Heart’s Cry colt proves headline act

Cover image courtesy of Shadai Stallion Station

Written by Paul Vettise

Buyers were again willing to test or break their budgets during Tuesday’s foal division of the JHRA Select Sale at Northern Park with proceedings highlighted by a son of Heart’s Cry (Jpn).

Consigned by Katsumi Yoshida’s Northern Farm, he sold for 380,000,000 yen (AU$5,117,937) to Yoshihisa Ozasa with the colt a brother to the dual Group 1 winner Yoshida (Jpn).

Their dam is the G1 Ballerina S. winner Hilda’s Passion (USA) (Canadian Frontier {USA}), who has also produced the G3 Shinzan Kinen winner Sanctuaire (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}).

There was also keen interest in the first crop of Real Steel (Jpn), who shuttled to Arrowfield Stud for the first time last season but a 2020 return has been scuppered by the coronavirus.

His top lot from Northern Farm realised 70,000,000 yen (AU$942,351) to the bid of Yoshimasa Ema and is a son of the G2 Bonnie Miss S. winner She’s All Eltish (USA) (Eltish {USA}), whose eight foals to race have all won.

A son of Deep Impact, Real Steel won the Dubai Turf S. and the G2 Mainichi Okan and was placed a further three times at the elite level.

Mikki Isle (Jpn) has also served at Arrowfield and 68,000,000 yen (AU$909,728) was paid by Hiroshiro Toshihiro for a colt offered by Northern Farm. He is out of a half-sister to the North American Group 3 winner Puntrooskie (USA) (Summation {USA}).

Northern domination

Northern Farm-offered youngsters dominated the top end of Tuesday’s market with another son of Heart’s Cry knocked down to Danox Co. Ltd for 270,000,000 yen (AU$3,632,410). A half-brother to a multiple winner, the colt is out of the G1 Del Mar Debutante S. winner She’s A Tiger (USA) (Tale Of The Cat {USA}).

“This is an amazing market. I was actually worried about the market, because there were travel restrictions until June 19 in Japan and owners and trainers could not come here to inspect yearlings catalogued until then,” Yoshida said.

Northern Farm sold Monday’s sale-topping colt by Deep Impact out of Sheave (USA) (Mineshaft {USA}) and his younger half-brother by Hearts Cry went to Miwa Holding for 210,000,000 yen (AU$2,820,562).

A colt by Lord Kanaloa (Jpn), sire of this season’s G1 Blue Diamond S. winner Tagaloa, also from Northern Farm was the subject of spirited bidding early in the session and was knocked down for 200,000,000 yen (AU$2,694,940) to Ryouichi Ootuka.

He is a son of Final Score (Ire) (Dylan Thomas {Ire}), who won the G1 Premio Lydia Tesio, and both of her foals to race are winners and stakes performers.

Final Score is also half-sister to the G1 Irish Oaks and G1 Yorkshire Oaks winner Sea of Class (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and Charity Line (Ire) (Manduro {Ger}), also a Lydia Tesio winner.

On Monday, the late Deep Impact was the star of the yearling sale show with 12 sold for 2,497,000,000 yen (AU$33,523,229) at an average of 208,083,333 yen (AU$2,789,402) and a record top price of 510,000,000 yen (AU$6.85 million).

The sale-topper from Northern Farm was purchased by Tetsuhide Kunimoto.

“I have been involved in ownership of racehorses for more than 35 years and I am sure this is one of the best yearlings I have ever seen,” Kunimoto said. “Price is no object with regard to this colt and I hope his quality is as high as his price.”

He will be trained by Tomokazu Takano, who prepared 2015 G1 Japan Cup winner Shonan Pandora (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}).

Top 10 lots (Day 2 - foals)