The dominance of the deceased Japanese superstar, Deep Impact (Sunday Silence), was well and truly felt on the 2019 Japanese Sires List.
Deep Impact (Sunday Silence – Wind In Her Hair)
Not only was Deep Impact Champion Sire in Japan for an eighth consecutive time, but the former Japan Triple Crown winner was Japan’s Leading Sire of 2Yos for 2019, and also topped the country’s Leading Sire of 3Yos List.
Before The Storm
Deep Impact had 89 individual 3yo winners (11 stakes winners among them) last year, with his star representatives headed by Gr1 Kikuka Sho (St Leger) first and second World Premiere and Satono Lux, Tokyo Yushun (Derby) hero, Roger Barows, Oka Sho (1000 Guineas) winner, Gran Alegria, and Yushun Himba (Oaks) winner, Loves Only You.
The latter is out of a Storm Cat mare, with Storm Cat now broodmare sire of no fewer than eight of Deep Impact’s Gr1 winners –he is also found in the pedigree of the sire’s high-class gallopers Beauty Parlour and Contrail.)
His two-year-olds earned a whopping ¥703,360,000 in 2019, with Deep Impact’s 46 individual juvenile winners in 2019 headed by Gr1 Hopeful Stakes winner, Contrail.
Glory Vase won in Hong Kong
Deep Impact’s success last year was by no means restricted to Japan, with his son, Glory Vase, capturing the Gr1 Longines Hong Kong Vase, another son, Fierce Impact, lifting two Gr1 races in Australia, 2yo fillies Fancy Blue and Savarin, winning the Staffordstown Stud Stakes and Gr3 Prix d’Aumale respectively, and his 3yo, Love So Deep, landing the Listed British Stallions Studs EBF Chalice Stakes at Newmarket.
The former Japan Cup winner also made his mark on the 2019 Japanese Leading First Crop Sires List for 2019, with Deep Impact’s Tokyo Yushun winner, Kizuna (out of Storm Cat’s daughter Catequil) the Leading First Crop Sire of 2019, with Kizuna also finishing second to his own sire on the 2019 Leading Japan 2YO Sires List.
Deep Impact was also responsible for Real Impact and World Ace, who were third and fifth respectively on last year’s Leading First Crop Sires’ list, and the champion had no fewer than five sons in the top twelve.
Kizuna, whose dam is a half-sister to the dam of Japanese champions, Biwa Hayahide and Narita Brian, had 27 first crop 2yo winners and two stakes winners last season, and he looks a bright prospect for his sire going forward.
Well Connected
Deep Impact also made his presence felt on Japan’s Leading Second Crop Sires list for 2019, with his sons, Danon Ballade and Tosen Ra, finishing seventh and eighth respectively on that list.
Incidentally, both Danon Ballade and Tosen Ra have connections to either current or past South African stallions, with Danon Ballade hailing from the same family as former SA sire, Rakeen, (Northern Dancer), and Tosen Ra a half-brother to the Wilgerbosdrift based, Flower Alley (Distorted Humor.)
Deep Impact’s dominance in Japan is well viewed in terms of comparison to some of the world’s other leading stallions.
His own record of eight consecutive sires titles lags not far behind Galileo (11 times champion sire in GB/Ireland, with ten consecutive titles), and is well clear of the likes of modern day US champion sires, A.P. Indy, Deputy Minister, Giant’s Causeway, Kitten’s Joy, Smart Strike, Storm Cat, and Tapit.
The last horse to dominate the North American Sires List as completely as Deep Impact was the legendary Bold Ruler (Nasrullah), who was champion sire eight times from 1963-1973.
Bold Ruler
With an excellent crop of two-year-olds to his name, Deep Impact could well dominate this year’s sire standings in Japan once again.
Some outstanding racemares have already foaled to Deep Impact this year, suggesting his legacy is set to continue for years to come. His classic winning sons, Saxon Warrior and Study Of Man, are now standing at stud in Ireland, shuttling to Australia and Britain.
So Close!
Deep Impact went close to registering another major victory, when his son, Fierce Impact, (previously victorious in both the Gr1 Kennedy Cantala and Gr1 Toorak Handicap) ran a close second in Saturday’s Gr1 Neds C.F. Orr Stakes at Caulfield.
Fierce Impact joins the likes of Real Impact and Tosen Stardom as Australian Gr1 winners sired by Deep Impact. While Deep Impact’s dominance of Japan is impressive, he has a long way to go to match his own sire, Sunday Silence, whose remarkable record includes Japan’s Leading Broodmare Sire for 2019 – Sunday Silence mares produced the earners of a staggering ¥4,400,736,500.
Sunday Silence is the male line ancestor of no fewer than ten of the top 20 on the 2019 Japanese General Sires List. Sunday Silence and his sons have headed the Japanese General Sires List a stunning 23 times in the past 25 years, a truly remarkable achievement for a stallion rejected by North American breeders.
North America’s Horse Of The Year in 1989, Sunday Silence (now deceased) topped the Japanese Sires List no fewer than 13 times in a row, and, Deep Impact aside, is also the sire of Japan champion sires, Agnes Tachyon, and Manhattan Cafe. A truly exceptional sire and broodmare sire, Sunday Silence’s dominance of Japan’s racing industry is quite remarkable, and it looks set to continue for decades to come.
Danon Platina – only son of Deep Impact at stud in SA
Deep Impact’s only son at stud in South Africa is the Mauritzfontein based G1 Asahi Hai Futurity winner, Danon Platina, who is bred on the same Deep Impact/Unbridled’s Song cross as 2019’s star two-year-old Contrail.
