3 minute read

Sells for Y410,000,000 at the JRHA Select Sale on Tuesday 

A colt by Kizuna (Deep Impact) topped the foal session of the second and final day of the JRHA Select Sale on Tuesday when bought by Yoshihisa Ozasa for Y410,000,000 (approximately A$4.975 million). Offered by Northern Farm, the colt was catalogued as Lot 428 and is a half brother to dual Listed winner Velox (Just A Way) being out of Selkis (Monsun). 

“This is the one which I am firmly resolved to acquire”, Yoshihisa Ozasa said. “Yoshito Yahagi strongly recommends him and others who inspected him told me unanimously that this is very nice horse. I thought he would cost 300 million yen or more or less, but I didn’t intend to retreat at all. I won the bidding war and hope the colt will win big races.” 

Earlier in the session the Lord Kanaloa (King Kamehameha) colt out of dual Group One winner Yankee Rose (All American) realised Y370,000,000 (approximately A$4.5 million) when bought by Danox Company Limited. The colt, who was catalogued as Lot 398, was also consigned by Northern Farm, who were responsible for the six highest priced lots to sell during the session. 

Another lot to sell well during the session was a colt by Frankel (Galileo) out of US Grade One winner Callback (Street Sense) who was bought by Thoroughbred Club Lion Company Ltd for Y240,000,000 (approximately A$2.9 million). 

Callback was bought by Northern Farm’s Katsumi Yoshida at Keeneland November Sale in 2019 for US$2 million.

“This is an outstanding individual,” Yoshito Yahagi, Japanese leading trainer who bought the colt for his client, Thoroughbred Club Lion, said. 

“I visited Northern Farm for inspection three times and have a feeling this colt has been getting better, better and better. While he may not be typical Frankel, I like him a lot and am sure he is worth paying this amount of money.” 

Of the 230 lots offered, 213 of those sold for Y10,923,000,000 during the foal session of 2021 JRHA Select Sale, a 31.1 per cent increase from twelve months ago. The average price, Y51,281,690 and median price, Y33,000,000, are 24.9 per cent and 13.8 per cent increase respectively from the 2020 figures. The clearance rate improved from 89.8 per cent in 2020 to 92.6 per cent.

“This is much stronger market than I expected,” Teruya Yoshida, chairman of the Japan Racing Horse Association, said at the conclusion of the sale. 

“As the catalogue this year does not include King Kamehameha and includes very few Deep Impacts, I thought the market would shrink, but I was wrong.

“I am very impressed to see so many new players active through two days at the 2021 Select Sale. Most impressive was Mr Susumu Fujita, who attended the JRHA Select Sale for the first time and spent Y2,367,000,000 in total through two days, which is more than 10 per cent of the gross sale.”

“The number of buyers registered at this year’s sale is more than 700, which is 10 per cent more than last year, and the market has enough players at every price range. I think it created this strong market. 

“And I think we have a variation of stallions standing in Japan now. There are sires who send good sprinters, milers and stayers. And there are sires of turf runners and dirt runners. And the quality of broodmares we have in Japan is much higher than before, and many stallions have a chance to produce class racehorses, and have a chance to send expensive horses to the bloodstock market.

“Breeders including myself will re-invest the funds to acquire other quality mares to improve the quality of Japanese-bred horses. And I hope horse racing in Japan will become a more attractive sport.”

Click here to view the sale results.