Q & A with Satomi Oka

Cover image courtesy of Inglis

In today's Q & A, we feature a quick-fire round with Satomi Oka, owner of Satomi Oka Bloodstock (FBAA).

Favourite moment - racing, sales or breeding related - for the 2022/23 season?

Satomi Oka: When Roots (5-year-old mare by Press Statement out of Arctic Success) came second in the G1 Tatersall's Tiara in June. She was purchased for $52,000 from the 2020 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale for a Japanese client of mine and Yusuke Ichikawa and Ayaka Ikeuchi at the Chris Waller Stable have done a great job looking after her. She has brought us so many happy moments but coming second in a Group 1 race was very exciting!

Which sire do you consider a value sire? Fee <$50k and not a first-season sire.

SO: Star Turn and Pride Of Dubai. Star Turn’s winners-to-runners ratio is great and he produces strong types. Pride Of Dubai is a good-looking horse and produces good-looking progeny. He is by a great sire and is a versatile stallion.

What young sire (less than three crops) do you think will one day be Champion Sire?

SO: Home Affairs.

Which yearling purchase in 2023 are you most excited about?

SO: It is a very difficult question but one of the yearlings that I didn’t want to miss was an Almanzor colt out of Indah in the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale prepared by Bhima Thoroughbreds. Although I wish he stayed in Australia to race, he was exported to Japan.

What, if any, is your greatest current-industry concern?

SO: Concerns and challenges are how to retain and regain racing fans especially since we would like to see more younger generations coming to the races.

Also how the industry balances pressures and expectations from the government and society around the promotion of gambling and racing.

Name an emerging human talent in the industry, and say why?

SO: She is not really emerging as she has done so much but I would like to say Tanita Mitchell – her passion and positive attitude have taken her to where she is now. Her efforts to rebuild the social image of racing and attract young people to work in the industry have made an enormous contribution to racing.

If you had $10 million to invest in an industry initiative, what would it be and why?

SO: I would like to invest in a facility like Northern Horse Park in Japan, a place for everyone to enjoy the connection with horses. At Northern Horse Park, people can enjoy seeing pony shows, riding horses, riding a carriage and patting retired racehorses. There are nice restaurants, a museum and a gift shop (very important!). It creates a love of horses from a young age and is a perfect place for city kids to spend time with horses! A place like this will also create opportunities for retired racehorses.

I would also like to invest in programs building the balance between racing and responsible gambling as well – how is the big question.