It's not too late in the season for breeders in search of a young fertile stallion for their mares.
Australia's newest stallion station, Leneva Park, has enjoyed a very positive response to the fertile young stallions, Fierce Impact (JPN) and Royal Meeting (IRE).
Foals born in October and November have enjoyed considerable stakes success of late, indicating that there is still time to breed in 2021.
The global reach of Japanese super sire Deep Impact in 2021 has been staggering.
This season, he has had winners at the highest level in Japan, England, Ireland, Australia, Hong Kong, and the United States of America.
They include classic winners Snowfall (Epsom Oaks, Irish Oaks) and Contrail (Japanese Triple Crown).
At the recent Breeders' Cup meeting at Del Mar, Japanese-trained horses came away with two plumbs.
Marche Lorraine (JPN), a daughter of Orfevre, claimed the Breeders' Cup Distaff, while Deep Impact's daughter Loves Only You (JPN) captured the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. In April this year, the 2019 Yushun Himba (Oaks) winner led home a 1-2-3-4 finish for Japan in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Sha Tin.
After Deep Impact's daughter Gran Alegria bowed out of racing with her sixth Group 1 win in the Mile Championship at Hanshin, the champion Contrail will be looking to do the same when he brings down the curtain on his career in the Japan Cup.
The Triple Crown winner is one of five runners in the race for the late Japanese legend.
Few would doubt that Deep Impact's son Profondo is among the most exciting three-year-olds in Australia.
The $1.9million 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale topper claimed the Group 1 ATC Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick at his third race start.
Deep Impact’s son Real Impact (JPN) has a similar profile to Fierce Impact. A star miler who improved with age, Real Impact enjoyed a memorable day at Kembla Grange recently when his son Count De Rupee scored a well-deserved win in the $1million The Gong.
The Robert and Luke Price-trained gelding has banked over $2.4million in prizemoney, having placed in the $7.5million Golden Eagle and $500,000 Silver Eagle at his previous two starts.
Real Impact is also the sire of this year's Group III WATC Oaks heroine Lunar Impact.
Another Japanese superstar whose star is on the rise in Australia is the 'Beast From The East' Maurice (JPN). He has one of the best sprinters in Japan, the Group 1 Sprinters Stakes winner Pixie Knight, and one of the best young stayers in Australia, the runaway VRC Victoria Derby hero Hitotsu.
Fierce Impact has over 140 mares coming from around the country in his first book.
Leneva Park's General Manager Michael Sharkie said the triple Group 1 winning miler has quickly settled into his new life with strong fertility and a terrific constitution.
"We put Fierce Impact (JPN) to the market hopeful that breeders would see the potential that we do – the whole team are absolutely thrilled by the response that he has had in his first season," Sharkie said.
"He's covered strong and keen all season. We are still taking bookings – as other stallions have dropped away for whatever reason. Our boys have kept going strong and continue to have excellent fertility – we're not stopping yet.
"It's so important for any first season stallion to have good foal numbers on the ground. We have afforded Fierce Impact (JPN) that opportunity, then it is up to those genes."
A Group 1 winning son of the breed-shaping Invincible Spirit, Royal Meeting (IRE) has seen his second season book increase after his foals began to hit the ground this spring.
"He has left some truly super foals, and the bookings flowed on the back of that," Sharkie said.
"He will cover over 100 mares up from 88 in his first season.
"To have Fierce Impact firing in the mid-80% range for fertility and Royal Meeting around 90%, it takes the risk away for breeders."
A brother to the Group 1 NHK Mile Cup winner Keiai Nautique (JPN), Fierce Impact is bred on a formula that has taken the Japanese thoroughbred to new heights.
When Deep Impact covered American-line mares, the result is an astonishing roll call of champions. A Shin Hikari, Akaitorino Musume, Al Ain, Ayusan, Contrail, Danon Kingly, Danon Platina, Deep Brillante, Gran Alegria, Jour Polaire, Kizuna, Lachesis, Loves Only You, Marialite, Real Impact, Real Steel, Satono Aladdin, Satono Ares, Shahryar, Shonan Adela, Spielberg, Study Of Man, Sungrazer, Tosen Ra, Verxina, Vivlos, and Wagnerian, all Group 1 winners for Deep Impact out of first or second generation American-bred mares.
Fierce Impact is out of dual Group III winner Keiai Gerbera, a daughter of Kentucky Derby hero Smarty Jones. Keiai Gerbera was imported in utero when her dam Anna Sterz (Danzig) was purchased by Japanese interests for US$300,000 at the 2005 Keeneland November Sale.
The future is very bright for Fierce Impact .
