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Continuous Success for the Late Heart's Cry in St Leger

Heart's Cry, like another top Japanese stallion, Deep Impact, was by Sunday Silence.

Heart's Cry in 2020 at Shadai Stallion Station

Heart's Cry in 2020 at Shadai Stallion Station

Naoji Inada

The stallion career of Heart's Cry, one of the greats of Japanese racing, was embellished by a British Classic win when Continuous pulled away in the St Leger (G1) Sept. 16.

Ryan Moore acknowledged the unusual breeding of his mount as soon as he had secured his third winner in Doncaster's main event. 

The jockey had not quite reached pre-eminence when Heart's Cry was around on the track, although he knows his offspring and won the Futurity Stakes (G1) on his son Salios. There have been very few of Heart's Cry's progeny imported to Europe but he has managed success all around the world, including in the Cox Plate (G1) with Lys Gracieux, the Dubai Duty Free (G1) with the top-class Just A Way, and the Japan Cup (G1) twice with Cheval Grand and Suave Richard.

Heart's Cry, like Deep Impact, was by Sunday Silence and landed the Sheema Classic (G1) and the Arima Kinen (G1) under Christophe Lemaire before finishing a length third behind Hurricane Run in the 2006 King George (G1). He was retired from Shadai Stallion Station two years ago and died in March at the age of 22.

"Heart's Cry was a top stallion in Japan," Moore told ITV Racing. "I think he was the only horse who beat Deep Impact in Japan, so he's very rare."

Coolmore and associates have accessed Japanese stallions as outcrosses for Galileo mares in recent years. Fluff, a maiden winner by that elite sire, had been bred to Deep Impact to produce her two previous foals.