New generation of Shadai super sires rising in the east

While Japan’s Deep Impact continues to rule the world as leading sire by progeny earnings, just as he has since 2012, a new era in Japanese breeding is beginning to dawn at the Shadai Stallion Station on the island of Hokkaido.

There will be no challenger for Deep Impact’s title any time soon, but an unprecedented brigade of well-bred and highly accomplished young stallions is poised to contribute to the Yoshida brothers’ articulated goal of dominating racing worldwide.

Ten Shadai stallions will have their first foals, yearlings or juveniles in 2017, and that list is topped by the likes of Japanese Triple Crown winner and twice Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe runner-up Orfevre; Just a Way, rated the world’s best racehorse of 2014; Lord Kanaloa, who twice won the Hong Kong Sprint and reigned as 2013 Japanese Horse of the Year, and 2013 German Horse of the Year Novellist, a Group 1 winner in Britain, France, Germany and Italy.

As international visitors arrive for the two-day Japan Racing Horse Association select sale at the Northern Horse Park, they can almost see the future in the shape of these young stallions.

Deep Impact: the daddy of them all at ShadaiCredit: Michele MacDonald

Another pair, Maurice - a six-time Group 1 winner in Japan and Hong Kong - and Duramente - a Japanese champion, dual Classic winner and runner-up to Postponed in the 2016 Dubai Sheema Classic - have just completed their first seasons at stud.

An additional boon for Shadai has been the return to normal stud duty by King Kamehameha, who was displaced by Deep Impact as the world’s leading sire in 2012 but who has ranked a strong second globally every year since then. While hampered by equine herpes in recent past seasons, he was able to handle a book of about 130 mares this year at age 16.

Following is an update on some of the leading Shadai stallions, both established and promising.

Deep Impact

Shadai Corp spokesperson Keisuke Miwa reported that Sunday Silence’s best son serviced a book of approximately 230 mares this year, including about 20 owned by persons or entities from outside Japan. Those foreign-based mares were sent by owners such as Alain and Gerard Wertheimer, Coolmore, the Niarchos family and Middle East-based stables, although Miwa said he could not release details.

Teruya, Katsumi and Haruya Yoshida, the brothers who own and operate the Shadai Stallion Station, have made sure Deep Impact has enjoyed one of the best groups of broodmares in the world during his stud career. His current yearling crop of 153 includes foals out of the likes of American Horse of the Year Azeri, German Horse of the Year Night Magic, French Classic winner Sarafina and Irish Classic winner Samitar.

Deep Impact covered about ten mares on southern hemisphere time in 2016 and he could also serve a few on that timetable this year, Miwa said.

Lord Kanaloa

Among the young stallions at Shadai, Lord Kanaloa stands out not only for his race record but for his quick start at stud. While juvenile racing does not begin in earnest until the autumn in Japan, the son of King Kamehameha out of Lady Blossom, by Storm Cat, already has three winners.

Lord Kanaloa: extremely popular with Japanese breedersCredit: Michele MacDonald

Miwa said Lord Kanaloa covered about 240 mares this year and has been very popular since he first entered stud.

“His foals are very straightforward - they are easy to take care of, easy to break and train, and now the jockeys say they are easy to ride,” he added. “Since his first foals were born, everyone has been talking about him.”

Kizuna

Although his first foals arrived only this spring, Kizuna is already viewed as the possible heir to his sire, Deep Impact. The winner of the 2013 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) and Prix Niel in France, Kizuna covered about 210 mares this year following his first book of over 250.

Produced by the Storm Cat mare Catequil, Kizuna is a bigger, more elegant version of his sire and so far is producing correct foals with scope, Miwa said. He is represented by 15 members of his first crop in the JRHA sale, including colts out of Preis der Diana winner Feodora, by Lord Of England, and French Group 1-placed Epic Love, by Dansili.

Orfevre

He sired his first winner at Hakodate only on Sunday, but the 2011 Japanese Horse of the Year was not expected to be a sire of precocious runners due not only to his Classic style but also because he is by the late-blooming Stay Gold.

Orfevre: covered a glittering book of maresCredit: Michele MacDonald

Orfevre covered about 190 mares this year and has 154 foals in his first crop, including many out of Grade/Group 1 winners such as Lily of the Valley, by Galileo; Sahpresa, by Sahm; Wickedly Perfect, by Congrats; Ticker Tape, by Royal Applause; Laragh, by Tapit; Singhalese, by Singspiel, and CS Silk, by Medaglia D’Oro.

“He’s had good mares, so he has a very good chance to succeed,” said Teruya Yoshida.

Maurice

Japan’s 2015 Horse of the Year and a stunning individual, Maurice was given a huge vote of confidence by Northern Farm owner Katsumi Yoshida, who sent super mare Gentildonna to the first-year stallion. Gentildonna, Japan’s Horse of the Year for 2012 and 2014, had previously produced a filly and a colt by King Kamehameha.

Overall, Maurice received about 230 mares, Miwa said.

“He is so popular that I can’t get into him,” joked Teruya Yoshida, who booked ten mares to the son of Screen Hero including American Grade 1 winner Backseat Rhythm.

Maurice was scheduled to go into quarantine after the JRHA sale for shuttle duty to Arrowfield Stud in Australia, joining Real Impact, a son of Deep Impact who won elite races in Australia and Japan and whose first foals arrived this spring. Another top son of Deep Impact, Mikki Isle, also was due to stand at Arrowfield for the southern hemisphere season.

Novellist

With one winner to his credit and several other promising juveniles, Novellist has been a pleasant surprise to those who thought he would sire less precocious individuals.

Novellist: already off the mark as a freshman even though his progeny should be late bloomersCredit: Michele MacDonald

“His two-year-olds are beautiful,” said Teruya Yoshida of the 103 members of the stallion’s first crop.

About 110 mares were booked to the stallion this season.

Just a Way and Epiphaneia

Ranked as the world’s top two runners of 2014, Just a Way and Epiphaneia have, respectively, their first yearlings and first foals this season.

By Heart’s Cry, Just a Way has 136 yearlings in his initial crop with five entered in the JRHA sale, including a pair of colts out of German Group 2 winner Selkis and French Group 3 winner Pirika. Both those mares are by Monsun.

Epiphaneia: won the Japanese St LegerCredit: Michele MacDonald

“They look good,” Teruya Yoshida said of the Just a Way yearlings. “He will be successful. He gives them a well-made body, and they are not too big but strong.”

Just a Way was bred to about 120 mares this year, while Epiphaneia received over 200.

By Symboli Kris S and winner of the 2013 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger) and 2014 Japan Cup, Epiphaneia has 17 foals catalogued in the JRHA sale, including a colt out of a half-sister to multiple European Group 1 winner and sire Manduro.

Duramente

Like Lord Kanaloa, Duramente is a highly regarded possible successor to his sire, King Kamehameha. Although plagued with physical problems, including chip fractures in both front legs during his three-year-old season, the dual Classic winner adds a superior pedigree to his racetrack achievements, which made him very desirable to breeders in his first year at stud.

“He’s got so many mares more than 250 - so breeders forgive his faults,” Miwa said.

Duramente is out of Sunday Silence’s champion daughter Admire Groove, who in turn is a daughter of champion Air Groove.

Eishin Flash

The Japanese Derby winner of 2010 and a son of King’s Best, Eishin Flash has five yearlings and five foals in the JRHA sale after already delivering two winners from his first crop of 133 juveniles. He covered about 145 mares this season, Miwa said.

Heart’s Cry

A Shadai stalwart, the champion son of Sunday Silence is thriving after delivering international elite winners Just a Way, who captured the Dubai Duty Free, and Admire Rakti, who won the Caulfield Cup.

“The quality of the mares visiting him is almost as good as those visiting Deep Impact,” Miwa said, a comment validated by the JRHA catalogue, which includes Heart’s Cry yearlings such as the half brother to Belmont Stakes winner Palace Malice and a colt out of Grade 1 winner Gaviola, as well as foals out of New Zealand Group 1 winner Kirramosa, Argentine champion Seresta and other South American elite winners Juhyana and Feel The Race.