Deep Impact Double as Japanese Breeding Reigns Supreme

It never takes long to reach the name of Deep Impact when discussing Japanese racing and bloodstock and the nation's totemic sire was front and center of its two latest international winners in Hong Kong.

Both Glory Vase, who mowed down a gutsy Pyledriver  in the Longines Hong Kong Vase (G1), and the admirably brave Longines Hong Kong Cup (G1) winner Loves Only You  are both offspring of the brilliant son of Sunday Silence.

Although he died in the middle of 2019, Deep Impact is set to become champion general sire for the 10th consecutive year, with the likes of Japan Cup (G1) hero Contrail keeping his name in lights.

Deep Impact did not race in Hong Kong himself but he made an impact at the International meeting in 2015 with the Cup victory of A Shin Hikari . Glory Vase had already run away with the Vase two years ago and had chased home Loves Only You in a Japanese clean sweep of the FWD Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1) at Sha Tin in April.

Although Deep Impact is still waiting for a truly influential stallion son to emerge, the 6-year-old entire Glory Vase is another eligible candidate.

He is the first foal out of winning Swept Overboard mare Mejiro Tsubone and a great grandson of Mejiro Ramonu, Japan's first ever filly Triple Crown winner back in 1986. Both of Glory Vase's two younger siblings in Japan are winners and there is a Heart's Cry  yearling colt, also bred by Lake Villa Farm, to come.

The paddocks certainly await Loves Only You, a priceless mare after her victories in not only the 2019 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks, G1) but last month's Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T). As she signed off her career at Sha Tin on Sunday by defeating her compatriot Hishi Iguazu by a short head, jockey Yuga Kawada announced fondly: "I hope she will be a good mother."

Loves Only You has now even surpassed the feats of her full brother and now Shadai resident Real Steel , a winner of the 2016 Dubai Turf Sponsored by DP World (G1). They are both out of the remarkable Storm Cat mare Loves Only Me , who did not race for Aidan O'Brien but was bought for $900,000 by Northern Farm's Katsumi Yoshida from the Lane's End consignment at the 2009 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

Loves Only Me is a half sister to Moyglare Stud Stakes (G1) and Prix Marcel Boussac-Criterium des Pouliches Royal Barriere Deauville (G1) winner Rumplestiltskin  out of a sister to Kingmambo—the cherished Miesque line.

Loves Only You is a sister to another black-type performer, Prodigal Son, while the last in the sequence looks to be another Deep Impact colt, an unraced 2-year-old named Dean's Lister, who is registered in training with her own handler, Yoshito Yahagi.