Record Gross, Average at JRHA Yearling Sale

The offspring of leading Japanese sire Deep Impact dominated the top of the market at the yearling ession of the JRHA select sale July 11 with eight in the top 10 highest prices, including the first six best sellers that were topped by a colt out of U.S. champion Awesome Feather for ¥260,000,000 (US$2.6 million).

The top three highest prices at the foal sale, which ended with a record gross and average, were all produced by U.S. grade I winners. The sale-topper, consigned by Katsumi Yoshida's Northern Farm, was bought by Tetsumi Kurokawa of KT Racing.

"My racing manager visited Northern Farm for several times and picked up this one as the best lot in the catalog," said Kurokawa, who runs investment managing company based at Tokyo. "I saw him at the sale ground on Sunday, and found he is very nice individual. I am very happy to get such nice young talented horse, although the price is more than I expected. It is my dream to win Japanese Derby (Jpn-I) with his colt."

The youngster will be trained by Yasuo Tomomichi.

Florida-bred Awesome Feather won 10 of 11 career starts, capping her championship season with a victory in the Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) as a homebred for Jacks or Better Farm. She sold to Frank Stronach's Adena Springs for $2.3 million at the Fasig-Tipton November sale and reeled off four successive stakes win for Stronach Stables, including the 2011Gazelle Stakes (gr. I) at Belmont Park. Adena Springs offered her at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton November sale in foal to Medaglia d'Oro where she sold to Yoshida for $1.9 million.

The day's second- and third-highest prices are out of grade I winner Champagne d'Oro and 2010 champion female sprinter Dubai Majesty, respectively.

Kieffers Co. went to ¥235,000,000 ($2.35 million) for Champagne d'Oro's Deep Impact colt offered by Shadai Farm. The Medaglia d'Oro mare, a half sister to Belmont Stakes (gr. I) winner Ruler On Ice, has two foals of racing age, neither of which have started.

Shadai Farm went to $2.7 million for Champagne d'Oro at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton November sale.

Danox Co. Ltd. spent ¥220,000,000 ($2.2 million) for Dubai Majesty's Deep Impact colt offered by Northern Farm.

Dubai Majesty is a daughter of Essence of Dubai who has three foals of racing, including Gold Essence, a two-time winner in Japan. Yoshida bought her for $1.1 million at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton November sale.

In his first visit to Japan, Canandian diamond magnate Charles Fipke paid ¥125,000,000 ($1.25 million) for a Northern Farm's Deep Impact filly out of the unraced Thunder Gulch mare Topliner, a half sister to grade I winners Stellar Jayne and Starrer. The only filly in the top 10 prices, she is a half sister to Matriarch Stakes (gr. I) winner Star Billing and two other winners.

The filly was one of two purchases by Fipke , who also bought Orion Farm Co's Stay Gold—Sigatoka filly for ¥10,000,000 ($100,000). The mare, who has produced four winners, is a half sister to U.S champion turf female Fuji and French group winner Capri.

Overall, 217 of 247 yearlings through the ring at Northern Horse Park were sold for record total receipts ¥8,130,600,000 ($79,119,522). The figure eclipsed the previous record established last year by 14.4%. And the average price at the session, ¥37,468,203 ($364,672), is 10.8% higher than the last year and the record at the session as well.

"I was worried about the general economy, which has been unstable after the Brexit," Yoshida, the sale's leading consignor, said after the sale. "Therefore, this result is much more than I expected. I would like to thank all who support the market."

The JRHA select foal sale is set for July 12.