2019 News

Summary of thoroughbred sales in 2018

By Masayuki Ito, The Japan Bloodhorse Breeders' Association (JBBA)

General overview of thoroughbred foal sales in 2018

Total sales were 8,918,100,000 yen, reflecting a 5.0% decline from the previous year.

The highest price was paid for a colt whose sire was Deep Impact and whose dam was Ria Antonia (USA), purchased for 313,200,000 yen.

For thoroughbred foal sales in 2018, only the Select Sale under the auspices of the Japan Racing Horse Association (JRHA) was held. Out of 231 head (156 colts, 75 fillies) put up for auction, 205 head (136 colts, 69 fillies) were sold. This corresponded to a sales vs. offered ratio of 88.7%, marking an increase of 2.3 points from the previous year. Total sales were 8,918,100,000 yen, reflecting a 5.0% decline from the previous year. The average price was 43,502,926 yen, a 12.0% decline from the previous year, and the median price was 30,240,000 yen, an 11.0% decline from the previous year.

For a third consecutive year, the highest prices were for a colt and filly whose sire was Deep Impact. Among colts, the highest price was paid for a colt whose sire was Deep Impact and whose dam was Ria Antonia (USA), purchased for 313,200,000 yen by Satomi Horse Company Co., Ltd. Among fillies, the highest price was paid for a filly whose sire was Deep Impact and whose dam was Willa B Awesome (USA), purchased for 113,400,000 yen by Smile Club from Hiroshima Prefecture.

Reviewed by each sire, Deep Impact was tops, whose foals (13 out of 14 head put up for auction) were sold at an average price of 115,310,769 yen. The next sires in the ranking (each 3 or more head sold) were King Kamehameha at 94,608,000 yen, Heart's Cry at 60,171,428 yen, and Black Tide at 56,931,428 yen. Among the closely watched sires that produced their first generation, the focus of attention was on newcomers Duramente [winner of the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) and the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas)], with 19 of 20 head put up for auction sold at 48,713,684 yen (7th place overall), and Maurice with 13 out of 14 head put up for auction sold at 45,193,846 yen (10th place overall). For JBBA sire Creator (USA), 1 head was sold at 27,000,000 yen (23rd place overall).  

General overview of thoroughbred yearling sales in 2018

Total sales were 20,609,640,000 yen, reflecting a 4.2% increase from the previous year and setting a record for the 9th consecutive year.

The highest price was paid for a colt whose sire was Deep Impact and whose dam was King's Rose (NZ), purchased for 270,000,000 yen.

Thoroughbred yearling sales in 2018 were held at 7 auctions across the country for 12 days, from the Kyushu Yearling Sale held on June 26 to the Hokkaido Autumn Sale held on October 3. In the overall yearling sales, a total of 2,588 yearlings (1,398 colts, 1,190 fillies) were put up for auction, and 1,897 yearlings (1,074 colts, 823 fillies) were sold, which renewed the sold head record for the 10th consecutive year. Total sales were 20,609,640,000 yen (a 4.2% increase from the previous year), setting a record for the 9th consecutive year (in just six years, sales nearly doubled from the level seen in 2012, when total sales first topped the 10 billion yen mark). The average price was 10,864,333 yen (a 4.1% increase from the previous year), remaining above the 10 million mark for the third consecutive year. The average price for a colt was 13,541,530 yen (an increase of 0.9% from the previous year), and the average price for a filly was 7,370,639 yen (an increase of 6.2% from the previous year), exceeding the 7 million yen mark for the first time. The median price was 4,860,000 yen (an increase of 11.6% from the previous year). Thus, all main sale indices other than the sales vs. offered ratio increased.

As for the Select Sale by the Japan Racing Horse Association (JRHA), total sales were 10,434,420,000 yen, an 11.9% increase from the previous year, setting a record and accounting for 50.6% of the overall Yearling Sales.

In the Hokkaido sales under the auspices of the Hidaka Horse Breeders' Association (HBA), out of 2,299 head put up for auction, 1,648 were sold, corresponding to a sales vs. offered ratio of 71.7%. Total sales were 10,055,880,000 yen (a 2.6% decline from the previous year), and the average price was 6,101,868 yen, reflecting a 3.0% decline from the previous year.

The Nikkei Stock Average, an economic indicator, started at 23,506.33 yen at the beginning of the year, and it stood at 24,110.96 as of October 3 (a 2.6% increase), the final day of the Yearling Sales. In other words, the growth in sales at the Yearling Sales outpaced the gains in the Nikkei Stock Average.                    

Among colts, the highest price paid consisted of a transaction at the Select Sale for a colt whose sire was Deep Impact and whose dam was King's Rose (NZ), purchased for 270,000,000 yen by Danox Co. Ltd. from Osaka Prefecture. Among fillies, the highest price paid consisted of a transaction at the Select Sale for a filly whose sire was King Kamehameha and whose dam was Wild Raspberry, purchased for 145,800,000 by Ms. Mizuki Noda from Tokyo.

Reviewed by each sire, American Pharoah (USA) was tops among sires for whom 1 yearling was sold, with 1 head sold at 194,400,000 yen. Among sires with 3 or more head sold, Deep Impact was tops, with 22 head sold at an average price of 119,340,000 yen, followed by King Kamehameha in 2nd place, with 13 head sold at 80,252,307 yen. Among new sires, Epiphaneia was tops, with 35 head sold at 20,118,857 yen (15th place overall), followed by Kizuna in 2nd place, with 43 head sold at 13,723,534 (20th place overall). For JBBA sire Eskendereya (USA), 26 head were sold at 9,952,615 yen (27th place overall).

General overview of thoroughbred two-year-old sales in 2018

Total sales were 2,001,996,000 yen, reflecting a 4.9% decline from the previous year. The sales vs. offered ratio was 69.9%, marking a 5.4 point decline from the year-earlier record.

The highest price was paid for a colt whose sire was Daiwa Major and whose dam was Cowgirls Don't Cry (USA), purchased for 56,160,000 yen.

Thoroughbred two-year-old sales in 2018 were held at 3 auctions over 3 days. For the 3 auctions, a total of 312 head (168 colts, 144 fillies) were put up for auction, and 218 head (112 colts and 106 fillies) were sold. The sales vs. offered ratio was 69.9%, and thus failed to hold above 70% for a second consecutive year. Total sales were 2,001,996,000 yen, a decline of 4.9% from the previous year. The average price was 9,183,467 yen, a decline of 4.0% from the previous year, and the median price was 6,480,000 yen, a decline of 13.0% from the previous year.

In the Hokkaido Training Sale held for the fourth time at the Sapporo Racecourse, out of 228 head (129 colts, 99 fillies) put up for auction, 151 head (84 colts, 67 fillies) were sold, corresponding to a sales vs. offered ratio of 66.2% (an 8.3 point decline from the previous year). Total sales were 1,169,856,000 yen (a 9.0% decline from the previous year), failing to set a record for a 9th consecutive year. The average price was 7,747,390 yen, a decline of 6.6% from the previous year, and the median price was 6,048,000 yen, a decline of 6.7% from the previous year, holding above the 6 million yen mark for a second consecutive year. In the Chiba Thoroughbred Sale, out of 63 head (30 colts, 33 fillies) put up for auction, 56 head (26 colts, 30 fillies) were sold, corresponding to a sales vs. offered ratio of 88.9% (an increase of 9.7 points from the previous year). Total sales were 804,276,000 yen (an increase of 2.4% from the previous year), the average price was 14,362,071 yen (an increase of 4.2% from the previous year), and the median price was 10,800,000 yen (unchanged from the previous year).

The highest prices paid for a colt and filly consisted of transactions at the Chiba Thoroughbred Sale. Among colts, the highest price was paid for a colt whose sire was Daiwa Major and whose dam was Cowgirls Don't Cry (USA), purchased for 56,160,000 yen by Dream Farm from Tokyo. Among fillies, the highest price was paid for a filly whose sire was Orfevre and whose dam was Quality Season, purchased for 35,640,000 yen by Mr. Takaya Shimakawa from Miyagi Prefecture. Reviewed by each sire, Bamboo Ere was tops, with 1 head sold at 48,600,000 yen, followed by Daiwa Major in 2nd place, with 2 head sold at 46,440,000 yen. Swept Overboard (USA) moved up in rank (4th place overall), with 6 head sold at 23,940,000 yen.

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