24 January, 2018
Champion Two-Year-Old Colt: Danon Premium(JPN)
The son of Deep Impact(JPN) who looks a lot like his grandsire Sunday Silence(USA) was the obvious choice for Champion Two-Year-Old. His easy victory in the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes last month locked the title down, but he had shown in his two previous races, which included the G3 Saudi Arabia Royal Cup, just how special he was. The black colt will be lined up to play a major roll in the 2018 Classic season with his next start potentially being the G2 Yayoi Sho on March 4th at Nakayama, which is run under the same 2000m conditions as the G1 Satsuki Sho(Japanese 2000 Guineas).
Champion Two-Year-Old Filly: Lucky Lilac(JPN)
The chestnut daughter of Orfevre(JPN) has two graded stakes wins to her name, including the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, making her the obvious choice for best in her generation. She will be preparing for the filly classics in the coming months with her next start likely being G2 Tulip Sho on March 2nd at Hanshin, which is run under the same conditions as the G1 Oka Sho(Japanese 1000 Guineas).
Champion Three-Year-Old Colt: Rey de Oro(JPN)
Unlike a lot of Derby winners lately, Rey de Oro(JPN) was able to keep his form up going into the fall while also running against older horses. While he didn't make as many starts as his filly counterpart on this list, he performed well running a gallant second to in the G1 Japan Cup, beating Kitasan Black(JPN) and closing in on winner Cheval Grand(JPN). He'll make his first start of 2018 in the G2 Kyoto Kinen on February 11th before heading to Dubai for the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic.
Champion Three-Year-Old Filly: Soul Stirring(JPN)
While her fall attempt at running against older males didn't yield the results her connections were hoping for, her G1 Japanese Oaks win and reputation earned her this championship title. The world's best daughter of Frankel(GB) had 42 more votes than Mozu Katchan(JPN), despite the Harbinger(GB) filly's excellent win against older fillies and mares in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Hai. Her connections still have high hopes for the filly's four-year-old season, with her first start back will likely be the G1 Victoria Mile in May before traveling to Royal Ascot in June and then to America for the Breeders' Cup.
Champion Older Horse: Kitasan Black(JPN)
There was only one choice for this category, and it was the 2016 reigning Horse of the Year Kitasan Black(JPN), who made his final turn on the turf a winning one in the G1 Arima Kinen on Christmas Eve. He ended the year with four G1 wins making him the only horse in Japan to win multiple G1s on the turf last year.
Champion Older Mare: Vivlos(JPN)
It was a disappointing year for older mares in Japan with three-year-old Mozu Katchan(JPN) turning back older generations in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Hai and none of them competing particularly well against their male counterparts. The top honor went to Vivlos(JPN) who beat older males in the G1 Dubai Turf back in March. While she came back tired after her trip, it was a race that was not easily forgotten for the journalists voting for this award. She secured 194 votes while her only real competition, G1 Victoria Mile winner Admire Lead(JPN) received 49 votes. Her next start will be the G2 Nakayama Kinen on February 25th.
Champion Sprinter: Red Falx(JPN)
The son of the late Swept Overboard(USA) bloomed late in 2016 to win the G1 Sprinters Stakes. His 2017 was a banner year for him with a third-place finish in the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen in March followed by a win in the G2 Keio Hai Spring Cup in May. His connections extended the talented sprinter to a mile in the G1 Yasuda Kinen which ended with a decent third place finish. After a summer break, he came back fresh to pull off a rare double of back to back Sprinter Stakes earning him his first championship title. He'll likely make his first 2018 start in the G3 Hankyu Hai on February 25th before trying again at the Takamatsunomiya Kinen in March.
Champion Dirt Horse: Gold Dream(JPN)
Another horse who pulled off a rare double was this son of the late Gold Allure(JPN), who won the G1 February Stakes in February and the G1 Champions Cup in December. Keeping your winning form is hard for any horse over the course of a year, and it took him several months to regain it after a tiring trip to Dubai. But his peak came at the right time to end the year on a career high. Gold Dream(JPN) will continue on in 2018 with his first run back being the February Stakes on February 18th, where he will try to become only the second horse to win it two years in a row.
Champion Steeplechaser: Oju Chosan(JPN)
There was only one choice for Champion Steeplechaser as he was the reigning champion who won both of the G1 Steeplechases in 2016 and again in 2017. Oju Chosan(JPN) by the late Stay Gold(JPN) thrilled fans by staying undefeated in 2017. He won the G2 Hanshin Spring Jump in March before capturing his second G1 Nakayama Grand Jump in April. He took the summer off and came back in the G2 Tokyo High Jump where he demolished the competition. While he didn't need the win to receive this honor, he secured his second G1 Nakayama Daishogai in December in record time. He has extended his win streak to eight races in a row and looks to continue it in 2018.
Horse of the Year: Kitasan Black(JPN)
While two people voted for jumper Oju Chosan(JPN) to be horse of the year thanks to his perfect season, the other 287 votes went reigning horse of the year Kitasan Black(JPN). As mentioned above his four G1 titles last year made him the obvious choice for this illustrious title. Last year he won races between 2000m and 3200m and was obviously Japan's best horse in training from start to finish. He has been retired to Shadai Stallion Station where he will start stud duties in the coming weeks for ¥5,000,000(US$44,643).
Award for Leading Trainer with the Most Wins: Yasutoshi Ikee
Award for Leading Trainer with the Most Earnings: Yasutoshi Ikee
Yasutoshi Ikee needs little introduction on the international stage. Being the son of Deep Impact's trainer is now a minor footnote on an illustrious training career that has seen him train the likes of Orfevre(JPN), Satono Diamond(JPN), Dream Journey(JPN), and Lovely Day(JPN). Last year alone he had G1 winners: Al Ain(JPN), Satono Aladdin(JPN), and Persian Knight(JPN). This is his second time being Leading Trainer in the JRA. In 2008 he came out on top with 51 wins, ten years later, however, he ended the year with 63 wins. Breaking the 60 win barrier is not an easy feat in the JRA which only holds racing on the weekends and limits the number of active horses in training each trainer can have. This is his fourth time being named Leading Trainer With The Most Earnings, having earned that title in 2011, 2012 and 2015. In 2017 his stable earned ¥1,847,366,000(US$16,494,339).
Award for Trainer with the Best Win Percentage: Mitsumasa Nakauchida
The trainer of Danon Premium(JPN) had a year that in many ways was personified in the success of his champion colt. Mitsumasa Nakauchida launched his stable in 2014 and won his first graded stakes in 2016. It was last year however that the young trainer really blossomed, winning four G3s and his first G1, the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes with Danon Premium(JPN). While it might take a few more years to reach leading trainer status, he is well on his way with a 21.4% strike rate.
Award for Training Excellence: Noriyuki Hori
This award focuses on not just number of races won or purse money accumulated but on the delicate art that is horse training. Noriyuki Hori has been a highly regarded horseman for years, and this is his second consecutive Award for Training Excellence. He was the only Japanese trainer to have won a race abroad last year when Neorealism(JPN) won the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup in Hong Kong in the spring. He also trained 2017 G1 Takarazuka Kinen winner Satono Crown.
Award for Leading Jockey with the Most Wins: Christophe Lemaire
Award for Leading Jockey with the Most Earnings: Christophe Lemaire
Most Valuable Jockey Award: Christophe Lemaire
Christophe Lemaire earned his JRA Jockey License in 2015, and despite having had the best strike rate in 2015 and 2016, he was unable to unseat Keita Tosaki, who took home the Leading Jockey title and MVJ title three years in a row. However, last year Lemaire dominated his competition, winning 199 races, 28 more wins than runner-up Tosaki. This is his second time in a row having the highest earnings in the JRA, with him earning ¥4,146,220,000(US$37,019,821) last year. His notable wins for 2017 were: G1 Japanese Derby, G1 Japanese Oaks, G1 Shuka Sho, G1 Victoria Mile.
Award for Leading Jockey with the Best Win Percentage: Mirco Demuro
Mirco Demuro, like Lemaire, received his JRA Jockey License in 2015. Since then he has shown exceptional skill at winning races. Since his license in 2015 started in March, he was two months behind his Japanese counterparts that year. He did quite well in 2016, but Lemaire ended the year with the best win percentage. Last year he focused on quality over quantity and ended the year with an exceptional 25.7% strike rate which included 171 wins and six G1 victories in the JRA.
Leading Owner: Sunday Racing
Sunday Racing Club is the main racing club for Northern Farm and over the past ten years they has been leading owner three times and been second for the other seven years. In 2017 they earned ¥2,972,664,000(US$26,541643) and won 133 races in the JRA including 15 graded stakes. They won four G1 races including the Satsuki Sho(Japanese 2000 Guineas), NHK Mile, Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, and the Hopeful Stakes. They also had two G2 wins and nine G3 wins. They were leading owner three years in a row, from 2004 to 2006 and it is a feat they could accomplish again if they have a great 2018 racing season.
Leading Breeder: Northern Farm
Northern Farm, owned by Katsumi Yoshida, has achieved Leading Breeders status in Japan for eight out of the past ten years, having been just barely beaten by his older brother Teruya Yoshida's Shadai Farm in 2009 and 2010. It is familiar name at all of the elite breeding stock sales around the world where they are willing to spend millions on the best mares other countries have to offer. Last year they had 1178 runners, 446 winners, and 592 wins in the JRA alone, who earned ¥14,560,765,000(US$130,006,830). Their horses captured ten G1 races including the Japan Cup, Japanese Derby, Takarazuka Kinen, Yasuda Kinen, Satsuki Sho, Victoria Mile, NHK Mile, Shuka Sho, February Stakes, and the Champions Cup. They also captured 15 G2s and another 20 G3 races.
112JPY=1USD
Disclaimer: All awards dealing with earnings and statistics are based only on racing in the Japan Racing Association tracks. National Association of Racing and International Racing is not included in the calculations.
Please contact our representative below for further details:
Satomi Oka (Ms)
Satomi Oka Bloodstock Pty Ltd
E-mail : satomi@bloodstock.jp
Tel : +61 414 414 450