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Poetic Flare Retires To Shadai Stallion Station

Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}–Maria Lee {Ire}, by Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}), the top-rated 3-year-old miler of 2021, has been retired from racing and will stand at Shadai Stallion Station in Japan from next year.

Winner of the G1 2000 Guineas and G1 St James's Palace S., the colt has provided his master trainer Jim Bolger with perhaps the pinnacle of his parallel career as a breeder, for he not only bred, owned and trained Poetic Flare's sire and fellow Classic winner Dawn Approach, but he also trained his grandsire New Approach (Ire), whose five Group 1 victories included the Derby. Furthermore, Bolger bred Poetic Flare's first two dams and trained his third dam.

Poetic Flare was not among Monday's five-day confirmations for the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. on QIPCO British Champions Day, which would have provided a potentially thrilling rematch with top older miler Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}), who beat the 3-year-old by just a neck in a pulsating finish to the G1 Prix Jacques Le Marois at Deauville in August.

“I'm sure many racegoers will be disappointed not to see him at Ascot, and I am disappointed myself that he is not going there, but it was not possible,” Bolger told TDN on Tuesday. “He will be standing at Shadai and will be leaving soon for Japan.”

Of the sale of a colt to the Yoshida family's powerful stallion operation, he added, “This is a first for me, but it is a great opportunity for the horse and I will be supporting him with mares myself, even though it won't be that straightforward.”

Poetic Flare started his career by winning the first 2-year-old race of the 2020 season at Naas but a growth spurt meant that he wasn't seen again until lining up for the G1 Darley Dewhurst S. some seven months later. He finished 10th that day, almost nine lengths behind the winner St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), but finished his juvenile campaign in style by winning the G3 Killavullan S. at Leopardstown just a week later. Another seven days after that his stablemate and fellow Bolger-bred Mac Swiney (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) gave another boost to the sireline by winning the G1 Vertem Futurity at Doncaster. The pair would meet again the following May at The Curragh when Mac Swiney narrowly got the upper hand in testing conditions for the Irish 2000 Guineas, but by then Poetic Flare had already won the QIPCO 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and contested the French equivalent, finishing sixth in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains.

Campaigned rigorously by Bolger, the powerfully built Poetic Flare bounced back at Royal Ascot to post a commanding victory in the G1 St James's Palace, beating runner-up Lucky Vega (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) by 4 1/2 lengths. The following month he was back in action in the G1 Sussex S., in which he was beaten into second by Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never), with the G1 Falmouth S. winner Snow Lantern (GB) (Frankel {GB}) behind him in third.

His narrow defeat in the Jacques Le Marois was followed by what transpired to be the final start of his career when finishing less than a length behind St Mark's Basilica for third in the G1 Irish Champion S. on his first attempt over 10 furlongs.

Ridden throughout his career by Bolger's son-in-law Kevin Manning in the colours of the trainer's wife, Jackie, Poetic Flare, who is out of the Rock Of Gibraltar (Ire) mare Maria Lee (Ire), raced 11 times for five wins and four places, with his earnings just passing £1 million.

He is a member of the fourth crop of the former champion 2-year-old Dawn Approach, who went on to complete the 2000 Guineas and St James's Palace S. double later emulated by his son. Dawn Approach spent the first seven seasons of his stud career at Darley's Kildangan Stud in Ireland, but as support for him dwindled he returned to his birthplace of Bolger's Redmondstown Stud in 2021, where he covered around 40 of his breeder's own mares.

Shadai Stallion Station on the Japanese island of Hokkaido is currently home to 31 stallions. Teruya Yoshida lost his flagship sire Deep Impact (Jpn) in July 2019 after the multiple champion suffered a cervical fracture.

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Champion Heart’s Cry Pensioned

Japanese champion and successful sire Heart's Cry (Jpn) (Sunday Silence–Irish Dance {Jpn}, by Tony Bin {Ire}) has been pensioned from stallion duty, according to multiple reports. The Shadai Farm-bred bay is 20 and stood for a private fee this year.

A winner of a 2000-metre maiden at first asking as a 3-year-old, the Kojiro Hashiguchi trainee had won a pair of listed stakes from 10 outings by the end of 2004 and he was also second in the then-listed Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) and third in two more black-type races that term. As a 4-year-old, the Shadai Race Horse runner was named the Japanese Champion Older Horse on the back of his victory in the Arima Kinen (now a Group 1 race) from six starts, where he defeated Deep Impact (Jpn) (Sunday Silence). He was also second in the G1 Japan Cup, G1 Takarazuka Kinen and G2 Sankei Osaka Hai in 2005. Kept in training at five, the Apr. 15 foal captured the G1 Nakheel Dubai Sheema Classic at Nad Al Sheba in Dubai in March of 2006 and he was third in the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond S. at Ascot that July. Retired after an unplaced run in the G1 Japan Cup back in Japan, the 2006 UAE highweight's race record was 19-5-4-3 with earnings of $8,054,175.

The bay stood his entire career at Shadai Stallion Station, siring 51 black-type winners–10 at Group 1 level from 1475 foals to date. Tops among his 35 group winners was Japanese Horse of the Year, multiple champion, four-time Group 1 winner and G1 Cox Plate victress Lys Gracieux (Jpn), while Just A Way (Jpn) saluted three times at the highest level in both Japan 92) and Dubai (1). Other Group 1 winners by Heart's Cry include Suave Richard (Jpn), Yoshida (Jpn)-who won on both dirt and turf Stateside, Nuovo Record (Jpn), Cheval Grand (Jpn), One and Only (Jpn), Salios (Jpn), Time Flyer (Jpn) and the late G1 Caulfield Cup hero Admire Rakti (Jpn).

As a broodmare sire, Heart's Cry's daughters have already produced six stakes winners, five at the group level and a pair of Group 1 winners. Encouragingly, both G1 Blue Diamond S. hero Tagaloa (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) and G1 Satsuki Sho victor Efforia (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) are both by fellow Shadai residents. His other four black-type winners are all by Lord Kanaloa.

The best foal out of the MSW Irish Dance, Heart's Cry has 20 yearlings and three weanlings entered in the 2021 JRHA Select Sale on July 12-13. His extended family features the G1 February S. winner Nonkono Yume (Jpn) (Twining) and the U.S. Champion Sprinter My Juliet (Gallant Romeo), herself the dam of MGISW Stella Madrid (Alydar) and GISW Tis Juliet (Alydar) among her extensive brood of stakes winners.

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Like Father, Like Son for Danon Smash in Takamatsunomiya Kinen

Danon Smash (Jpn) finally broke through at the highest level with a neck defeat of boom mare Resistencia (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) in Chukyo's G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen on Sunday. The Danox Inc. colourbearer followed in his sire's hoofprints, who captured the 1200-metre grass feature in 2013.

Sent off at 5-1, the Takayuki Yasuda trainee assumed position off the fence near the back of the field as the 2020 Takamatsunomiya Kinen winner Mozu Superflare (Speightstown) rocketed straight to the front. That rival remained glued to the fence and set sharp fractions of :22.90 and :45.60 despite the yielding going while on an uncontested lead. Winding up for his run, Danon Smash began to make encouraging progress, cut between Resistencia and a rival at the 200-metre mark and found his way to the line a neck on top.

Group 1 winner Resistencia, favoured at 9-5, spun fairly wide into the stretch, appeared to briefly struggle with the deep ground as the rain continued, before gamely picking up and holding for second. Indy Champ (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}), who had taken over from Mozu Superflare briefly nearer the fence was a neck back in third. Mozu Superflare hung on for fifth.

“I knew that the ground condition was going to be the key factor but I decided not to make any plan and let the horse race where he wants to,” said pilot Yuga Kawada. “We were able to race while eyeing Resistencia in the front. He responded really well at the fourth corner and, although there was a long duel (with the race favorite) at the stretch, he showed his strength at the end. Last year's result (10th) was very disappointing so I'm

really glad he was able to register his first Group 1 title in Japan.”

A potential return to Hong Kong for a start in the G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize on Apr. 25 is a possibility for Danon Smash. Resistencia also holds an entry for that Sha Tin feature.

As a juvenile, Danon Smash won two of four starts including the Momiji S., but saved his first group win for the G3 Keihan Hai S. in November of his 3-year-old season. Among his starts as a 4-year-old, the entire ran fourth in the 2019 Takamatsunomiya Kinen and later that season was third in the G1 Sprinters S. in September of 2019. Last term, he saluted the judge four times in seven starts, with a first in the G2 Sankei Sho Centaur S. followed by a runner-up performance in the Sprinters S. and he broke through on foreign soil with a Group 1 win in the Longines Hong Kong Sprint at Sha Tin on Dec. 13. Sunday's victory was his 6-year-old bow.

Pedigree Notes

Danon Smash is one of five Group 1 winners and 17 group winners for rising sire star Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}), who is in the process of assuming the Shadai Stallion Station kingpin mantle after the passing of star sires Deep Impact (Jpn) and King Kamehameha (Jpn). In addition to each winning the Takamatsunomiya Kinen, the father-son duo also share a win apiece in the aforementioned Hong Kong Sprint.

Although GI King Bishop S. hero Hard Spun's broodmare career is not yet well advanced, the son of Danzig already has 23 black-type winners to his credit, with GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile and GI Haskell Invitational S. victor Good Magic (Curlin) and G1 Cheveley Park S. heroine Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never) representing him at the highest level in addition to the Takamatsunomiya Kinen winner.

His dam, Spinning Wildcat, was plucked for $600,000 by KI Farm out of the Fasig-Tipton November Sale in 2013 in foal to Tapit. That foal was the subsequent winning filly Menuett (Jpn), who saluted over 1600 metres on dirt as a 4-year-old and delivered a filly by Lord Kanaloa as her first foal this spring. Danon Smash is Spinning Wildcat's second foal and one of five winners from five to race. Danon Smash has full-siblings–a juvenile filly and yearling colt who have yet to race, while Spinning Wildcat was covered by Heart's Cry (Jpn) last spring.

Second dam Hollywood Wildcat (Kris S.) was named a champion 3-year-old filly in America and her race record includes three wins out of the top drawer among them the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff. At stud, she threw her best runners when crossed with Danzig and his sons, with her star offspring being GI Breeders' Cup Mile winner and sire War Chant (Danzig). Two more of her sons were given places at stud–G2 July S. & MG1SP Ivan Denisovich (Ire) (Danehill) and SW & MGSP Ministers Wild Cat (Deputy Minister). Her best daughter was SW & GSP Double Cat (Storm Cat), while another daughter produced Canadian Classic scorer Danish Dynaformer (Dynaformer).

Sunday, Chukyo, Japan
TAKAMATSUNOMIYA KINEN-G1, ¥253,460,000, Chukyo, 3-28, 4yo/up, 1200mT, 1:09.20, sf.
1–DANON SMASH (JPN), 126, h, 6, Lord Kanaloa (Jpn)
                1st Dam: Spinning Wildcat, by Hard Spun
                2nd Dam: Hollywood Wildcat, by Kris S.
                3rd Dam: Miss Wildcatter, by Mr.Prospector
O-Danox Inc.; B-K. I. Farm (Jpn); T-Takayuki Yasuda; J-Yuga
Kawada. ¥133,822,000. Lifetime Record: G1SW-HK, 23-11-3-1.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick
   Rating: F.
2–Resistencia (Jpn), 121, f, 4, Daiwa Major (Jpn)–
Malacostumbrada (Arg), by Lizard Island. O-Carrot Farm;
B- Northern Farm (Jpn); ¥53,092,000.
3–Indy Champ (Jpn), 126, h, 6, Stay Gold (Jpn)–Will Power (Jpn),
by King Kamehameha (Jpn). O-Silk Racing; B-Northern Farm
(Jpn); ¥33,546,000.
Margins: NK, NK, 3/4. Odds: 5.00, 1.90, 5.30.
Also Ran: Travesura (Jpn), Mozu Superflare, Sound Ciara (Jpn), Eighteen Girl (Jpn), Maltese Diosa (Jpn), Seiun Kosei (Jpn), Miki Brillante (Jpn), Daimei Fuji (Jpn), Danon Fantasy (Jpn), Astra Emblem (Jpn), Lauda Sion (Jpn), Katsuji (Jpn), A Will a Way (Jpn), Right on Cue (Jpn), Red en Ciel (Jpn).
Click for the JRA chart or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO.

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Japanese Horse of the Year Jungle Pocket Dead at 23

Japanese Horse of the Year Jungle Pocket (Jpn) (Tony Bin {Ire}-Dance Charmer, by Nureyev) passed away at Breeders' Stallion Station in Japan, Tokyo-Sports reported on Tuesday. The grandson of GII Del Mar Debutante S. heroine Skillful Joy (Nodouble) was 23.

Bred by Northern Farm and campaigned by Katsumi Yoshida, the May foal won two of three starts at two including the Sapporo Sansai S. in September of 2000 before a second-place finish in the Radio Tampa Hai Sansai S. Back in the winner's circle in the Kyodo News Service Hai, he was third in the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) before rebounding to take the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) in May of 2001. Only third in the Sapporo Kinen that August and fourth in the Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger) that October, he claimed his Group 1 in the Japan Cup by a neck over T.M. Opera O (Jpn) (Opera House {GB}) that November. He was named Japanese Horse of the Year and Champion 3-Year-Old of 2001.

Shelved until March of his 4-year-old year, Jungle Pocket ran second in the G2 Hanshin Daishoten and filled the same spot in the Tenno Sho (Spring) in April. His final two runs were off-the-board finishes at Nakayama in the G1 Japan Cup and G1 Arima Kinen. The Katsumi Yoshida colourbearer was retired to stand at Shadai Stallion Station with a mark of 13-5-3-2 and $5,788,198 in earnings.

Besides standing at Shadai in the Northern Hemisphere, he moved to the Breeders' Stallion Station in 2013 and also shuttled to Rich Hill Stud in New Zealand for a few seasons. He sired 29 black-type winners, 16 of them at the group level. Among his best progeny were Group 1 winners Tosen Jordan (Jpn), Aventura (Jpn), Queen Spumante (Jpn), Jaguar Mail (Jpn) and Jungle Rocket (NZ). As a broodmare sire, Jungle Pocket's daughters have foaled 10 black-type winners, six at the group level. Although he does not have a Group 1 winner in that sphere yet, Group 2 winner Mikki Swallow (Jpn) (Tosen Homareboshi {Jpn}) ran third in the G1 Tenno Sho (Spring) and fellow Group 2 winner Solveig (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) was third in the G1 Sprinters S.

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