By Kate Hunter
As a new addition to the Japanese sales calendar, the 2019 Hokkaido September Sale was by all accounts a great success, grossing ¥1,597,860,000 (US$14,933,271) with an average of ¥4,401,818 (US$41,138) and median of ¥3,456,000 (US$32,299). The clearance rate was 73.8% for the two-day sale. Kizuna (Jpn) took home the prize for siring the sale topper when his colt (lot 344) out of Venera (Jpn) sold for ¥20,628,000 (US$192,785) to North Hills. The highest-priced filly was an Orfevre (Jpn) out of Crosswater (lot 484), who was bought by Maekawa Kikaku Co., Ltd. for ¥14,040,000 (US$131,214).
G1 Japanese Derby winner Kizuna's offspring grossed more than any other stallion at the sale, bringing in ¥75,492,000 (US$705,532) with an average price of ¥12,582,000 (US$117,588) for the six lots sold. Champion 2-Year-Old Asia Express also had an excellent two days, selling 15 yearlings for ¥71,820,000 (US$671,214) with an average of ¥4,788,000 (US$44,747), the best representation of any stallion at the sale. The son of Henny Hughes's highest-priced lot, lot 55, out of For Me (Jpn) went to Akira Nakatsuji for ¥11,880,000 (US$111,028).
As almost always is the case both South Vigorous and Sinister Minister were exceedingly popular at the sales. Each grossed ¥61,776,000 (US$577,345) and ¥61,128,000 (US$571,289), respectively. South Vigorous was represented by some of his last crop, and Keiji Nagai went to ¥13,500,000 (US$126,168) for lot 335, a filly out of Feeling Good (Jpn). South Vigorous averaged ¥7,722,000 (US$72,168) while Sinister Minister averaged ¥6,792,000 (US$63,476).
The final Japanese yearling sale of 2019 will be the Hokkaido Autumn Sale on Oct. 15th and 16th in Shizunai, Hokkaido.
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