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Japan On Song Again In The Turf Sprint

Sunday Racing's group winner Songline (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) was up to the scrutiny on the world stage and delivered the G3 1351 Turf Presented By STC 1351 to Japan by a neck over American hopeful Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed) in Riyadh on Saturday. It was the second win on the night for jockey Christophe Lemaire and the Japanese contingent.

The Listed Kobai S. went to Songline last January, and, after an unplaced run in the G1 Japanese 1000 Guineas that April, she improved to second in the G1 NKH Mile Cup in May. The bay dropped a spot in the G3 Sekiya Kinen returning off a break in August of last year, but then stepped up to win the 1600-metre G2 Fuji S. on Oct. 23. A final 2021 run in the G2 Hanshin Cup resulted in a 15th-place finish, but she was still the third choice on Saturday.

Songline raced in midfield as Naval Crown (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) cut out the running with Pogo (Ire) (Zebedee {GB}) and Third Kingdom (GB) (Make Believe {GB}) shadowing his hoofsteps. The pace was hot as the field entered the turn and the 4-year-old filly was still several lengths off the vanguard cornering for home. Lemaire steered Songline out into the center of the course, and she began to let down as Naval Crown clung on to the lead with a quarter mile remaining. Happy Romance (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) was making a similar move to Songline's inside as Naval Crown and Pogo faded, and just a length behind the top four was the ominous presence of American Grade I winner Casa Creed.

It was a true rubber match between the determined fillies, with the two exchanging blows and neither giving an inch in the straight. Songline thrust her nose in front of Happy Romance with 50 metres to travel, but Casa Creed had hit high gear and had reached her saddle towel on her outside. Songline's margin shrank with every stride, but she just lasted as Casa Creed snatched second by a neck over a gritty Happy Romance as the trio finished in a tightly packed bunch. There was a gap of 3 1/2 lengths back to Lauda Sion (Jpn) (Real Impact {Jpn}) in fourth.

Trainer Toru Hayashi said, “This is the greatest moment of my career. I have been training for only four years and it is my first time racing a horse outside of Japan, so for Songline to do this… I think I am dreaming!

“She is such a brilliant filly and the ride from [Christophe] Lemaire was perfect. The owners also deserve great credit for their ambition in coming here. As a 3-year-old last year she raced well in this counter-clockwise direction over a mile and she has a lot of natural speed, so we thought we could run well coming back in distance a little.

“Thanks also to Authority (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) from Japan for winning the first race. That made me think we had the momentum and that Songline could also run well, and it is amazing that she did!”

Of Casa Creed's second, rider Luis Saez said, “We ran pretty good. He finished strong. After the second jump we were getting there but it was too late.”

“She's run absolutely superbly,” said hoop Tom Marquand. “I think it's [a] testament to her heart more than anything that she could come out here and run so well. To be honest, we were hoping for that, but it's tough racing out here so for her to have gone so close is great.”

Pedigree Notes

Already the sire of 16 stakes winners with his oldest foals just 5-year-olds, Kizuna has 10 group winners among that bunch with G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup heroine Akai Ito (Jpn) leading the way. She is out of a Symboli Kris S mare, just like the 1351 Turf winner.

The first foal out of her four-time winning dam who specialized at 1200-1400metres, Songline is followed by the winning 3-year-old Teegarden (Jpn), by Duramente (Jpn). Her dam, a half-sister to dual Japanese group winner Jeune Ecole (Jpn) (Kurofune), did not produce a foal to the cover of Real Steel (Jpn) in 2020. Luminous Parade has a yearling colt by Real Impact (Jpn) and visited Songline's sire Kizuna in 2021.

Under the unraced third dam are the group winners Renforcer (Jpn) (Symboli Kris S), Northern River (Jpn) (Agnes Tachyon {Jpn}) and the G1 Shuka Sho/G1 Nassau S. heroine Deirdre (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}). The Classic-winning French champion 3-year-old filly Sonic Lady (Nureyev) is the fourth dam and boasts the Classic-placed descendants Furner's Green (Ire) (Dylan Thomas {Ire}) and Lady Lupus (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}), both also group winners.
Saturday, King Abdulaziz (Riyadh), Saudi Arabia
1351 TURF PRESENTED BY STC 1351-G3, $1,500,000, King Abdulaziz, 2-26, 4yo/up, 1351mT, 1:18.00, gd.
1–SONGLINE (JPN), 121, f, 4, Kizuna (Jpn)
                1st Dam: Luminous Parade (Jpn), by Symboli Kris S.
                2nd Dam: Luminous Point (Jpn), by Agnes Tachyon (Jpn)
                3rd Dam: Soninke (GB), by Machiavellian
O-Sunday Racing Co Ltd; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); T-Toru
Hayashi; J-Chistophe Lemaire; $900,000. Lifetime Record: GSW
& G1SP-Jpn, 9-4-2-1, $2,187,655. Werk Nick Rating: A+++.
   *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Casa Creed, 125, h, 6, Jimmy Creed–Achalaya, by Bellamy
Road. ($15,000 Ylg '17 OBSJAN; $105,000 Ylg '17 KEESEP).
O-LR Racing LLC & JEH Racing Stable LLC; B-Silver Springs Stud,
LLC (KY); T-William Mott; J-Luis Saez; $300,000.
3–Happy Romance (Ire), 121, f, 4, Dandy Man (Ire)–Rugged Up
(Ire), by Marju (Ire). (£25,000 Ylg '19 GOFAUG). O-The
McMurray Family; B-Redpender Stud Ltd (Ire); T-Richard
Hannon; J-Tom Marquand; $150,000.
Margins: NK, NK, 3HF.
Also Ran: Lauda Sion (Jpn), Pogo (Ire), Happy Power (Ire), Rohaan (Ire), Cold Front (GB), Masaabeeh (KSA), Horoscope (Ire), Naval Crown (GB), Entscheiden (Jpn), Third Kingdom (GB), Thunder Moon (Ire). Click for the Racing Post chart and VIDEO. Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.

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First Strike To Japan On Saudi Cup Card

Fresh off major showings at the Breeders' Cup and Hong Kong International races, Japan brought a formidable squad to Riyadh for the Saudi Cup card on Saturday, and the nation lodged first blow with Authority (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) leading every step of the way to take the G3 Neom Turf Cup.

The winner of a pair of Group 2s going a mile and a half and 2500 metres in 2020 as a 3-year-old, Authority was upped to two miles during the first part of his campaign last year. He was a neck second in the G3 Diamond S. at Tokyo before finishing down the field in the G1 Tenno Sho Spring, and was subsequently dropped back to 2500 metres to defend his title in the G2 Copa Republica Argentina. He came on the international radar, however, with his second-place finish to superstar Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in last year's Japan Cup, and was making his first start since on Saturday and his first international run.

Breaking on top and encouraged to stay there by Christophe Lemaire, Authority soon found himself in an easy canter on the lead as last year's G1 Coronation Cup winner Pyledriver (GB) (Harbour Watch {Ire}) raced wide in midpack from his wide gate with the Aga Khan's Ebaiyra (Distorted Humor) one path to his inside and America's Channel Cat (English Channel) behind them. Authority arrived at the top of the stretch traveling best and was never in danger, extending his lead to up to three lengths and ultimately hitting the line a length and a half clear of a mildly rallying pack that was led by Kaspar (Ger) (Pivotal {GB}), a former German runner now trained locally. Ebaiyra got up for third in her first start for trainer Francis Graffard following the retirement of Alain de Royer Dupre. There was drama further back as Channel Cat was squeezed between a tiring Pyledriver and a closing Grocer Jack (Ger) (Oasis Dream {GB}) and came down, but both he and jockey Joel Rosario were deemed ok after the incident.

“I had the best horse in the race,” said Lemaire. “I settled the pace the way I wanted, without any pressure. Then he used his long acceleration and did the same he used to do in Japan. He was very comfortable and at the end his strength made the difference. I knew he could stay the trip very well. The ground is firm, which we wanted. The plan was to go to the front and it worked out. I knew he would be very relaxed. At about 2000 metres I let him go; he did very well.

“The Japan Cup is one of the best races in the world; my horse was beaten by a Triple Crown horse in Contrail. The level in Japan is very high so it gave me a lot of confidence running second that day.”

Trainer Tetsuya Kimura said after winning with his first overseas runner: “To win a race like this is unbelievable. It was a great ride from Christophe Lemaire from the front. It is the highlight of my career. We started thinking about this race when he finished second in the Japan Cup. He likes racing left-handed, so that was one of the reasons for coming here. All going well, he will go to Dubai next month for the Sheema Classic. I would like to thank the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia for giving us the opportunity to come here.”

Jockey Martin Dwyer said of Pyledriver, who eventually finished 11th of 13 finishers, “The draw hammered me–my only hope was there was so much pace in the race on paper and I hoped it would give me a chance to get inside, but it didn't, they went slow and I was trapped deep with no cover. I had no petrol left but it was no fault of the horse. We live to fight another day.”

Pedigree Notes

Authority comes from one of the top families in Japan as of late. His dam, Rosalind (Jpn) (Symboli Kris S), is out of the GI American Oaks and Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) winner Cesario (Jpn) (Special Week {Jpn}), and therefore Rosalind is a full-sister to G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger) and Japan Cup winner Epiphaneia (Jpn), who has started his stud career remarkably well as the sire of three Group 1 winners from his first three crops including the Japanese Fillies Triple Crown winner Daring Tact (Jpn). Epiphaneia and Rosalind's siblings also include the champion 3-year-old and Classic-winning Saturnalia (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) and champion 2-year-old Leontes (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}). Authority is one of 15 group winners for Orfevre, formerly a very popular runner in Japan and winner of the Japanese Triple Crown and two G1 Arima Kinens and twice runner-up in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

Saturday, King Abdulaziz (Riyadh), Saudi Arabia
NEOM TURF CUP PRESENTED BY JAHEZ-G3, $1,500,000, King Abdulaziz, 2-26, 4yo/up, 2100mT, 2:06.72, gd.
1-AUTHORITY (JPN), 126, h, 5, by Orfevre (Jpn)
                1st Dam: Rosalind (Jpn), by Symboli Kris S
                2nd Dam: Cesario (Jpn), by Special Week (Jpn)
                3rd Dam: Kirov Premiere (GB), by Sadler's Wells
O-Silk Racing Co Ltd; B-Northern Farm; T-Tetsuya Kimura;
J-C Lemaire; $900,000. Lifetime Record: MGSW & G1SP-Jpn,
12-6-2-1, $4,126,374 . Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the
   eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2-Kaspar (Ger), 126, h, 5, Pivotal (GB)-Kastila (Ger), by
Sternkoenig (Ire). O-Yousef Mohammed A Alturaif; B-Gestut
Rottgen; T-Mohammed Alhirabi; J-Riccardo Ferreira; $300,000.
3-Ebaiyra, 121, m, 5, Distorted Humor-Ebiyza (Ire), by Rock Of
Gibraltar (Ire). O-H H The Aga Khan; B-S.A. Aga Khan;
T-F-H Graffard; J-Christophe Soumillon; $150,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, HF, NO. Also Ran: Harrovian (GB), Grocer Jack (Ger), Flying Visit (Ire), Arctic Sound (GB), Passion And Glory (Ire), La Casa Tarifa (Ire), Solid Stone (Ire), Pyledriver (GB), Zuran Zuran (Arg), Eudaimonia (Fr). DNF: Channel Cat.
Click for the Racing Post chart and VIDEO. Click for the free Equineline.com catalog-style pedigree.

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Deep Impact: Gone But Certainly Not Forgotten

The death of Deep Impact (Jpn) in July 2019 may have robbed Japan, and the wider breeding industry, of a phenomenally successful stallion but his dominance persists for now, with a tenth Japanese sires' championship going his way in 2021.

The most prolific son of Sunday Silence, who was just 17 when he died a few months after covering a final book of 24 mares, has held the title consecutively since 2012, the year in which his eldest runners were 4-year-olds. He had hit the ground running as the champion first-season sire in 2010.

From that final crop, members of which have just turned two, seven foals are listed as having been born in Japan, and another seven in Europe. As would be expected, they belong to some high-end breeders, and include the Aga Khan's half-sister to the five-time Group 1 winner and young stallion The Autumn Sun (Aus) (Redoutes's Choice {Aus}); Godolphin's half-sister to Prix Marcel Boussac and Breeders' Cup winner Wuheida (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}); a full-brother to Saxon Warrior (Jpn), and a filly out of the seven-time Group 1 winner Minding (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), whose first foal born the previous year was a colt by Deep Impact. Also among the Galileo mares sent to Deep Impact in his final year by the Coolmore partners were the multiple Group 1 winners Hydrangea (Ire) and Rhododendron (Ire), both of whom foaled colts.

The Niarchos family, whose early patronage of Deep Impact resulted in his Classic-winning son Study Of Man (Ire), who is now his sole representative at stud in Britain, have a 2-year-old filly out of Malicieuse (Ire), a Galileo half-sister to Bago (Fr) and Maxios (GB).

With Snowfall (Jpn) having enhanced Deep Impact's record in the European Classics last year with her victories in the Oaks and Irish Oaks, it is not unreasonable, from this select clutch of youngsters, to imagine that his tally in this part of the world could be extended further still by his final two batches of 3-year-olds this year and next.

Deep Impact's progeny earnings for 2021 stood at ¥6,978,499,500 (approximately £44.5m/€53.3m) from 205 winners, led by Contrail (Jpn), who bowed out of his own magnificent racing career with victory in the Japan Cup the year after he completed the Triple Crown. Deep Impact was also represented by his seventh (and fourth consecutive) Japanese Derby winner in Shahryar (Jpn).

At a fee of ¥12 million (approximately £76,300/€91,500), Contrail is now one of six sons of Deep Impact at Shadai Stallion Station, where their sire stood his entire career and was routinely graced with big books of high-class mares. In all bar one of Deep Impact's full covering seasons he was sent in excess of 200 mares, reaching a high of 262 in 2013. Unsurprisingly, he is also an accomplished broodmare sire, a sphere in which his name will loom large for a good while to come, and was runner-up in that division in 2021.

For the second year running, fellow Shadai stallions Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) and Heart's Cry (Jpn) filled the second and third places on the Japanese sires' list. The former, a 14-year-old son of the late King Kamehameha (Jpn), has five Group 1 winners to his credit, including the outstanding Almond Eye (Jpn), and his leading performer last year was the 6-year-old Danon Smash (Jpn), whose top-flight wins have come in both Japan and Hong Kong. Lord Kanaloa also had a smart juvenile in 2021, the Group 2 winner King Hermes (Jpn), among his 247 winners overall–the highest number recorded by any of the stallions on the list.

Heart's Cry, another son of Sunday Silence and racing contemporary of Deep Impact, had the champion back in second when winning the G1 Arima Kinen in his final season on the track, and he has compiled his own impressive record at stud, albeit always in Deep Impact's shadow. Now 21, Heart's Cry is the sire of the globetrotting Lys Gracieux (Jpn) and Japan Cup winner Suave Richard (Jpn) among his 11 Group I winners.

Recording his highest place on the sires' list to date was Deep Impact's 12-year-old son Kizuna (Jpn), who was the leading first-season sire of 2019 and is looking a proper force to be reckoned with after just three crops of racing age. Kizuna was the second of his sire's Derby winners in 2013 and he ventured to France that same year to win the G2 Prix Niel before finishing fourth behind Treve (Fr) in the Arc.

With 155 winners in 2021, Kizuna was also represented by his first top-level winner in Akai Ito (Jpn), victrix of the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup in November. His first-crop son Deep Bond (Jpn) won the G2 Hanshin Daishoten and G2 Prix Foy at Longchamp as well as finishing runner-up in both the G1 Tenno Sho and G1 Arima Kinen.

King Kamehameha (Jpn) died only a fortnight after a Deep Impact so his is another name who will gradually disappear from the stallion tables, if not from pedigrees. He was fifth overall in 2021, but he got the better of Deep Impact in one regard when finishing at the top of the broodmare sires' list.

Another of King Kamehameha's sons, the 15-year-old Rulership (Jpn), was just below him on the table, while with five crops of racing age under his belt, the former Japanese Triple Crown winner and dual Arc runner-up Orfevre (Jpn) was seventh.

The handsome Epiphaneia (Jpn), a son of Symboli Kris S and a contemporary of Kizuna, is doing well from his first three crops to be eighth overall. He is ahead of his young rival in one regard, however, as Epiphaneia is already the sire of three Grade I winners, including last year's Arima Kinen winner Efforia (Jpn) and this season's Classic prospect Circle Of Life (Jpn).

Drefong Leads The Japanese Freshman

Gio Ponti's multiple Grade I-winning son Drefong took up residence at the Shadai Stallion Station in 2018 and the Breeders' Cup Sprint hero is already making a mark on his adopted country, having claimed the first-season sires' championship in 2021.

He covered 207 mares in his first book, and of his 92 starters last year, he notched 31 winners, six clear of his nearest rival in that regard, Copano Rickey (Jpn), by Sunday Silence's son Gold Allure (Jpn), who was sixth overall. Drefong's leading runner was Northern Farm's Geoglyph (Jpn), whose two wins included the G3 Sapporo Nisai S.

Deep Impact's son Silver State (Jpn), who stands at the Yushun Stallion Station, was runner-up in the table with 22 winners, including the Group 3 winner Water Navillera (Jpn). The Japanese 2000 Guineas winner Isla Bonita (Jpn), by Fuji Kiseki (Jpn), also recorded 22 winners to be third.

The hugely talented Kitasan Black (Jpn), the leading son of Deep Impact's full-brother Black Tide (Jpn), was a seven-time Group 1 winner on the track and he is off to a decent start at stud, finishing fourth in the table with 13 winners from 44 starters.

Darley Japan's Grade 1-winning son of War Front, American Patriot, was fifth, represented by 18 winners, including the Group 3 runner-up Be Astonished (Jpn).

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