2020 News

Summary of thoroughbred sales in 2019

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

Note: Figures in bold exceeded the year-earlier result.

General overview of thoroughbred foal sales in 2019

Total sales were 10,566,720,000 yen, reflecting an 18.5% increase from the previous year and marking a second rise above the 10 billion yen mark.

The highest price was paid for a colt whose sire was Deep Impact and whose dam was Titan Queen (USA), purchased for 507,600,000 yen.

For thoroughbred foal sales in 2019, only the Select Sale under the auspices of the Japan Racing Horse Association (JRHA) was held. Out of 216 head (137 colts, 79 fillies) put up for auction, 194 head (123 colts, 71 fillies) were sold. This corresponded to a sales vs. offered ratio of 89.8%, marking an increase of 1.1% compared to the previous year. Total sales were 10,566,720,000 yen, reflecting an 18.5% increase from the previous year and marking a second rise above the 10 billion yen mark for foal sales. Total sales previously crossed 10 billion yen in 2006, but this reflected combined sales for the Select Sale, the Hokkaido Select Sale, and the Hokkaido Autumn Sale. Given that this year’s total sales were generated from a single auction, the figure can be regarded as remarkable. The average price was 54,467,628 yen, a 25.2% increase from the previous year, and the median price was 32,400,000 yen, a 7.1% increase from the previous year. The major sales indices reached record highs.

The highest price was paid for a colt whose sire was Deep Impact and whose dam was Titan Queen (USA), purchased for 507,600,000 yen by Riichi Kondo from Osaka Prefecture (passed away in 2019). Among fillies, the highest price was paid for a filly whose sire was Deep Impact and whose dam was Yankee Rose (AUS), purchased for 226,800,000 yen by Kaneko Makoto Holdings Co. Ltd. from Tokyo.

Reviewed by each sire, Deep Impact (died in 2019) was tops (nine foals put up for auction; all sold) with an average price of 203,040,000 yen. Next in the sires ranking were Lord Kanaloa (13 foals sold) at 110,326,153 yen, and King Kamehameha (died in 2019; six foals put up for auction; all sold) at 108,720,000 yen. Among the closely watched sires that produced their first generation, three new sires achieved an average price of over 50 million yen. Drefong (USA) was tops among these (12 foals sold) at 61,560,000 yen (eighth place overall), followed by Silver State (three foals put up for auction; all sold) at 52,920,000 yen (11th place overall), and Kitasan Black (nine foals sold) at 52,800,000 yen (12th place overall).

General overview of thoroughbred yearling sales in 2019

Total sales were 22,368,026,000 yen, reflecting an 8.5% increase from the previous year. This marked the 11th consecutive increase and 10th consecutive record.

The highest price was paid for a colt whose sire was Deep Impact and whose dam was Musical Way (FR), purchased for 388,800,000 yen.

Thoroughbred yearling sales in 2019 were held at seven auctions across the country for 12 days, from the Kyushu Yearling Sale held on June 25 to the Hokkaido Autumn Sale held on October 16. Noteworthy developments in the environment this year were the first thoroughbred sales held in September in 15 years, and the increase in the consumption tax from 8% to 10% on October 1. In the overall yearling sales, a total of 2,648 yearlings (1,412 colts, 1,236 fillies) were put up for auction, and 1,990 yearlings (1,129 colts, 861 fillies) were sold, renewing the sold head record for the 11th consecutive year. This corresponded to a sales vs. offered ratio of 75.2%, marking an increase of 1.9 points from the previous year. Total sales were 22,368,026,000 yen (an 8.5% increase from the previous year), marking the 11th consecutive increase and 10th consecutive record. The average price was 11,240,214 yen (a 3.5% increase from the previous year), remaining above the 10 million mark for the fourth consecutive year. The average price for a colt was 13,708,375 yen (an increase of 1.2% from the previous year), and the average price for a filly was 8,003,797 yen (an increase of 8.6% from the previous year), exceeding the eight million yen mark for the first time. The median price was 4,860,000 yen, on par with the year-earlier result.

As for the Select Sale by the Japan Racing Horse Association (JRHA), total sales were 11,590,560,000 yen, an 11.1% increase from the previous year, setting a record and accounting for 51.8% of the overall Yearling Sales.

In the Hokkaido sales under the auspices of the Hidaka Horse Breeders' Association (HBA), out of 2,357 head put up for auction, 1,739 were sold, corresponding to a sales vs. offered ratio of 73.8%. Total sales were 10,662,554,000 yen (a 6.0% increase from the previous year), and the average price was 6,131,428 yen, reflecting a 0.5% increase from the previous year.

The Nikkei Stock Average, an economic indicator, started at 19,561.96 yen at the beginning of the year, and it stood at 22,472.92 as of October 16 (a 14.9% increase), the final day of the Yearling Sales. The growth in sales at the Yearling Sales fell short of the gains in the Nikkei Stock Average.
The highest price paid in a transaction at the Select Sale for a colt whose sire was Deep Impact and whose dam was Musical Way (FR), purchased for 388,800,000 yen by Riichi Kondo from Osaka Prefecture (passed away in 2019). Among fillies, the highest-priced one, whose sire was Deep Impact and whose dam was Samaaha (GB), was purchased for 226,800,000 yen at the Select Sale by Kaneko Makoto Holdings Co. Ltd. from Tokyo.

Reviewed by each sire, Frankel (GB) was tops, with one head sold for 226,800,000 yen. Among sires with three or more head sold, Deep Impact was tops, with 17 head sold at an average price of 142,242,352 yen, followed by King Kamehameha in second place, with nine head sold at an average price of 106,800,000 yen. Demand for yearlings from these two champion sires, who will no longer be active from 2020, drove the strong results in 2019. Among new sires, Duramente was tops, with 45 head sold at 28,925,155 yen (ninth place overall).

General overview of thoroughbred two-year-old sales in 2019

Total sales were 2,299,644,000 yen, reflecting a 14.9% increase from the previous year. The average price was 10,548,825 yen, a new record high.

The highest price was paid for a colt whose sire was Deep Impact and whose dam was Mrs. Lindsay (USA), purchased for 74,520,000 yen in the Chiba Two-Year-Old Thoroughbred Sale.

Thoroughbred two-year-old sales in 2019 were held at two auctions over two days. For the two auctions, a total of 294 head (171 colts, 123 fillies) were put up for auction, and 218 head (125 colts, 93 fillies) were sold. The sales vs. offered ratio was 74.1%, exceeding 70% for the first time in two years. Total sales were 2,299,644,000 yen, a sharp increase of 14.9% from the previous year. The average price rose to a record-high 10,548,825 yen, an increase of 14.9% from the previous year, and the median price was 7,344,000 yen, a 13.3% increase from the previous year and the third highest level to date.

In the Hokkaido Training Sale held at the Sapporo Racecourse, out of 234 head (147 colts, 87 fillies) put up for auction, 162 head (101 colts, 61 fillies) were sold, corresponding to a sales vs. offered ratio of 69.2% (an increase of 3.0 points from the previous year). Total sales were 1,148,904,000 yen (a modest 1.8% decline from the previous year). The average price was 7,092,000 yen, a decline of 8.5% from the previous year, and the median price was 5,400,000 yen, a decline of 10.7% from the previous year. Meanwhile, in the Chiba Thoroughbred Sale, out of 60 head (24 colts, 36 fillies) put up for auction, 56 head (24 colts, 32 fillies) were sold, corresponding to a sales vs. offered ratio of 93.3% (an increase of 4.4 points from the previous year). Total sales were 1,150,740,000 yen (an increase of 43.1% from the previous year), the average price was 20,548,928 yen (an increase of 43.1% from the previous year), and the median price was 15,120,000 yen (an increase of 40.0% from the previous year), a strong outcome that eliminated the sluggish trend seen over the last three years.

The highest-priced colt and filly were both purchased at the Chiba Thoroughbred Sale. The highest price was paid for a colt whose sire was Deep Impact and whose dam was Mrs. Lindsay (USA), purchased for 74,520,000 yen. Among fillies, the highest price was paid for a filly whose sire was Lord Kanaloa and whose dam was Artemis Heart, purchased for 52,920,000 yen. Both were purchased by Masahiko Sugino from Osaka Prefecture. Reviewed by each sire, Deep Impact was tops, with one head sold at 74,520,000 yen, followed by King Kamehameha in second place, with two head sold at 62,100,000 yen. Among new sires, Kizuna was tops with three head sold at 26,820,000 yen (sixth place overall).

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