Numbers decline at JRHA sale

Although overall results for the three-session Japan Racing Horse Association

(JRHA) Select Sale at Northern Horse Park in Hokkaido declined by double digits

-- not helped by a chilling rain that dampened buyer enthusiasm -- officials

left the pavilion grateful that the numbers were not worse.

When Tuesday's and Wednesday's foal sessions were combined with Monday's

surprisingly strong yearling session, the gross totaled ¥7,612,600,000

($80,132,632), which was down ¥2,074,000,000 ($21,831,579), or 21.4 percent,

from last year's aggregate of ¥9,686,600,000 ($91,039,428). It was the lowest

gross achieved at the JRHA sale since 2003, when there was no yearling session.

JRHA Vice Chairman Teruya Yoshida said he was pleased considering that the

worldwide recession has battered Japan, the globe's second-largest economy after

the United States, harder than North America, Europe and other regions.

"This about what we had estimated from the beginning," Yoshida said. "So, the

Japanese market wasn't too bad. We have made it through this storm."

Yoshida added that the two-day foal portion of the sale, which yielded a

gross of ¥4,913,200,000 ($51,717,894), down 33.1 percent from last year's

¥7,339,000,000 ($69,099,242), performed better than he had feared. He emphasized

his satisfaction that the clearance rate for the entire sale was 69.1 percent,

just slightly less than last year's 70.7 percent.

"It is certainly a buyer-friendly market, and I am very happy to see my

clients are happy with the horses they bought and happy with the price they

paid. Once the clients are happy, I am happy," Yoshida said.

Wednesday's session proved the bleakest of the week, reflecting the weather.

After heavy downpours discouraged all but the hardiest buyers from inspecting

the foals with their dams during the typically inspiring pre-sale showing in a

tree-lined field, 15 of the first 40 horses that entered the ring were reported

as not sold. When the session ended about 5 1/2 hours after it was called to

order, the buy-back rate had climbed to 39 percent.

The husband and wife team of Mizuki and Masahiro Noda, who have made their

fortune with popular accounting software, injected their combined firepower into

Wednesday's relatively anemic proceedings, buying Neo Universe (Hip No. 409) and

Deep Impact (Hip 411) colts for ¥78 million ($821,052) and ¥76 million

($800,000), respectively. The Neo Universe colt, foaled February 8, was the

co-highest-priced offering of the session.

"My husband and I went to look at foals together before the sale, and I liked

the Neo Universe colt the best, and my husband liked the Deep Impact colt the

best. So, we are very happy to get both our favorite foals," said Mizuki Noda,

who chose the flashy colt with four white stockings produced by French Group 1

winner Lady of Chad (Last Tycoon [Ire]) from the Shadai Farm consignment. Her

purchase marked the highest price paid during the entire sale for an offspring

of Neo Universe, who has sired two Japanese classic winners this year from his

first crop and who, through the end of June, ranked eighth on Japan's General

Sire List.

Meanwhile, Masahiro Noda's colt, a half-brother to 2007 Japanese champion

juvenile Goshawk Ken (Bernstein) consigned by Northern Farm, was produced by the

unraced mare Allthewaybaby (Grand Slam), who was formerly owned by Ken and Sarah

Ramsey. The Ramseys sold Allthewaybaby to Northern Farm owner Katsumi Yoshida

for $500,000 after Goshawk Ken, who was named after Ken Ramsey, proved his

mettle.

Masahiro Noda made the purchase under the corporate name of Danox Co. Ltd.

and said he was ready to pay more for the son of Deep Impact.

"When we visited Northern Farm, I thought this Deep Impact colt had

outstanding quality; he was the best Deep Impact and the best horse at the

farm," Noda said of the brown youngster who was foaled February 14. "I thought

he might sell for more than ¥100 million, so I am very happy to buy such a

talented colt at this price."

Trainer Yasutoshi Ikee, the son of Deep Impact's trainer Yasuo Ikee, advised

Noda on the selection of the colt and eventually will train him.

Hip 427, a dark bay colt by Symboli Kris S who is the first foal out of Group

1 winner Fusaichi Pandora (Sunday Silence), also drew a co-session topping bid

of ¥78 million, with the buyer listed as SR Corp. Co. Ltd. The individual behind

SR Corp. was described as an established Japanese owner who did not want to be

identified.

When the gavel fell for the last time Wednesday, 89 of 146 foals offered had

been sold for a total of ¥1,839,500,000 ($19,363,157), which was down 35.8

percent from last year's comparable session. Average price was ¥20,668,539

($217,563), which was down 29.3 percent from the 2008 level.

During the JRHA's two foal sessions, 320 horses were offered and 207 were

reported sold, yielding a buy-back rate of 35.3 percent, up from the 29.3

percent recorded last year. Combined with the yearling session, 476 horses were

offered during the JRHA sale and 329 were reported sold, yielding an overall

buy-back rate of 30.8 percent, up just slightly from last year's 29.7 percent.