THE 20th Annual JRHA Select Sale was held over two days at the Yoshida’s picturesque Northern Horse Park on Hokkaido. Following two consecutive record-breaking years, an air of cautious optimism was present as to whether the sale could continue its upward trajectory. Nonetheless, for the third consecutive year the sale produced significant year on year increases across the board.

A total of 242 of the catalogued 247 yearlings were offered for auction on day one of the JRHA Select Sale. At the conclusion of the day, a total of 216 yearlings exchanged hands equating to a clearance rate of 89.3%, an increase of over 1% to that of 2016.

Spearheaded by 15 lots making 100 million yen or more, gross turnover increased by 6% to 8,634,500,000 Yen (€66,800,000). The average price attained registered a 6.7% increase to 39,974,537 Yen (€309,600), while the median jumped 18% to 29,500,000 Yen (€228,000).

The top of the results page was once again dominated by progeny of champion sire, Deep Impact. He sired seven out of the leading 10 yearlings to go under the hammer. A total of 21 lots from the 23 (91.3%) offerings by Deep Impact were sold for an average of €907,000 and a total in excess of €19,000,000. These results alone culminated in a 28.5% share of gross turnover for the yearling session.

For the second time in Select Sale history, it was a son of the Irish-bred daughter of Sadler’s Wells – Listen – who headlined the sale. A partnership of leading owner Hajime Satomi and Big Red Farm signed the 270,000,000 Yen (€2,090,000) docket for the imposing bay.

A Group 1 winner in the UK for Aidan O’Brien, Listen, still only a 12-year-old, is already responsible for producing a top-level performer in Japan. Her daughter Touching Speed (also by Deep Impact) is a Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed with earnings of over €850,000.

Satomi had his first Group 1 success in 2016 when Satono Diamond won the Kikuka Sho (St Leger). The owner also saw both Satono Crown and Satono Ares win Group 1 races in 2016.

In 2014, David Redvers, on behalf of Sheikh Fahad, was successful with a sale-topping bid of 260,000,000 Yen for the yearling’s full-brother. Subsequently named New World Power, the now four-year-old is currently in training with David Simcock and has yet to live up to his price tag. He remains a maiden from six starts to date.

The number of foals catalogued was fractionally reduced compared to that of 2016 – 220 foals were offered with 190 being sold. This resulted in an 86.4% clearance rate (an increase of 12.2% on the previous year). Both gross turnover and average saw increases of 27.6% and 16.2% respectively.

As in the previous day, Deep Impact once again dominated proceedings. A colt out of Poule d’Essai Des Pouliches winner Elusive Wave (by Elusive City), consigned by Katsumi Yoshida’s Northern Farm was sold for 580,000,000 Yen (€4,490,000) to owner Riichi Kondo, with trainer Yasuo Tomomichi advising.

After a two-year absence since signing for the yearling’s top-lot in 2014, Sheikh Fahad, with David Redvers alongside, made his presence felt, buying five lots between the two sessions.

Acting both as a purchaser and a vendor on day one, they bought two fillies, a Deep Impact and a Harbinger. Fahad sold a Deep Impact colt out of dual British stakes winner, Ripples Maid, for 74,000,000 Yen (€570,000).

On day two Sheikh Fahad’s Pearl Bloodstock offered the first foal by Golden Horn to pass through an auction ring. However, the filly out of Pearl Of Africa returned unsold at 25,000,000 Yen (€190,000).

Three foal purchases on day two brought their total spend to 126,000,000 Yen (€975,000).

At the conclusion of the two-day sale, 406 of the 462 lots offered were sold resulting in an 87.9% clearance rate, a 6.5% increase to that of 2016. Total Turnover increased by 16% while the average price increased 11.4% to €330,000.

Founder of a Japanese Pachinko machine and gaming software company, Hajime Satomi concluded as the sales top buyer. He invested 1,697,000,000 Yen (€13,140,000) across 16 lots, equalling 9.79% of the total sale turnover.

SHADAI -V- THE REST

Undoubtedly the biggest brand in Japan’s racing and breeding sector, and arguably the most successful in the world, is that of the Yoshida brothers’ Shadai Corporation. The JRHA Select Sale is completely dominated by those operating under this umbrella.

In addition to the provision of the sales venue and sales day staff, the Yoshidas’ three main farms – namely Northern Farm, Shadai Farm and Oiwake Farm – (including consignments) were responsible for 62.55% of the total lots offered this year. This is a 2.5% increase in saturation to that of 2016. A total of 371 of the 462 lots offered were progeny of Shadai based stallions (80.3%).

Considering these three farms as one entity, a 97.2% clearance rate of the 289 lots offered with an average price of 50,766,904 (€390,000) accounted for gross turnover of 14,265,500,000 Yen, which equates to 82.33% market share of the total turnover.

However, for those who operate outside the Shadai Corporation, results invariably pale in comparison. They were responsible for 37.45% of the lots offered with a clearance rate of 72.3% (12.4% increase on 2016) and an average price of 24,492,000 Yen (€189,600) for a 17.67% market share of total sale turnover.