Lys Gracieux Japan’s Horse Of The Year - Deep Impact Earns His Eighth Consecutive Sire Title

Mark Smith - Tuesday January 7

Globetrotting mare Lys Gracieux (Jpn), who closed out the year by winning the Takarazuka Kinen, WS Cox Plate and Arima Kinen under Damian Lane, has been honoured as Japan’s Horse of the Year for 2019.

The 5yo daughter of Heart’s Cry was also named Japanese Champion Older Mare and edged out the reigning Horse of the Year Almond Eye (Lord Kanaloa) in both categories.Lys Gracieux honoured as Japan's Horse Of The Year - image Grant Courtney

Popular trainer Yoshito Yahagi also stabled the Champion Juvenile Colt Contrail (Deep Impact) who tied up the honour with his recent win in the Group 1 Hopeful Stakes to stay perfect for the season.

Champion Juvenile Filly honours went to Resistencia (Daiwa Major) who capped her unbeaten three start season with victory in the Group 1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies.

Lys Gracieux and Resistencia carried the colours of U Carrot Farm as did the Group 1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) winner Saturnalia (Lord Kanaloa) who was named the Champion 3-Year-Old Colt.  

U Carrot made it four when the Group 1 Champions Cup winner Chrysoberyl (Gold Allure) was crowned the Champion Dirt Horse.

Champion older horse went to Win Bright. The son of Stay Gold won four of six starts, reeling off three consecutive wins to kick-start the year including the Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Sha Tin, which was also the scene of his season ending triumph in the Group 1 Hong Kong Cup.

The 2019 Champion Sprinter/Miler award went to Silk Racing’s Indy Champ (Stay Gold) who won three of his six starts for the year including the Group 1 Yasuda Kinen and the Group 1 Mile Championship at Kyoto. Interestingly, Indy Champ has made just one start at a distance shorter than 1600 metres in his 13-start career and that came at his first start as a 2yo when winning over 1400 metres at Hanshin.

Advertisement

Champion 3-year-old filly went to the Group 1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) heroine Gran Alegria (Deep Impact) who made just three starts for the year, culminating in a five-length victory in the Group II Hanshin Cup.Real Impact was third leading first crop sire in Japan - image MJark Smith

The great Deep Impact (JPN) earned posthumous honours as the champion stallion for the eighth consecutive time. His seasonal earnings were a staggering $A101,215,848, which was almost double that earned by second-placed Heart’s Cry (JPN) the sire of Horse Of The Year Lys Gracieux (Jpn).

With just three crops on the track, the rising star Lord Kanaloa (King Kamehameha) did well to clock in third, followed by Stay Gold, Rulership, King Kamehameha, Daiwa Major, Harbinger (GB), Gold Allure, and Orfevre.

For the ninth time in the past ten years, Deep Impact earned the title of Champion Sire of 2yos again beating out Heart’s Cry.

In third place was Kizuna who was honoured as the Champion First Season Sire. The son of Deep Impact has 182 foals in his first crop and a staggering 127 made it to the track at two with 27 winners headed by the Group III Hakodate Nisai Stakes winner Bien Fait.

Clocking in second was Epiphaneia (Symboli Kris S) followed by Arrowfield shuttler Real Impact (Deep Impact), Gold Ship (Stay Gold) and World Ace (Deep Impact).

Advertisment
More Reading...
Kiwi Bred Campaldino Wins G3 for Darby
Promising New Zealand-bred stayer Campaldino passed his biggest test with flying colours at Eagle Farm on Saturday, stepping up to stakes company and adding the A$200,000 Gr.3 Living Turf Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2400m) to his winning sequence.
Sires With Winners - Thursday May 29
Here is the full list of 41 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Ears Back Wins Listed Stakes at Wanganui
A two-race North Island campaign has ended on a career-defining high for Ears Back and her Rangiora trainer John Blackadder, who scored their first black-type win in Saturday’s Listed AGC Training Stakes (1600m) at Wanganui.
Breeding To Win - 2025 G1 Queensland Derby
It’s been 15 years since Dariana thumped the colts to win the Queensland Derby (2400m) in 2010 and maybe it’s time for another filly to triumph!
Three Straight Stakes Wins For Cool Aza Beel’s Cool Archie
With no two-year-old currently performing better in Queensland, the Chirs and Corey Munce trained Cool Archie continued his outstanding form, taking out the $1m Group 2 BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m), his third consecutive black type victory.
Sires With Winners - Saturday May 31
Here is the full list of 116 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Sires With Winners - Friday May 30
Here is the full list of 41 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Niance Overcomes Serious Injury to Claim Stakes Victory
Exciting New Zealand-bred mare Niance has bounced back from a serious injury and picked up right where she left off last spring, collecting her third consecutive black-type win in Saturday’s A$175,000 Listed Bel Esprit Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield.
Stakes Potential for New Hello Youmzain Winner
Late-season black type is on the radar for Platinum Diamond after an impressive upset victory in Saturday’s Full Circle Appearance Medicine 2YO (1200m) at Wanganui.
When in Doubt Back a Frankel!
The $200,000 Listed ATC Lord Mayor’s Cup (2000m ) at Rosehill on Saturday attracted a competitive field of 14 stayers, the bulk of them imports and when you strike an open race like that it’s often wise to follow this piece of advice – when in doubt back a Frankel!