2022 News

Summary of thoroughbred sales in 2021

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

Note: Figures in bold exceeded the year-earlier result. There were no two-year-old sales in 2020.

General overview of thoroughbred foal sales in 2021

◆ Strong sales mix, with seven of the top 10 sires represented.
Total sales exceeded 12.0 billion yen, and the average price, median price, and the sales vs. offered ratio reached record highs across the board.
◆ The highest price was paid for a colt whose sire was Kizuna and whose dam was Selkis (GER), purchased for 451,000,000 yen.

For thoroughbred foal sales in 2021, only the Select Sale under the auspices of the Japan Racing Horse Association (JRHA) was held. Out of 230 head (151 colts, 79 fillies) put up for auction, 213 head (140 colts, 73 fillies) were sold. This corresponded to a strong sales vs. offered ratio of 92.6%, which marked an increase of 2.8 points from the previous year and a record high. Total sales were 12,015,300,000 yen, reflecting a sharp 31.1% increase from the previous year. The average price was 56,409,859 yen, a 24.9% increase from the previous year, and the median price was 36,300,000 yen, a 13.8% increase from the previous year. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, racehorse sales were favorable thanks in part to a strong purchase appetite among horse owners. The market held strong, and the major indicators reached record highs.

The highest price was paid for a colt whose sire was Kizuna and whose dam was Selkis (GER), purchased for 451,000,000 yen by Mr. Yoshihisa Ozasa from Tokyo. Among fillies, the highest price was paid for a filly whose sire was Heart’s Cry and whose dam was She’s a Tiger (USA), purchased for 220,000,000 yen by Kaneko Makoto Holdings Co. Ltd. in Tokyo.

Reviewed by each sire, Frankel (GB) was tops, with one head sold at an average price of 264,000,000 yen. The next sire in the ranking was Heart’s Cry (last generation; 3 foals put up for auction; all sold), at 249,333,333 yen. Among the sires that produced their first generation, Rey de Oro generated 83,746,666 yen (15 foals put up for auction; all sold) (7th place overall), and Bricks and Mortar (USA) brought in 59,557,142 yen (7 head put up for auction; all sold) (11th place overall). Four new sires, including Al Ain and Suave Richard, achieved an average price of over 50 million yen.

General overview of thoroughbred yearling sales in 2021

◆ Total sales were 26,843,960,000 yen, reflecting double-digit growth of 10.2% from the previous year. This marked the 13th consecutive year-on-year increase and the 12th consecutive record high.
◆ The highest price was paid for a colt whose sire was Deep Impact (last generation) and whose dam was Go Maggie Go (USA), and for a colt whose sire was Lord Kanaloa and whose dam was Finest City (USA), both purchased for 330,000,000 yen.

Thoroughbred yearling sales in 2021 were held at seven auctions across the country for 13 days, from the Kyushu Sale held on June 22 to the Hokkaido Autumn Sale held on October 19. In the overall yearling sales, a total of 2,807 yearlings (1,472 colts, 1,335 fillies) were put up for auction, and 2,171 (1,183 colts, 988 fillies) were sold, marking a record high for the 13th consecutive year. This corresponded to a sales vs. offered ratio of 77.3%, a decline of 1.0 points from the previous year. Total sales were 26,843,960,000 yen (a 10.2% increase from the previous year), marking the 13th consecutive year-on-year increase and the 12th consecutive record high. The average price was 12,364,790 yen (an increase of 6.1% from the previous year), representing the seventh consecutive record high. The average price for a colt was 15,660,355 yen (an increase of 6.1% from the previous year), and the average price for a filly was 8,418,785 yen (an increase of 4.1% from the previous year). The median price was 5,500,000 yen, unchanged from the previous year.

As for the Select Sale by the Japan Racing Horse Association (JRHA), total sales were 12,796,300,000 yen, an 11.6% increase from the previous year. In the Hokkaido Sale under the auspices of the Hidaka Horse Breeders’ Association (HBA), out of 2,505 head put up for auction, 1,900 were sold, corresponding to a sales vs. offered ratio of 75.8%. Total sales were 13,887,280,000 yen (an 8.6% increase from the previous year), and the average price was 7,309,095 yen, reflecting a 4.4% increase from the previous year and marking a record high.

The Nikkei Stock Average, an economic indicator, started at 27,258.38 yen at the beginning of the year, and it stood at 29,215.52 yen as of October 19 (a 7.2% increase), the final day of the yearling sales. The year-on-year sales growth in the yearling sales exceeded the increase in the Nikkei Stock Average, highlighting the strong growth momentum.

The highest price was paid at the Select Sale for a colt whose sire was Deep Impact and whose dam was Go Maggie Go (USA), purchased for 330,000,000 yen by Mr. Yuji Hasegawa from Tokyo, and for a colt whose sire was Lord Kanaloa and whose dam was Finest City (USA), also purchased for 330,000,000 yen by Mr. Susumu Fujita from Tokyo. Among fillies, the highest price was paid for a filly whose sire was Lord Kanaloa and whose dam was Hot Cha Cha (USA), purchased for 176,000,000 yen at the Select Sale by Mr. Yuji Hasegawa from Tokyo.

Reviewed by each sire, Deep Impact was tops with 3 head sold for 227,333,333 yen. Among new sires, Satono Diamond was tops with 20 head sold for 24,717,000 yen (17th place overall), followed by Real Steel with 38 head sold for 18,642,105 yen (25th place overall).

General overview of thoroughbred two-year-old sales in 2021
                                            　　　　
◆ Total sales were 2,179,870,000 yen, and the average price of 16,147,185 yen marked a record high.
◆ The highest price was paid for a colt whose sire was Deep Impact and whose dam was Premier Steps (IRE), purchased at the Chiba Thoroughbred Sale for 517,110,000 yen, an exceptionally high price and a record high for the two-year-old sales.

Thoroughbred two-year-old sales in 2021 were held at 2 auctions over 3 days. For the 2 auctions, a total of 176 head (98 colts, 78 fillies) were put up for auction, and 135 head (73 colts and 62 fillies) were sold, corresponding to a sales vs. offered ratio of 76.7%. The thoroughbred two-year-old sales were cancelled in 2020 to prevent the spread of COVID-19 infections. Total sales were 2,179,870,000 yen, marking the second-highest level historically, behind 2019. The average price was 16,147,185 yen, a record high that was pushed up by a record-high sales price of over 500 million yen. The median price was 8,250,000 yen, surpassing the 8 million yen mark for the first time and similarly marking a record high.

In the Hokkaido Training Sale, out of 124 head (71 colts, 53 fillies) put up for auction, which was roughly half the number seen in normal years, 83 head (46 colts, 37 fillies) were sold, corresponding to a sales vs. offered ratio of 66.9%. Total sales were 651,310,000 yen, the average price was 7,847,108 yen, and the median price was 6,380,000 yen. Meanwhile, the Chiba Thoroughbred Sale was held as an online auction over 2 days. Out of 52 head (27 colts, 25 fillies) put up for auction, which was on par with the number seen in normal years, 52 head (27 colts, 25 fillies) were sold, corresponding to a ratio of sales vs. offered of 100.0%. Total sales were 1,528,560,000 yen, the average price was 29,395,384 yen, and the median price was 17,215,000 yen, marking record highs across the board.

The highest price was paid for a colt whose sire was Deep Impact and whose dam was Premier Steps (IRE), purchased for an exceptionally high 517,110,000 yen by Mr. Susumu Fujita from Tokyo. Among fillies, the highest price was paid for a filly whose sire was Just a Way and whose dam was Aozora Pedal, purchased for 33,770,000 yen by Satomi Horse Company Co., Ltd. in Tokyo.

Reviewed by each sire, Deep Impact was tops with one head sold for 517,110,000 yen, followed by Kizuna with one head sold for 69,410,000 yen. Among new sires, Drefong (USA) was tops with 3 head sold for 27,536,666 yen (5th place overall).

For Further details, please visit the following sites.