Yulong to stand Japan’s Diatonic

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Yulong Stud have announced that multiple Japanese stakes winner Diatonic (Lord Kanaloa) will be added to their stallion roster for the 2023 breeding season.

Bred and campaigned in Japan, Diatonic is a three-time Group 2 winner over 1400 metres and also placed at Group 1 level, with the equivalent of AU$5.2 million in career earnings.

Japanese stallions have already proven their class in Australia with both Maurice (Screen Hero) and Satono Aladdin (Deep Impact) adding to the elite portfolio of sire success started by Deep Impact (Sunday Silence).

By Lord Kanaloa (King Kamehameha), Diatonic shares the same sire as Yulong’s own Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Tagaloa. Bred on the same cross as Japanese superstar Almond Eye (Lord Kanaloa), he’s out of a mare by Sunday Silence (Halo), the sire of Deep Impact, Heart’s Cry and Sunday Joy.

His pedigree has depth too, with Diatonic descending from the direct female line of Cosmah (Cosmic Bomb), the dam of Halo (Hail To Reason) and a half-sister to Natalma (Native Dancer), the dam of Northern Dancer (Nearctic).

A talented racehorse, Diatonic won on debut as a two-year-old, and would go on to twice win the Swan Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m), latterly in the fastest time in a decade – the same race won by Rich Hill Stud stallion Satono Aladdin.

When placing third in the 2020 running of the Takamatsunomiya Kinen (Gr 1, 1200m), Diatonic finished behind multiple champion Gran Alegria (Deep Impact) and beat home six Group 1 winners including Hong Kong Sprint (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Danon Smash (Lord Kanaloa). Overall, Diatonic won ten of his 26 starts.

“Diatonic has a very unique profile that caught the interest of Mr Zhang and the team at Yulong,” said Sam Fairgray, chief operating officer at Yulong Investments.

“His incredible pedigree, consistent performances in high quality races coupled with the global success of the Japanese thoroughbred was incredibly appealing.

“Diatonic won the same race as Rich Hill’s talented young sire Satono Aladdin, he’s by the same sire as our Blue Diamond-winning stallion Tagaloa, and was bred on the same cross as Japanese superstar Almond Eye. He’s also physically imposing, so we’re delighted to be able to support him with our top mares and offer him to the Australian market.”