Contrail Makes Staggering Debut at JRHA Select Sale

Contrail (JPN)'s coronation as Deep Impact's heir apparent was performed by Japanese buyers at the Northern Horse Park on July 11 when the first foals by the almost black stallion made a staggering debut at the JRHA Select Sale. The sequel to Monday's box-office smash hit yearling session grossed even greater returns, with demand pushing all key figures to record highs and a staggering ¥14,780,000,000 (US$105,300,849; ¥1 = US$0.0071) generated from the sale of 219 foals. That session total was an increase of 15% on last year, with the 2023 average of ¥67,488,584 almost 18 per cent higher than the 2022 figure. The median showed more modest growth of 2.5% to ¥41,000,000, and the clearance rate of 95% is the second highest in the sale's history. Demand for the first crop of the Japanese Triple Crown winner, as near a real-life incarnation of the black stallion as possible, was one of the major driving forces behind Tuesday's rise to greater heights than ever before. A total of 20 foals by Contrail were sold during the session, and the aggregate for the bunch was in excess of ¥2,570,000,000 (US$18,309,836) and an average of ¥128,500,000 (US$915,492). The undoubted star of the bunch was a colt out of Argentine grade 1 winner Conviction (ARG), who brought a winning bid of ¥520,000,000 from Contrail's breeder, Koji Madea's North Hills. "Although I estimated the price would be ¥300,000,000 more or less, I did not want to stop bidding," Koji Maeda said. "This colt will be trained by Yuichi Fukunaga." Fukunaga, Contrail's jockey for his Triple Crown, Japan Cup (G1), and Hopeful Stakes (G1) triumphs, has retired from the saddle and begun his new career as a trainer. He will be given the task of overseeing the careers of some of his superstar former partner's first runners, including this colt, the third-most expensive foal ever sold at the JRHA Select Sale. The son of Deep Impact, who left Japan's best chasing his vapor trails, ran in the colors of Shinji Maeda, and so will the colt out of a mare with a pedigree very familiar to European bloodstock enthusiasts. Lot 329 is the third foal out of Bye Bye Baby (IRE), a daughter of Galileo who won the Blue Wind Stakes (G3) and was fourth in the Irish Oaks (G1) and Pretty Polly Stakes (G1) for Aidan O'Brien and Coolmore. She is a full sister to the surprise 2020 Epsom Derby winner Serpentine (IRE) and out of Oaks runner-up Remember When (IRE). Also fourth in the Irish One Thousand Guineas (G1) and Pretty Polly Stakes (G1), the daughter of Danehill Dancer is closely related to Arc de Triomphe (G1) and dual Irish Champion Stakes (G1) winner Dylan Thomas (IRE). Another of Remember When's half siblings is the European champion 2-year-old filly Queen's Logic (IRE). Bye Bye Baby was sold at Fasig-Tipton's Night Of The Stars in November 2021 to Narvick International for $3.1 million on behalf of Grand Stud, which consigned her Contrail colt on Tuesday for ¥330,000,000. The highest price for a filly by Contrail was the ¥280,000,000 Fujita Susuma gave for the daughter of grade 1 Del Mar Debutante Stakes winner She's A Tiger, who was purchased by Katsumi Yoshida for $2.5 million at Fasig-Tipton in November 2014. Consigned by Northern Farm, she is a half sister to Danon The Tiger (JPN), who has been placed in both the grade 2 Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai and grade 3 Kyodo News Hai. Fireworks greeted the opening of the session with the first foal through the ring, a colt by Japan Cup hero and Horse of the Year Kitasan Black (JPN) in a portent of what was to come. The son of Fadillah (GB), a Monsun (GER) half sister to group 1 Grosser Preis von Baden winner Seismos (IRE) and the group 3 winner Samba Brazil (GER), out of a half sister to group 1 winners Schiaparelli (GER), Samum (GER), and Salve Regina, brought ¥380,000,000 from Interhose, an ownership group in Japan. Fadillah was purchased by the Yoshidas for 700,000 guineas at the Tattersalls December Mare Sale in 2018, and the price her foal attained Tuesday would be bettered only once during the rest of an extraordinary day of trade. Two days of electric trading set records for the Select Sale, which grossed ¥28,145,000,000 across both sessions, a jump of 9% year-on-year. The average of ¥64,701,149 grew by 12% from last year's figure, and the clearance rate of 96% also represented a high for the sale. "I feel there is strong passion for horse racing in this country," Teruya Yoshida, chairman of the Japan Racing Horse Association, said at the conclusion of the sale.