Kamunyak rolls back the years for Andrasch Starke and sire Black Tide in Japanese Oaks

Kamunyak's last-gasp victory in Sunday's Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) brought a welcome return to the spotlight for her venerable sire Black Tide.

Now 24, Black Tide is known most particularly for being the older brother of the late Deep Impact, the breed-shaping son of Sunday Silence and Wind In Her Hair.

Unlike Deep Impact, he has not been a champion on the track or off it but had a decent career, racing until he was seven and winning three of his 22 starts including the Grade 2 Fuji TV Sho Spring Stakes. 

By some way his finest achievement from his long tenure at Breeders Stallion Station has been siring Kitasan Black, Japanese champion in 2016 and 2017 and winner of all of its signature middle-distance races. He is now at the top of the tree in the domestic stallion ranks as the sire of the sensational Equinox.

Kamunyak carries the same yellow, blue and black colours of Kaneko Makoto Holdings as both Deep Impact and Black Tide and was already one of her father's seven Graded winners when taking last month's Grade 2 Flora Stakes at the same track. 

She was brought wide and late by Andrasch Starke down the home straight but it seemed to take an age for her to finally wear down Grade 1 winner and Guineas runner-up Arma Veloce before she poked her head in front on the line. Guineas winner Embroidery, stepping up half a mile in trip, did not have the run of the race in ninth.

Andrasch Starke savours his first Japanese Grade 1Credit: Masakazu Takahashi

It was a notable moment for German legend Starke, who has been riding under a short-term license since March 9. His first Grade 1 in Japan also made him the oldest Oaks-winning jockey at the age of 51.

“The pace was not so fast in the last second half of the race and before the homestretch, I moved to the outside where she responded very well," he said.

"She’s an amazing horse – she just won four weeks ago. It was important that she was very relaxed today, she put in a sound performance and her ability was amazing. For me, it has been a dream to win a Grade 1 race in Japan and I have no words, my dream came true. I'd like to say thank you to the all connections who supported me in these last three months. I'm hoping to do my best as there may be a chance to ride in the Derby next week."

Kamunyak, bred by Shadai Farm, is the fifth foal out of Dance Amiga, a useful five-time winner by Sakura Bakushin O who has already produced Graded-placed Lord Kanaloa colt Keep Calm. Dance Amiga's grand-dam, Dance Partner (also by Sunday Silence), was a winner of the Japanese Oaks in 1995 and was switched to France, running sixth in that season's Prix Vermeille behind her temporary Corine Barande-Barbe stablemate Carling.

Black Tide is standing at a private fee and his numbers have become far smaller. Kamunyak was one of only 22 foals born to him in 2022, with his book of mares dwindling to single figures in recent seasons. Dance Amiga produced a two-year-old colt by Kizuna and had a filly by Epiphaneia this year.

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