what was to prove her final start for the trainer before the switch to the US.

Sold by Shadai Farm, the Japanese sale blockbusting colt, whose price tag includes tax, was purchased by Susumu Fujita, who founded website and online blog and TV platform CyberAgent in 1998 and whose net worth is given by Forbes as $2 billion.

All but two of the 59 lots at the Chiba Thoroughbred Sale were sold, for gross revenues of ¥1,513,270,000.

Deep Impact, who died due to a fracture of the cervical spine in July 2019, was the winner of the Japanese Triple Crown during his stellar racing career and subsequently became a worldwide phenomenon for Shadai Stallion Station.

The son of Kentucky Derby and Preakness hero Sunday Silence, Deep Impact is responsible for the likes of top-class Japanese performers A Shin Hikari, Contrail and Fierement, as well as top-class European runners such as 2,000 Guineas winner Saxon Warrior, Prix de Diane heroine Fancy Blue and Prix du Jockey Club victor Study Of Man.

His legacy continues to live on through the exploits of many other top-class performers, such as Glory Vase, Gran Alegria, Beauty Parlour, Dee Majesty and Satono Diamond.

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