A new star for Kitasan Black
Shadai Stallion Station’s Kitasan Black (Black Tide) may be able to lay claim to the best racehorse in the world in Dubai Sheema Classic (Gr 1, 1800m) winner Equinox, but the stallion has a new star on the horizon in the shape of Satsuki Sho (Gr 1, 1800m) winner Sol Oriens.
The Takahisa Tezuka-trained three-year-old won the race in record-breaking fashion, becoming the first horse to salute at just their third start, as he handed Kitasan Black a second individual Grade/Group 1 winner, to be reckoned as a sire that’s on a rapid rise to prominence.
On the track, Kitasan Black was a winner of 12 wins from 20 starts, a record that included ten wins at stakes level at distances from, as is the way in Japan, 1800 metres to 3200 metres.
His Grade 1 wins, of which there were seven, comprised the Tenno Sho (Spring) (Gr 1, 3200m), the Japan Cup (Gr 1, 2400m), Tenno Sho (Autumn) (Gr 1, 2000m) and, at his final start, the Arima Kinen (Gr 1, 2500m).
With his third crop now two-year-olds, Kitasan Black has sired five individual stakes winners from 148 runners, and stands at Shadai for a fee of JPY 10,000,000 (approx. AU$111,145).
Sol Oriens is the eighth winner from as many runners out of French mare Skia (Motivator), the winner of a Group 3 at Toulouse and from the family of champion European three-year-old Love (Galileo).
She was a €320,000 broodmare purchase from the 2014 Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale and has already produced Japanese Grade 2 winner and Dubai Turf (Gr 1, 1800m) runner-up Vin De Garde (Deep Impact).
Hong Kong
Third for Pride Of Dubai
Golden Samurai (4 g ex Nazca by Medaglia D’Oro) became the third winner in Hong Kong from ten runners for his sire Pride Of Dubai (Street Cry) when winning Saturday’s Class 4 1200-metre handicap at Sha Tin. Making his second start in the jurisdiction, Golden Samurai won by a nose in defeating seven-year-old Marvel Dragon (Redoute’s Choice). Golden Samurai was a $120,000 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale purchase for Coolmore from the draft of Burnewang North Pastoral, before fetching $500,000 at the Inglis Easter yearling sale when bought by Hong Kong trainer Francis Lui. The four-year-old is the first foal out of Nazca (Medaglia D’Oro), herself a half-sister to Group 3 winner and Group 1 placegetter Aramayo (Poet’s Voice).
30 for Deep Field
Champion Hong Kong sire Deep Field (Northern Meteor) sired his 30th individual winner in the jurisdiction when Hyper Dragon Ball (5 g ex Beauty Is by Redoute’s Choice) won the class 3 1400-metre handicap at Sha Tin on Saturday. The Benno Yung-trained five-year-old won by a length and a quarter ahead of Majestic Colour (So You Think). A $55,000 Inglis Classic buy for Blueblood Thoroughbreds from the Newgate Farm draft, Hyper Dragon Ball won twice in Australia before his export to Hong Kong. He is one of two winners out of Redoute’s Choice (Danehill) mare Beauty Is.
Seven for Kingman
Juddmonte stallion Kingman (Invincible Spirit) sired his seventh winner in Hong Kong when Powerful Wings (5 g ex Dream Peace by Dansili) won the Class 3 handicap over 1600 metres at Sha Tin on Saturday. Trained by Ricky Yiu, Powerful Wings won by a neck ahead of Happy Together (Dragon Pulse). The five-year-old was a two-time winner in the UK, when known as Guru, before his export to Hong Kong. He is one of five winners from as many runners out of French Group 2 winner and US Grade 1 placegetter Dream Peace.
Seven for El Roca
Eighteen Palms (4 g ex Buttlermilk by More Than Ready) became the seventh individual winner in Hong Kong for his Westbury Stud sire El Roca (Fastnet Rock) from just eight runners when winning the Class 4 On Lan Handicap (1650m) at Happy Valley on Wednesday. In defeating Splendid Living (Starspangledbanner) by a length and a quarter, the Danny Shum-trained Eighteen Palms got off the mark at the fifth time of asking. Eighteen Palms was passed in at the 2020 NZB National Yearling Sale, and was exported to Hong Kong after winning a trial at Whanganui. He is the fourth foal and second winner out of Buttermilk.