26 December, 2019
2019 was a fantastic year to be a Japanese-bred traveling around the world. Not only was there a record number of Japanese runners around the world but also a record number of victories. It was indeed a banner year for the small island nation of Japan that produces less than 7,000 foals a year.
It has been 60 years since the first Japanese-bred won a stakes race overseas. In that time, the Japanese thoroughbred has become a completely different beast, not only through breeding truly the best stallions to the best broodmares but also the amount of respect they get now when traveling overseas. The world is a very different place when Japanese Derby winner Hakuchikara(JPN) was loaded onto a repurposed DC-4 passenger plane and flown to the United States. The parallels between Harbinger(GB) sired Deirdre(JPN)'s 2019 globetrotting campaign can easily be made as both horses started with a few runs in mind but ended up spending the rest of their year abroad. Hakuchikara(JPN) ran poorly at first but eventually started placing in races. Though his original goal, the Hollywood Gold Cup ended up being abandoned, he went on to make a total of 17 starts in the United States during his stay. He only won once, but it was the Washington's Birthday Handicap, which is now the G2 San Luis Obispo Handicap, making him the first-ever international stakes winner Japan ever produced. That legacy was in full force in 2019 as 28 different Japanese-bred and trained horses participated in a combined total of 47 G1 races and 51 races around the world, winning eight of them with much fan fair and praise.
2018 had been a quiet year for the Japanese trained horses who travel abroad, not taking home any G1 titles, but they more than made up for it in 2019. Up to this point in history, only 2014 and 2016 had been able to produce the most winners in one calendar year. 2014 saw two winners in Australia, Hana's Goal(JPN) by Orewa Matteruze(JPN) win the G1 All Aged Stakes and Admire Rakti(JPN) by Heart's Cry(JPN) in the G1 Caulfield Cup; and a pair in Dubai with Gentildonna(JPN) by Deep Impact(JPN) winning the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic and Just a Way(JPN) by Heart's Cry(JPN) taking not only the G1 Dubai Duty Free but also the Longines World's Best Racehorse title that year. 2016 saw Real Steel(JPN) by Deep Impact(JPN) claim the G1 Dubai Turf, while Maurice(JPN) by Screen Hero(JPN) claim two G1s in Hong Kong with the G1 Champion's Mile in the spring and the G1 Hong Kong Cup in the fall where Satono Crown(JPN) by Marju(IRE) also captured the G1 Hong Kong Vase. Two banner years without question, but the best was yet to come.
This year got off to an early start with Almond Eye(JPN) by Lord Kanaloa(JPN) when she easily lived up to her International hype as she effortlessly captured the G1 Dubai Turf in late March. 2017 Dubai Turf winner Vivlos(JPN) by Deep Impact(JPN) got up for a respectable second. A month later, Win Bright(JPN) by Stay Gold(JPN) was able to take on Hong Kong's best middle-distance horses to capture the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup. This was the multiple graded stakes winner's first G1 title, but he didn't act like it! Deirdre(JPN) by Harbinger(GB) has been on an epic adventure around the globe this year, but the highlight of her year was easily her top-notch win in the G1 Nassau Stakes at Goodwood in England. While the tough filly's year played out with a 6-4-6-6-1-4-3-4th, running in Japan, Dubai, Hong Kong, England twice, Ireland, England, and Hong Kong, there is no denying she is one competitive filly. She'll be looking to up the ante next year as she continues her international travels for a second consecutive year.
Australia was yet again an excellent place for the Japanese to clean up, not just with their highest-rated horses but also with some underrated talent. Mer de Glace(JPN) by Rulership(JPN) had only been a three-time G3 winner in Japan before shipping to Australia, but it was an inspired move for the flashy faced colt, and he took home the coveted G1 Caulfield Cup, only the second Japanese horse to do so. Lys Gracieux(JPN) by Heart's Cry(JPN) has had a terrible history of running second at the highest level, but she went into the G1 Cox Plate two time G1 winner and made the rest of field look like they were standing still as she enjoyed a perfect run.
The star on top of an already amazingly successful year was the three wins Japanese raiders had at the Hong Kong International Races in early December. It had been 18 years since Japan had managed to capture three Hong Kong International Races in one day. Back in 2001, Stay Gold(JPN) by Sunday Silence(USA) took home the G1 Hong Kong Vase, later going on to be a top-notch stallion. Eishin Preston(USA) by Green Dancer(USA) capture the G1 Hong Kong Mile, his first of a total of three Hong Kong G1 titles. After years of successfully jumping between turf and dirt at the highest level, Agnes Digital(USA) by Crafty Prospector(USA) made his first overseas start a winning one in the G1 Hong Kong Cup.
The first 2019 win came from the appropriately named Glory Vase(JPN) by Deep Impact(JPN) in the G1 Hong Kong Vase. He was a G2 winner and G1 placed back home before going to Hong Kong, but given the limited number of stayer G1s in Japan and the strong local contingency, heading to Hong Kong gave him the changeup he needed to show his true worth. Two time G1 winner Lucky Lilac(JPN) by Orfevre(JPN) got up for a game second in her first international run. After a local took home the G1 Hong Kong Sprint, the G1 Hong Kong Mile again went to Japan when Admire Mars(JPN) by Daiwa Major(JPN) upset the locals. His dominance had been overlooked all week despite being a two time G1 winner over a mile in Japan, but he put all of his ability on display that afternoon. The day ended on a high note when Win Bright(JPN) by Stay Gold(JPN), on his second trip to Hong Kong in one year and in doing so, he took home his second trophy. A fever took champion mare Almond Eye(JPN) by Lord Kanaloa(JPN) out of the running before she left Japan, but all that did was give the race to Win Bright(JPN), who held off the very talented Magic Wand(IRE) by Galileo(IRE). The most significant difference between 2001's victories and 2019's is that instead of two foreign bred, Japanese trained winners, ALL three winners were Japanese-bred.
Years as active as 2019 won't come around every year, but it is wonderful to sit back and enjoy the feeling of eight G1s and all the fun and excitement that surround 31 different G1 challenges. 2019 continued to solidify the already well-established knowledge that Japanese-breds are competitive at the highest levels. Horses sold outside of Japan at the sales like dual G1 winner Yoshida(JPN) by Heart's Cry(JPN), Hush Writer(JPN) by Rulership(JPN) a G3 winner in Australia, Makanani(JPN) by Black Tide(JPN) winner of the Singapore Raffles Cup show that same exciting thrill can be anyone's if they buy Japanese-breds. See the below schedule for Japan's leading horse sales and come join in on the excitement.
Japan Sales Schedule 2020
Hokkaido Training Sale: May 10th - 12th
JRHA Select Sale: July 13th & 14th
Hokkaido Selection Sale: July 20th - 21st
Hokkaido Summer Sale: August 24th - 27th
Hokkaido September Sale: September 22nd - 23rd
Hokkaido Autumn Sale: October 19th - 20th
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