Sheikh Fahad On Verge of JRA License

SHEIKH FAHAD ON VERGE OF JRA LICENSE 
By Michele MacDonald 
Qatar’s Sheikh Fahad Al Thani has taken another bold step forward in his worldwide racing operation as he moves to finalize details for a Japan Racing Association owner’s license and set up a stable in Japan. 
David Redvers, Sheikh Fahad’s bloodstock advisor, said July 7 that the licensing process is on the verge of completion. The timing is ideal, as Sheikh Fahad and Redvers prepare to travel to Japan for the July 14 to 15 Japan Racing Horse Association select sale in Hokkaido. 
“I’m sure we will [buy at the sale],” Redvers said when asked about plans for shopping. Last year, in their initial foray into the Japanese market, Sheikh Fahad and Redvers picked out two yearlings and three foals, paying a total of ¥174 million ($1,705,877 under market exchange rates during the sale) for the group. 
The older pair, now juveniles, are in training in Japan with Mitsumasa Nakauchida. Nakauchida previously worked for Katsuhiko Sumii, a trainer renowned for turning Japanese stars into international Group 1 winners, including G1 Dubai World Cup winner Victoire Pisa (Jpn) (Neo Universe {Jpn}) and G1 Melbourne Cup winner Delta Blues (Jpn) (Dance in the Dark {Jpn}). 
Sheikh Fahad’s now juvenile filly, a daughter of Neo Universe out of American Grade I-placed Along the Sea (Anees), has been named Universe Pearl (Jpn). The colt, by King Kamehameha (Jpn) and a full-brother to Japanese stakes winner Kahuna (Jpn), has been named King Pearl (Jpn). He was the most expensive of last year’s purchases at ¥90 million ($882,353). 
“From a middle distance point of view, [the Japanese] are breeding as good a horse as anywhere in the world,” Redvers observed. “The difficulty is being able to make financial sense of bringing them back, so the most sensible option is to race them there.” 
Japanese-breds tend to be expensive even before export shipping costs are considered because the JRA offers such high prize money and has limited the number of owners competing for those purses. Thus, the horses’ potential for earning money on track is the best in the world. Importation taxes and other restrictions also limit the pool of horses available to race. 
Sheikh Fahad and his Qatar Bloodstock operation will also participate as sellers, offering a filly from the first crop of Frankel (GB) who is a half-sister to Hong Kong Group II winner Gold-Fun (Ire) (La Vie Dei Golori {GB}) (hip 376). That filly has been consigned by Mishima Farm, where her dam is now in foal to Japan’s leading sire Deep Impact (Jpn) (Sunday Silence). 
Redvers said a reserve price has not yet been established for the Frankel filly. 
Sheikh Fahad’s other Japanese purchases last year are now yearlings: a filly from the first crop of Victoire Pisa out of Canadian champion Magic Code (Lost Code), and colts by Neo Universe and King Kamehameha.