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Is there a better Group One sire anywhere in the world than Japanese champion Deep Impact?

Only the Irish-based Galileo and Australia’s Redoute’s Choice could seriously be regarded among current active stallions of compiling G1 results on a par with this Japanese wonder horse.

It’s a big call as Deep Impact’s influence had, until Saturday, not been felt in Australia. All that changed when Real Impact won the G1 George Ryder Stakes at Rosehill on a card that featured his first ever runners in this country.

For the second year in succession the George Ryder was won by a high class international raider, a result that can only enhance the desire of the Australian Turf Club to make the Sydney autumn a gathering point for the world’s best thoroughbreds.

Won last year by the Irish globetrotter Gordon Lord Byron, the George Ryder this year featured two of Deep Impact’s Japanese-trained stars Real Impact and World Ace.

Trained by Noriyuki Hori, Real Impact was the least fancied of the pair despite holding the record of being the historic first 3YO to win Japan’s toughest mile race, the Yasuda Kinen, in 2011.

He was first-up since December but again showed that when these Japanese stars land in Australia always be prepared to expect the unexpected.

Jumping to the front, Real Impact ran hard and fast and dug deep under pressure to worry Australia’s multiple G1 winner Criterion out of a certain victory after he headed the Japanese star in the last 100m.

The entire Real Impact (Deep Impact x Tokio Reality by Meadowlake) was racing outside Japan for the first time in his career and has not been overly raced for his age.

He had last raced when winning the G2 Hanshin Cup in December for the second time. Owned by Carrot Farm managed by F Takahashi he has now won five from 26 starts and with six placings has earned stakes of $A5,217,179, a figure he can add to in the $3 million Doncaster Mile at Randwick on April 4 where he will be one of the favourites.

Deep Impact was also represented at Rosehill on Saturday by Tosen Stardom, who came up a length short of giving his sire a notable G1 double when second in the Ranvet Stakes won by the top shelf import Contributer.

They are the type of results Japan has come to expect from the progeny of Deep Impact, a seven-time G1 winner of 12 of his 14 starts including the 3YO Triple Crown (2000 Guineas, Derby, St Leger), Japan Cup, Arima Kinen and Tenno Sho (Spring).

He was also third to finish in the 2006 Prix De L’Arc De Triomphe in Paris in his only start outside Japan but was later disqualified after a post-race positive drug test.

What amazes the Japanese is that when Deep Impact’s sire Sunday Silence – their champion sire 12 times - passed on in 2002 few anticipated another Japanese-based stallion would rise to his heights so soon and so quickly.

Deep Impact, after being crowned Japan’s Horse of the Year twice, entered stud service at the renowned Shadai Stallion Station in 2007 with his first runners reaching the track in 2010.

He has since been Japan’s champion sire three times in succession since 2012 and is certain to make it four straight titles in 2015.

Deep Impact, a son of the G1 winner and Epsom Oaks second Wind In Her Air (Alzao), has sired 19 individual G1 winners of 27 G1 races in his first five crops to race including 11 in 2014.

He has over 50 black type winners of more than 90 races among over 500 wins by his progeny over distances from 1000m to 4000m, the majority at 1600m to 2400m.

Apart from almost 400 wins in Japan Deep Impact’s progeny have also won at Group level in France, Great Britain, Dubai and now Australia.

His other notable G1 winners include Gentildonna (Japan Cup twice, Fillies Triple Crown (Oka Sho, Yushun Himba, Shuka Sho), Arima Kinen, Dubai Sheema Classic); Japan Derby winners Deep Brillante and Kizuna; Verxina (Victoria Mile twice); Oka Sho (1000 Guineas) winners Marcellina, Harp Star and Ayusan; Tosen Ra (Mile Championship); Beauty Parlour (Poule d'Essai des Pouliches - French 1000 Guineas); Danon Shark (Mile Championship); Spielberg (Tenno Sho Autumn); Hanshin Juvenile Fillies winners Joie De Vivre and Shonan Adela; (Hanshin Juvenile Fillies); Lachesis (Kyoto QE II Cup); Mikki Isle (NHK Mile); Shonan Pandora (Shuka Sho); and Danon Platina (Asahi Hai Futurity).

The George Ryder prizemoney lifted Real Impact to second place among the highest earners by Deep Impact behind Gentildonna’s record tally of $A18,991,180 and ahead of Verxina ($5,195,118), Tosen Ra ($5,131,392), Kizuna ($5,060,830) and Danon Shark ($4,823,050).

Real Impact is a half-brother to the Japanese Listed winner and G1 placed I’ll Love Again (El Condor Pasa) from the winning mare Tokio Reality, a sister to the Listed winner Streamer (Meadowlake).