(26th Dec 04)

ZENNO ROB ROY completed G1 Hat Trick

Zenno Rob Roy capped off his successful 2004 campaign with the victory of G1/Arima Kinen over 2,500m grass gallop at Nakayama Racecourse near Tokyo on Sunday December 26th.
The even money favorite Zenno Rob Roy, ridden by Olivier Peslier, delivered the strongest challenge on the homestretch and captured the year-end championship race in Japan, which carried the total purse of $3.3 million.
Tap Dance City, the winner of G1/Japan Cup in 2003, finished second by half a length. The winning time, 2 minutes 29.5 seconds, is a second off Symboli Kris S's track record set in 2003.
Zenno Rob Roy, who previously won G1/Emperor's Cup Autumn in October and G1/Japan Cup in November, has become the second horse to complete the hat trick of the major Graded One Stakes in Autumn, after T.M.Opera O who achieved it in 2000, and is awarded to receive the 200,000,000yen bonus.
Zenno Rob Roy has now every chance to be elected as the Japanese Horse of the Year in 2004, which will be announced by JRA shortly.
Zenno Rob Roy, four-year-old colt by Sunday Silence out of Mining mare Roamin Rachel, was bred at Shiraoi Farm in Hokkaido and bought by Shinobu Osako at 2000 JRHA Select Foal Sale for 90,000,000yen, approximately $833,333.
It is reported that Zenno Rob Roy is kept in training in 2005.

Zenno Rob Roy

Sire: Sunday Silence
Dam: Roamin Rachel
Sire of Dam: Mining
H4
Consigned: Shiraoi Farm

(29th Nov 04)

ZENNO ROB ROY dominates Japn Cup

JRHA Select Foal Sale's graduate Zenno Rob Roy scored an unchallenged three lengths voctory in the G1/Japan Cup, the 11th leg of World Series Racing Champinship, in Tokyo on November 28th. It was his second consecutive win in the Graded One event for the 4-y-o colt by Sunday Silence, who captured G1/Emperor's Cup Autumn in October.
Zenno Rob Roy was bred by Shiraoi Farm and bought by Shinobu Osako of T.M.International Co Ltd at 2000 JRHA Select Foal Sale for 90,000,000yen, approximately $833,333 at the exchange rate of the sale's date. Zennno Rob Roy is out of Romin Rachel, the winner of G1/Ballerina Handicap.
The 24th running of Japan Cup, the most valuable race in the world on grass which carry the $4.5 million purse, in addition to some insentive bonus, was contestd by 16 runners including five foreign raiders, such as Warrsan, MG1SW from United Kingdom, and Powerscourt, the first ever runner trained by Aiden O'Brien to run in Japan. While there were tough invaders in the field, the local punters made Zenno Rob Roy the favorite and it was proved
that the punters' outlook was correct in the end.
Zenno Rob Roy is now eligible for the 100,000,000yen bonus for the horse who sweep the major three G1 in the second half of the year, G1/Tenno Sho, G1/Japan Cup and G1/Arima Kinen, run at Nakayama Racecourse on December 26th. It is reported that Zenno Rob Roy will attempt to complete the hat trick next.

Zenno Rob Roy

Sire: Sunday Silence
Dam: Roamin Rachel
Sire of Dam: Mining
H4
Consigned: Shiraoi Farm

(14th Nov 04)

ADMIRE GROOVE achieved QEIICC double

Defending queen of G1/Queen ElizabethII Commemorative Cup, the championship race for fillies and mares in Japan, Admire Groove has takes her second straight in this event at Kyoto on November 14th.
Coming off a brave third-place finish just two weeks ago in the G1/Emperor's Cup Autumn,which was won by Zenno Rob Roy, another JRHA Sale's graduate, Admire Groove ridden by Japanese champion jockey Yutaka Take settled in the middle of field early and closed fast as they neared the wire.
Admire Groove(JPN), 4-y-o filly by Sunday Silence bred by Katsumi Yoshida's Northern Farm,was bought at 2000 JRHA Select Foal Sale by Riichi Kondo for 230,000,000yen, the top price of the sale. Trained by Mitsuru Hashida at Ritto Training Center near Kyoto, Admire Groove finishd third in the G1/Oka Sho, Japanese1000 Guineas and second in the G1/Shuka Sho, the final leg of fillies' triple tiara, in prior to landing her first Graded One stakes in the last edition of QEIICC. She has added G3/Mermaid Stakes earlier this year in her tally.
Admire Groove's dam Air Groove is the Japanse Horse of the Year in 1997.

Admire Groove

Sire: Sunday Silence
Dam: Air Groove
Sire of Dam: Tony Bin
M4
Consigned: Northern Farm

(31st Oct 04)

ZENNO ROB ROY won Emperor's Cup

Another triumph by JRHA Select Sale's graduate was performed at Tokyo on October 31st, as the prestigious Emperor's Cup ran there.
Zenno Rob Roy, trained by Kazuo Fujisawa and ridden by Olivier Peslier, delivered the strongest challenge on the homestrecth and dominated the strong field of 17 runners.
The 4-y-o son of Sunday Silence, out of Mining mare Roamin Rachel, previously finished 2nd in the Japanese Derby, 4th in the Japanese St Leger, and 3rd in the Arima Kinen at three, and runner-up to Ingrandire in the Spring version of Emperor's Cup and finished 4th in the Takarazuka Kinen earlier this year. This is his 6th attempt at the stakes with premier grade and captured his first G1 victory.
This is Kazuo Fujisawa's third successive victory in the Autumn version of Emperor's Cup, after winning the last two eiditions of this race by Symboli Kris S.Zenno Rob Roy, bred by Shiraoi Farm, was consigned at the JRHA Select Sale in 2000 and bought by Shinobu Osako of T.M.International Co.Ltd for 90,000,000yen, approximately $833,333 at the exchange rate at that time.
Zenno Rob Roy will take aim at the Japan Cup on November 28th at Tokyo next.

Zenno Rob Roy

Sire: Sunday Silence
Dam: Roamin Rachel
Sire of Dam: Mining
H4
Consigned: Shiraoi Farm

(11th Oct 04)

UTOPIA captured his third G1

Utopia, 4-y-o colt by Forty Niner out of Dream Vision, performed impressive wire-to-wire victory in G1/Mile Championship Nambu Hai on October 11th at Morioka Racecourse, holding the late challenge by Admire Don, Japanese Dirt Champion in 2003, by half a length. Utopia has won G1/Zennion Nisai Yushun at 2 and G1/Derby Grand Prix at 3, therefore, this is his third Graded One stakes win.
Utopia was consigned by Katsumi Yoshida's Northern Farm at JRHA Select Foal Sale in 2000, and bought by Makoto Kaneko for 51,000,000yen. Utopia's career earning is now a little bit short of 300 million yen, which is more than five times of his purchased price.
Utopia is trained by Kojiro Hashiguchi at Ritto Training Center near Kyoto and ridden by Norihiro Yokoyama at Morioka. Next start for Utopia will be G1/JBC Classic at Oi Racecourse on November 3rd.

Utopia

Sire: Forty Niner
Dam: Dream Vision
Sire of Dam: Northern Taste
H4
Consigned: Northern Farm

(30th Jun 04)

Another winner in Europe

Cherubim, 3-y-o filly by Sunday Silence out of Curly Angel, who bought at JRHA Select Foal Sale in 2001, won the maiden at Gowran Park impressively.
The David Loder trainee, owned by Sheikh Mohammed, has become the third winner from 2001 JRHA Select Sale in Europe, after Sun Drop who was runner-up to Attraction in the G1/1000 Guineas, and Davorin.
Cherubim's dam Curly Angel is half-sister to Air Groove, Japanese Horse of the Year, and is out of Dyna Curl, G1/ Oaks winner in Japan.
A colt out of Air Groove is catalogued in the 2004 JRHA Select Foal Sale, taken place at Northern Horse Park on July 12th and 13th. The Dance in the Dark colt, out of Air Groove, is HIp#68, and will be offered on the market on Monday 12th, the first session of the sale.

(31st May 04)

First Derby Winner from JRHA Select Sale

We are very proud to announce that Japan Racing Horse Association's Select Foal Sale,inaugurated in 1998, has produced the first Japanese Derby winner. King Kamehameha, bought by Makoto Kaneko at the Select Sale in 2001 for 78,000,000yen, won the 71st running of Japanese Derby at Tokyo Racecourse on May 30th, establishing new stakes record, 2 minutes and 23.3 seconds, which is 2.0 seconds faster than the previous record.
King Kamehameha, by Kingmambo out of Manfath, was bred by Katsumi Yoshida's Northern Farm at Hokkaido and is now trained by Kunihide Matsuda at Ritto Training Center near Kyoto.
King Kamehameha has also won the G1/NHK Mile Cup, the equivalent of 2000 Guineas in Japan, and become the first ever horse to completed the NHK Mile/Derby double.
It is reported that Makoto Kaneko is keen to keep him in training next year and organize overseas campaign for King Kamehameha.

King Kamehameha

Sire: Kingmambo
Dam: Manfath
Sire of Dam: Last Tycoon
H3
Consigned: Northern Farm

(16th May 04)

Another success by graduate in Europe

Wuthering Heights(JPN), bought at 2002 JRHA Select Foal Sale, broke his maiden at Gowran Park on May 16th.
Wuthering Heights(JPN), 2-y-o colt by Fusaichipegasus out of Jeweled Crown, was consigned by Paca Paca Farm at 2002 JRHA Select Sale and bought by John McCormack Bloodstock for 81,000,000yen. He was diappointing seventh in the maiden at Curragh on April 25th on his debut, but has improved a lot since then and did not disappoint the punters, who supported him as joint-favorite of the race.
Wuthering Heights(JPN), trained by Aiden O'Brien and owned by Susan Magnier, is a half brother to Silk Phoenix, MGSW in Japan, and closely related to Chief's Crown, winner of BC Juvenile and champion 2-y-o in America.

(6th May 04)

INGRANDIRE made all the prestigious Cup

Ingrandire, 5-y-o Horse owned by Chizu Yoshida and trained by Yoshinami Shimizu, performed very impressive wire-to-wire victory at the G1/Emperor's Cup Spring, one of the most prestigious race for older horses in Japan, taken place at Kyoto Racecourse on May 2nd. The winning margin was seven lengths, which is the beggest in 24 years of the race's history.
This is the fifth Graded Stakes for Ingrandire and the first Graded 1 Stakes in his tally.
Ingrandire, by White Muzzle out of Marilyn Momoko, was bred by Teruya Yoshida's Shadai Farm at Hokkaido and sold at the 1999 JRHA Select Sale only for 13,100,000yen. Ingrandire has earned 383,850,000yen to date, which is nearly 30 times of his purchased price.
The second finisher of the race, Zenno Rob Roy, is also JRHA Select Sale's graduate.

Ingrandire

Sire: White Muzzle
Dam: Marilyn Momoko
Sire of Dam: Real Shadai
C5
Consigned: Shadai Farm

(2nd May 04)

SUNDROP (JPN) brave 2nd in 1000 Guineas

Sundrop(JPN), who aimed to be the first Japanese-bred British Classic winner, was narrowly beaten in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket on May 2nd.
Sundrop, bred by Yukiko Hosokawa and bought by Shekh Mohammed through John Ferguson at 2001 JRHA Select Foal Sale, made successful debut at Lingfield in September last year, and then made wonderful effort when 1.1/4 lengths second to Red Gloom in G1/Fillies Mile at Ascot.
While supported as the winter favorite for the Oaks by some bookmakers, Sundrop wintered well at Dubai and the connection decided to send her to 1000 Guineas as she finished second in the Godolphin's private trial at Nad Al Sheba in mid-April.
Although Sundrop failed to catch Attraction, beaten by half a length, Sundrop ran a big race and is now pointed for the G1/Oaks, June 4th at Epsom, as it was expected. The daughter of Sunday Silence is now clear favorite for the Oaks.

(13th Apr 04)

DAVORIN (JPN) Successful Debut

Sheikh Mohammed's DAVORIN, bought at 2001 JRHA Select Foal Sale through John Ferguson,
made successful debut at Newmarket on April 13th.
Davorin, 4/1 third-favorite in the Alex Scott Maiden over 7 furlongs at Rowly Mile Course,
chased leaders, hit the front at at the eighth pole, and stayed well to keep the lead.
Davorin by Warning is full-brother to G1 winner Diktat, and was consinged by Shoei Co.Ltd,
which bred him in Japan, at 2001 JRHA Select Foal Sale. Davorin is now trained by David
Loder at Newmarket and Jonny Murtagh was on board on April 13th.