07 August, 2018
In previous incarnations, the Summer Sale has been five days long, but with the addition of the Summer Premium Sale this year, the Summer Sale has been shortened to a four-day event starting on August 21st, immediately after the Summer Premium Sale and going through the 24th. A total of 1,314 yearlings, 695 colts, and 619 fillies, have been cataloged in what is Japan's largest yearling sale of the year.
A few of the stand out pedigrees are Hip 488, a Henny Hughes(USA) filly out of Seiun Kunoichi(JPN) that is a half-sister to 2008 JRA Champion Two-Year-Old Seiun Wonder(JPN), a 2007 Selection Sale graduate. Hip 517 by Casino Drive(USA) out of 2000 JPN1 Shuka Sho winner Tico Tico Tac(JPN). Hip 1201 by Kinshasa no Kiseki(AUS) out of Feriado(JPN) that is a half-brother to 2005 JPN1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies winner T M Precure(JPN), a 2003 Autumn Sale graduate.
137 different stallion will be represented at this year's renewal of the Summer Sale, including many of the top stallions in Japan. Of the top twenty sires on the 2017 JRA & NAR General Sire Rankings, fourteen will have stock moving through the ring at the end of August. Daiwa Major(JPN, 5th) has one lot, Gold Allure(JPN, 6th) has five lots, Kurofune(USA, 7th) has 14 lots, Harbinger(GB, 8th) has three lots, South Vigorous(USA, 10th) has 27 lots, Black Tide(JPN, 11th) has four lots, Admire Moon(JPN, 12th) has 12 lots, Neo Universe(JPN, 13th) has nine lots, Kinshasa no Kiseki(AUS, 14th) has ten lots, Symboli Kris S(USA, 16th) has six lots, Rulership(JPN, 17th) has 12 lots, Zenno Rob Roy(JPN, 18th) has seven lots, Sinister Minister(USA, 19th) has 25 lots, and Meisho Bowler(JPN, 20th) has 22 lots.
With the exception of Hard Spun(USA, 6th), who only shuttled to Japan for one breeding season, the top ten of last year's Freshman Sire Rankings are all represented in this year's catalog. Last year's Leading Freshman Sire, Lord Kanaloa(JPN) has been in high demand all year round, and not many of his offspring have been available at auction. The high demand is seen in the fact that only two of his progeny will be available in the Summer Sale. Henny Hughes(USA) was second in the Freshman Sire rankings and has had 60 wins this year with 49 individual winners so far. He has 14 lots in the sale. Orfevre(JPN, 3rd) has the most individual G1 winners of the 2017 Freshman Sires and will be represented by five lots. 2010 G1 Japanese Derby winner Eishin Flash(JPN, 4th) has 24 lots, 2013 G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Novellist(IRE, 5th) has three lots, 2012 G1 Yasuda Kinen winner Strong Return(JPN, 7th) has 30 lots, 9 time G1 winner Espoir City(JPN, 8th) has 15 lots, 2012 Dubai World Cup winner Monterosso(GB, 9th) has 20 lots, and 2010 Japan Cup winner Rose Kingdom(JPN, 10th) has 14 lots.
We are two months into Japan's two-year-old racing season in the JRA, yet it has already had an impact on the sales market. 2014 Longines World Best Racehorse, Just a Way(JPN) has made an early lead as the potential 2018 Leading Freshman Sire with four winners in the JRA, and that energy has translated into a hot market for Just a Way(JPN) offspring. He'll have five lots in the Summer Sale. Fresh off his first JRA winner, Dunkirk(USA) has finally gained a good bit of ground in the rankings, adding to his four NAR winners already in the books. He was Leading Freshman Sire in the United States before being bought by Japan, so he could make a rare double if he can keep it up. He has 28 lots in the sale. Pas de Trois(JPN) was a talented sprinter and has had four winners, one of which was in the JRA. The son of the late Swept Overboard(USA) has nine in the sale. Danon Ballade(JPN) was sold abroad after his first two seasons in Japan and stood for a year in Italy before moving to England for the 2018 breeding season. He has just been repatriated after his first crop proved to be quite impressive, with two NAR winners and a JRA winner who is now racing graded stakes company. While he only has one lot in the sale, his story is an interesting one follow. A few other stallions have posted winners in the NAR over the past few months including Red Spada(JPN) with three lots in the sale; blue-blooded To the Glory(JPN) with 20 lots in the sale; Medaglia d'Oro(USA) sired Vittoriod'Oro(USA) with four lots in the sale; 2010 Champion two-year-old Grand Prix Boss(JPN) with 21 lots in the sale; 2013 G1 Japan Cup Dirt winner Belshazzar(JPN) with 30 lots in the sale.
First Crop sires are always exciting prospects during the yearling sale season and this coming year contains several exciting stallions. 2014 G1 Japan Cup winner Epiphaneia(JPN) has been a staple of every yearling sale so far this year so his five lots in the Summer Sale should be of great interest to buyers. Six-time G1 winner Gold Ship(JPN) will be a fan favorite as his progeny debut next year, and he has eight lots in the sale. Like Gold Ship(JPN), two time G1 Tenno Sho Haru winner Fenomeno(JPN) is by the late Stay Gold(JPN), and he has 21 lots in the sale. Daiwa Major(JPN) has been a reliable producer of racehorses over the past decade and this year two of his best sons have been their first crops available at public auction, 2012 G1 NHK Mile winner Curren Black Hill(JPN) with 20 lots and 2014 G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen winner Copano Richard(JPN) with two lots. Blue-blooded To the World(JPN), the full brother to current freshman sire To the Glory(JPN), both by top sire King Kamehameha(JPN) and out of G1 winner To the Victory(JPN) has 34 lots in this year's Summer Sale, the most of any other stallion. Eskendereya(USA) and Majestic Warrior(USA) were new imports in 2016 and have 14 and 19 lots respectively. Both have had only a few progenies imported to Japan; one for Eskendereya(USA) who was a three-time winner, and three for Majestic Warrior, all winners including two time JPN1 winner Best Warrior(USA). While the number of runners isn't as high as Henny Hughes(USA) who had 12 winners from 16 imported runners before his Japanese-bred progeny made their way to the track, it is an encouraging start for both sires are they continue their careers in Japan.
Deep Impact(JPN) has dominated the Japanese racing landscape in one form or another since his debut in 2004. He has been making headlines as a stallion since his offspring debuted in 2010, becoming one of the hottest stallions in the world. His first sons were retired to stud in 2013, and every year since then we have seen other top sons of Deep Impact(JPN) enter the shed, hoping to replicate their sire's success. This year there are five first crop stallions by Deep Impact(JPN) in the Summer Sale looking to make their mark on the breed. Real Impact(JPN), from Deep Impact(JPN)'s first crop, became his sire's first G1 winning son when he beat older horses in the 2011 G1 Yasuda Kinen as a three-year-old before going on to win the G1 George Ryder Stakes in Australia. He has 26 lots in the sale. 2013 G1 Japanese Derby winner Kizuna(JPN) have enjoyed a great word of mouth during since they started hitting the ground last spring and he has 19 lots. 2014 Tenno Sho Aki winner Spielberg(JPN), a half-brother to sire Flower Alley(USA), has 18 lots in the sale. World Ace(JPN) was a very well regarded juvenile going into his career but was born into a very tough crop. He did win two graded stakes including the 2014 G2 Milers Cup in record time, and he was second to Gold Ship(JPN) in the 2012 G1 Satsuki Sho. He has 21 lots in the sale. Vincennes(JPN) out of 1996 Champion Sprinter Flower Park(JPN) is only a G3 winner on paper, but he ran a respectable second in the 2015 G1 Yasuda Kinen to 2015 Horse of the Year Maurice(JPN) by a neck. He has 13 lots in the sale.
Please contact our representatives if you are interested in purchasing at the 2018 Hokkaido Summer 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 Summer Sale Details:
●Sale type: Yearling
●Venue: Hokkaido Sales Complex (Shizunai, Hokkaido)
●Dates: August 21 (Tues) ～ August 24 (Fri)
Daily Pre-sale inspections: 8:00am ～
Daily Sale: 12:00pm ～
●Number of cataloged lots: 1314
●Online catalog available at: http://www.hba.or.jp/english/index.html