Leneva Park looking to make a Fierce Impact

The first 25 breeders booking a paying mare into Fierce Impact this spring will go into the draw to win a nine-day trip for two to this year's Japan Cup, an exciting tour run by Australian Racing Tours.

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"I have been on a couple of their racing trips run by John McGauran and they have been fantastic,’’ said Leneva’s General Manager and Bloodstock Manager Michael Sharkie.

"We thought this would be a different way to promote our horse and a great reward for one of our lucky clients."

Though Sharkie is confident that Fierce Impact is the sort of horse who can sell himself, the imposing 8-year-old really catching the eye when paraded.

"What has been big for us and for the stallion was getting people in to see him early," he said, noting that there tends to be a thought in people's minds in regards to Japanese-bred horses being a little on the light side - as some of the first Sunday Silence (USA) stallions who made their way to this part of the world were.

But Fierce Impact is no such horse, Sharkie saying that those who have inspected him have liked what they have seen. "We had one agent joking that he could pass for being a son of Not A Single Doubt. He is more like that typical colonial-bred horse, a stronger sort than what many expect from the sireline."

Given every chance with his debut book of 143 mares - proving himself to have excellent fertility - Fierce Impact served a nice group of mares including daughters of Snitzel, Fastnet Rock, So You Think (NZ), Street Cry (Ire), High Chaparral (Ire), Encosta De Lago, Lonhro, Galileo (Ire), More Than Ready (USA), Written Tycoon, Not A Single Doubt, Storm Cat (USA), Tapit (USA), Zoustar and Invincible Spirit (Ire).

Also amongst his harem were the stakes winners Class Apart (French Deputy {USA}), Corsaire (Anabaa {USA}), Brilliant Bisc (Elvstroem), Absolutelyfabulous (Langfuhr {Can}), Luvaluva (NZ) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), Sagaronne (Real Saga), Stellamac (Mull Of Kintyre {USA}), Summah's Touch (Blackfriars), Resonates (Teofilo {Ire}) and Testa Secret (Testa Rossa).

"We were very happy with the support he received in his first season," Sharkie said. "And the action is a lot stronger at the moment than it was this time last year."

Sharkie attributes that not only to the service fee of $16,500 (inc GST) for a triple Group 1 winner, but also due to the promotional work the stud has carried - including running a tent over the main days of the recent Magic Millions sales.

"I think people know more about Leneva Park now and there was not a day at the sales where we didn't have people popping in to ask about our stallions."

Another reason Sharkie feels that there is such interest in Fierce Impact is the good season being enjoyed by Japanese sire lines - Maurice (Jpn) doing such a great job whilst Deep Impact's son Profondo and daughter Glint Of Hope (Jpn) have both been successful at the elite-level.

A special individual

After showing early promise in the UK, Fierce Impact was secured by Matthew Smith Racing and was quickly into local winning form whilst being given time to acclimatise. It was after his G3 Summer Cup win in December 2018 that he really started to garner attention though it was in the spring of 2019 that saw him blossom, swamping his G1 Toorak H. rivals with Craig Williams describing his effort from the outside gate as ‘awesome’.

Matthew Smith was also delighted, noting that, "I have always had a big opinion of this horse."

An opinion justified when three weeks later Fierce Impact weaved through the field to win the G1 Cantala S. at Flemington... the following spring winning his third Group 1, conquering Russian Camelot (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) in the G1 Makybe Diva S.

Retired to stud as the winner of over $3.3 million, Fierce Impact was described by his trainer as being, "A very special individual who was perfectly sound right through his career."

Fierce Impact is one of Deep Impact's 187 stakes winners and 55 Group 1 winners. With progeny earnings in excess of $940 million, the son of the legendary Sunday Silence has been represented by five Group 1 winners on Australian soil.

A brother to the Group 1 miler Keiai Nautique (Jpn), Fierce Impact is out of the dual Group 3 winner Keiai Gerbera (Jpn) (Smarty Jones {USA}) whose grandam is the Group 3 mare Edge (USA) (Damascus {USA}).

Royal sireline

Leneva have also been fielding calls for the third year stallion Royal Meeting (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) with breeders excited about his weanling sales results - a standout being a $160,000 Magic Millions colt out of Mistress McDowell (Canny Lad).

"When a stallion's first crop have weanlings selling for over 14 times the service fee there is going to be a lot of interest," Sharkie said, noting that, "Breeders can see that there is a lot of juice in him commercially. And there are still a lot of nice youngsters by him who breeders chose not to sell as weanlings."

Racing in four different countries, Royal Meeting - whose sireline is so popular in this part of the world - was a Group 1 winner at two in France and Group 3 placed from just two Australian outings. His dam Rock Opera (SAf) was South African Champion 2-Year-Old Filly - that Group 1 winner also producing the five-time Group winner Heavy Metal (GB) (Exceed And Excel).

Standing at the same $11,000 (inc GST) fee as last spring, Royal Meeting joins Fierce Impact as a horse who, “Offers value to breeders."

Sharkie is confident that both horses will set Leneva - "Still a young business" - on a good path, one whose future is already being planned with the stud the managing owners of the Group 1-placed Aysar (Deep Field) who, as a half-brother to Home Affairs (I Am Invincible) is another exciting prospect.