07 June, 2024
The Hidaka Horse Breeders' Association (HBA) held The Hokkaido Training Sale at Sapporo Racecourse on Tuesday May 21st. The catalogue featured 90 juveniles, and 86 of the lots catalogued breezed in the morning. During the day's action, 61 horses grossed for a total of ¥465,740,000 (US$2,966,497) with an average of ¥7,635,081 (US$48,631) and a median of ¥6,270,000 (US$39,936). The average was up 4.2% from a year ago while the median dipped by 5%. The clearance rate for the sale was down to 70.9% from the 78.4% recorded in 2023.
The highest price of the sale was Lot 26, a colt by Isla Bonita(JPN) who was purchased by Kenjiro Mochizuki for ¥27,500,000 (US$175,159). The youngster is out of the unraced, Wassermann(JPN) and his half-brother, Zenno Genie(JPN) has been placed once on the JRA circuit. The colt made quite an impression to prospective buyers during his breeze, and he registered a final furlong sectional time of 11.1sec, however, it was not the fastest time of the morning session.
"He is a good-looking colt and moves well but it was a greater result than I expected to be honest," his consignor, Masashi Yoshinaga from Yoshinaga Farm revealed.
"The decision to send him to the training sale was made in March. He wasn't fit at all at that time, so we concentrated on keeping him balanced and maintaining his form."
"His furlong time wasn't the fastest but becoming the top lot of the sale means a lot for us. This result is a reward for what we do every day."
Mochizuki also purchased the highest price filly in the sale for ¥15,400,000 (US$98,089). Lot 56 a filly out of three-time NAR winner, Nitto Rie(JPN). The American Patriot(USA) filly breezed well with furlong times of 11.8 - 11.5.
Although Mochizuki purchased the highest filly and colt of the sale, Iwate Prefecture Owners Association secured eight juveniles for ¥53,130,000 (US$338,408) and became the leading buyer of the 2024 Hokkaido Training Sale. All eight horses were secured for under the mark of ¥10,000,000 (US$ 63,694).
MAX Training Farm sold nine horses for ¥66,330,000 (US$422,484) and claimed the leading consigner title of the sale. One of their top lot was Lot 60, a colt by a two-year-old first season sire, Oval Ace(JPN). The juvenile out of the JRA winning Deep Impact(JPN) mare, Toshin Venus(JPN). He was sold to one of the major solo owners in Japan, North Hills for ¥12,100,000 (US$77,070). The colt was purchased for ¥2,200,000 (US$14,013) at the HBA Summer Sale as a yearling. MAX Training Farm also sold Lot 36, a Kitasan Mikazuki(JPN) filly out of Ou Sammyaku(JPN) for the same price as Lot 60, ¥12,100,000 (US$77,070). Yoshinori Fujita purchased the first foal out of the multiple NAR winner.
The breeze-up sales circuit in Japan has concluded for 2024 and JRA two-year-old racing will kick-off on June 1st, the weekend following the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby).
Lot 26, a Isla Bonita(JPN) colt out of Wassermann(JPN) sold for ¥27,500,000 (US$175,159).
US$1 = JP¥157
*Written by Toshihiro Onikubo
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