26 April, 2018
The 2018 Hokkaido Sale Training Sale has officially released catalog of 248 two-year-olds to be offered on May 22nd in Sapporo. To date, this sale has produced three G1 winners including six-time G1 winner and Horse of the Year Maurice(JPN), three-time JPN1 winner Hishi Miracle(JPN), and G1 Tenno Sho (SPRING) winner Jaguar Mail(JPN). Other notable graduates include G2 winner Cross Krieger(JPN) as well as G3 winners Kikuno Storm(JPN), Rhein Meteor(JPN), Pray and Real(JPN) and Tokei Tiger(JPN). Training sales in Japan have evolved a lot over the past three decades with the majority of the above-mentioned success being achieved in the past ten years.
Markets in Japan have been slowly shifting focus from the selling of foals to more mature horses. It was only seven years ago when the Hokkaido Training Sale had over 200 lots to offer for the first time and just last year had a record gross of ¥1,285,092,000(USD$11,507,227). This year bring 248 lots to auction with 137 colts and 111 fillies. Notable pedigrees going into the sale are Hip 129, a Vermilion(JPN) filly out of 3 time Brazilian G1 winner Be Fair(BRZ), Hip 138 a Just a Way(JPN) half-brother to G1 winner Oro Meister(JPN), Hip 45 a Workforce(GB) half-brother to G2 winner and Derby runner-up Smile Jack(JPN), and Hip 94 a Pas de Trois(JPN) half-sister to G2 winner Satono Progress(JPN).
This year there are several stallions who have their progeny hit the turf for the first time this summer. Many of those will be represented this May in the Hokkaido training Sale. 2014 Longines World's Best Race Horse and three-time G1 winner Just a Way(JPN) will have five lots and 2010 Champion two-year-old and two-time JPN1/G1 winner Grand Prix Boss(JPN) has two lots. Three stallions all of whom have one G1 title to their name will be represented; 2011 Tenno Sho (AUTUMN) winner Tosen Jordan(JPN) had six lots, 2013 Mile Championship winner Tosen Ra(JPN) has one lot, and 2013 Japan Cup Dirt winner Belshazzar(JPN) has six lots. There are two well-bred sires, Civil War(JPN) and To the Glory(JPN) who while never having captured a G1, both placed in multiple G1 efforts and did claim plenty of other group victories during their careers, have three and four lots respectively. Two imported stallions make their Japan-bred debut this year Cape Blanco(IRE) and Dunkirk(USA) who bring with them the powerful bloodlines of Galileo(IRE) and Unbridled's Song(USA) with them have five and three lots in the sale.
Rehearsal breezes were held over the past two weeks for the two-year-old cataloged for the training sale spread out over two different facilities in Hokkaido. Between the two facilities there were five lots that clocked in at under 11 seconds. The top five breezes for each facility are listed below.
Niikappu's Hidaka Bloodhorse Training Facility
1. Hip 14 Zenno Rob Roy colt: 10.57
2. Hip 166 Casino Drive filly: 10.95
3. Hip 222 Belshazzar colt: 11.00
4. Hip 157 Espoir City colt: 11.08
5. Hip 144 Sinister Minister colt: 11.09
Urakawa's BTC Hidaka Training Facility
1. Hip 191 Johannesburg colt : 10:64
2. Hip 189 Strong Return colt: 10.71
3. Hip 39 Belshazzar colt: 10.94
4. Hip 73 Strong Return colt: 11.05
5. Hip 56 King Halo colt: 11.08
5. Hip 105 Precise End colt: 11.08
The Training Sale will have an inspection period on Sunday, May 20th at Sapporo Racecourse from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. On Monday, May 21st the official breezes will begin at 10:00 am at Sapporo Racetrack. The sale itself begins at 9:30 am on Tuesday, May 22 nd at Sapporo Racecourse.
Please contact our representatives if you are interested in purchasing at the 2018 Hokkaido Training Sale or to inquire about the Japan-bred winner bonus program:
Satomi Oka (Ms)
Satomi Oka Bloodstock Pty Ltd
E-mail : satomi@bloodstock.jp
Tel : +61 414 414 450
Hokkaido Training Sale Details:
●Sale type: Two-Year-Olds
●Venue: Japan Racing Association (JRA) Sapporo Racecourse (Sapporo, Hokkaido)
●Dates: May 20 (Sun) to 22 (Tue)
May 20 (Sun) Pre-sale inspections: 10:00am to 4:00pm
May 21 (Mon) Breezes: 10:00am ～
May 22 (Tue) Sale: 9:30am ～
●Number of cataloged lots: 248
●Online catalog available at: http://www.hba.or.jp/english/index.html
5/23/2017 rate: 111.67 yen = 1.00 USD