(12th Dec 05)

HAT TRICK shines in Hong Kong

JRHA Select Foal Sale's graduate Hat Trick won G1/Hong Kong Mile, a year-end world championship race for top milers, on December 11th at Sha Tin, beating the quality field, which included Rakti, six times G1 winner representing the United Kingdom, Court Masterpiece, the winner of G1/Prix de la Foret at Longchamp in October, and Bullish Luck, the winner of G1/Champions' Mile representing the host nation.
Hat Trick by Sunday Silence was bred by Haruya Yoshida of Oiwake Farm and bought by Yomoji Saito at the 2001 JRHA Select Foal Sale for 65,000,000yen. And then, the colt was sold privately to Carrot Farm Ltd, the racing syndication based at Tokyo, and has been carrying the silk of Carrot Farm Ltd throughout his racing career so far.
Katsuhiko Sumii, who is training Hat Trick, has won G1/American Oaks by Cesario earlier this year, and Sumii has become the first Japanese trainer who captured two stakes with premier grade in a single season overseas by two different horses. Sumii intends to give another races abroad to Hat Trick in 2006, although he has not made his mind where and when it will be.
The Hong Kong Mile is the fourth Graded Stakes and second Graded One Stakes for Hat Trick.

(5th Jul 05)

Japanese-bred filly by SPECIAL WEEK won G!/American Oaks easily

The fourth running of G1/American Oaks, which attracted the best-ever international cast, was run at Hollywood Park on July 3rd and won by Japanese-owned and Japanese-trained Cesario by four lengths.
Cesario is 3-y-o filly by Special Week, the winner of Japan Cup in 1999, and bred by Katsumi Yoshida's Northern Farm.
The second favorite in the 12 runners' field took third position guided by his regular rider Yuichi Fukunaga after the break, hit the front at the beginning of far turn, and devastated the field. The winning time, 1 minute and 59.03 seconds was the stakes record of the American Oaks.
The catalogue of 2005 Selected Foal Sale, conducted by Japan Racing Horse Association on July 11th and 12th at Northern Horse Park, will include 7 colts and 2 fillies by Special Week.
This will be very rare opportunity to acquire the crops by Special Week, who is now widely recognized as the best successor of legendary Sunday Silence.

(6th Jun 05)

SUNDROP, successful seasonal debut

Godolphin's Sundrop, 4-y-o filly by Sunday Silence, made her seasonal debut at the G3/Princess Elizabeth Stakes at Epsom on June 3rd, and won it easily by two lengths.
Sundrop, bred by Yukiko Hosokawa, was the consignment from Shadai Farm at 2001 JRHA Select Foal Sale, and bought by John Ferguson for 50,000,000yen for Sheikh Mohammed.
Sundrop, trained by David Loder at 2, finished second to Red Bloom in G1/Fillies Mile at Ascot and emerged as the leading contender for the fillies' Classic on the following year.
She was transferred to Godolphin, wintered in Dubai, and made brave effort as she was runner-up to Attraction in the G1/1000 Guineas at Newmarket last spring. She was given the summer break after the disappointing run in the G1/Oaks, and collected Listed race at Newmarket later the year.
Settled in rear by Frankie Dettori, Sundrop, the even money favorite in the G3/Princess Elizabeth Stakes, .delivered very impressive challenge at the closing stage and picked up her first Graded Stakes. She will go for G2/Windsor Forest Stakes at Royal Ascot at York next time, according to Mr.Simon Crisford, the racing manager of Godolphin.