JANTAR Mantar was this week announced as the JRA’s champion two-year-old colt of 2023. This came about after he extended his unbeaten run to three with victory in the Group 1 Asahi Hai Futurity in December. He also won the Group 2 Daily Hai Nisai Stakes.

That victory could not have come at a better time, as his sire Palace Malice (Curlin) is about to stand his first season in Japan, based at Sheikh Mohammed’s Darley Japan at a fee of about €22,000. Palace Malice entered stud in 2016 at Three Chimneys Farm in Kentucky at a fee of $20,000, reached a high of $25,000, and was dropped to $7,500 there for the most recent breeding season.

Cot Campbell’s Dogwood Stables raced Palace Malice after buying him for $200,000 at the 2012 Keeneland sale of two-year-olds in training. He won seven of his 19 career races and $2,691,135. In addition to the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes which he annexed by more than three lengths, he captured the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap at four.

He was beaten a neck in the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes and runner-up in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup, while his other victories included a trio of Grade 2 races. Dogwood campaigned Palace Malice with Three Chimneys during his last two career races.

Great start

It is all happening now in Japan for Palace Malice, who was struggling in the USA in spite of the great start he made at stud. He is approaching 200 winners worldwide and the earners of more than $16 million. His first crop included his only other top level winner, Structor, and that colt won the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf four years ago, one of three wins in just four starts, and is also now at stud in Japan.

Now Palace Malice has another emerging star in Japan in the shape of the US-bred three-year-old Noble Roger. He won his only start at two, a maiden over a mile at Tokyo in mid-November, and he was stepped up in class for his second run, the Group 3 Nikkan Sports Sho Shinzan Kinen, again over a mile, at Kyoto.

Hats off to the team at Suliman Bloodstock who, days before Noble Roger made his winning debut, purchased his dam, the stakes-placed Noble Ready (More Than Ready), for just $25,000 at the Keeneland November Sale. She was in foal to Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper), the Grade 1 Dubai World Cup winner. Noble Roger is her second winner among her first three foals.

This is a strong family, as Noble Ready is a half-sister to the Grade 1 winner Western Aristocrat (Mr Greeley), but an own-sister to Grade 2 winner Zindaya (More Than Ready). In addition to being a smart runner, Zindaya is the dam of Carl Spackler (Lope De Vega), and he looks to be a Grade 1 winner in waiting. Last year he won at up to Grade 2 level.