By Brian Sheerin
MV Magnier has described the Japan Cup as “the main aim” for Auguste Rodin (Ire) where the six-time Group 1-winning son of Deep Impact (Jpn) will bid to bridge a gap of almost two decades to the last European-trained winner of the race.
Speaking at the JRHA Select Sale in Japan last week, Magnier firmed up plans for Auguste Rodin, who is the culmination of over 10 years of Coolmore breeding mares to Japanese-based stallions.
He also confirmed that Coolmore has supported Kitasan Black (Jpn), the sire of Equinox (Jpn), as well as Japanese Triple Crown winner Contrail (Jpn), with a handful of mares each this year. Both stallions are based at the Shadai Stallion Station, where Deep Impact famously stood for 11 seasons.
“We've been sending mares to Japan for over 10 years now and September (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) came from that first crop,” Magnier told TDN Europe. “They have been exceptionally good people to work with, to deal with, to have anything to do with.”
Explaining what sparked that maiden voyage to Japan with high-class mares such as Peeping Fawn (Danehill), the four-time Group 1 heroine, who went on to become to dam of the Chesham Stakes winner September, he added, “Deep Impact was one of the best stallions in the world at the time and Dad [John] was very keen to use him. He was doing so well here in Japan but then he had a couple of very good winners in France for the Wertheimers as well. He also had a French 1,000 Guineas winner [Beauty Parlour (GB) in 2012] out of a Giant's Causeway mare.
“We just got incredibly lucky in his last year that Auguste Rodin came out. As I said, they have always looked after us very well in Japan and we were lucky to get all of those mares in foal to him as he died shortly after we got Rhododendron (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in foal.”
The Coolmore team viewing foals in Japan back in 2019 | Emma Berry
Deep Impact's final crop totaled just 13 foals, of which Auguste Rodin is the most high-profile runner. In fact, Coolmore had intended to send more than just Rhododendron to the legendary stallion, but were forced to reshuffle the pack when Deep Impact's health deteriorated.
Fluff (Ire) was one such mare. A sister to Group 1 winner Maybe (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who famously went on to produce the multiple Group 1 and Classic-winning Saxon Warrior (Jpn), Fluff was re-routed to Heart's Cry (Jpn) at the last minute. The resulting foal, Continuous (Jpn), won the St Leger last season before finishing a gutsy fifth in the Arc.
But it is Auguste Rodin who has been described as potentially one of the most important additions to the Coolmore stallion roster by those behind the scenes. Speaking after snapping up a number of high-profile mares at Goffs last year, Magnier told journalists that, 'When Auguste Rodin won the Derby, I'd say it was 30 seconds later when Dad rang me and said, 'this is the most important thing that has happened to Coolmore since Galileo won the Derby.'
Revisiting that quote in Japan, Magnier said, “And it really was. Aidan [O'Brien] summed it up perfectly when he said that Auguste Rodin is the meeting of two continents–Deep Impact and Galileo. He's out of a champion–is exceptionally well bred. He is very good-looking and is a six-time Group 1 winner who has done it at two, three and four.”
He continued, “We've figured him out now. He needs quick ground and to be ridden aggressively. Really, the dream is to bring him out here for the Japan Cup later in the year. That will be his main aim this year.”
In Deep Impact's absence, Coolmore has sent mares this year to Kitasan Black, who stands for ¥20,000,000 [roughly €116,000] and enjoyed a memorable Select Sale with progeny of his topping the yearling and foal session, while Japanese Triple Crown winner Contrail [¥15,000,000/ €87,000] has been supported with mares as well.
“The world is getting smaller,” Magnier acknowledged. “We really go by what [Shunsuke Yoshida] and the team at Shadai tell us what to do. We've sent a few mares to Contrail and Kitasan Black this year. Contrail was a very good racehorse and is very well-bred. He's a very good-looking horse and he ticks all the boxes. He is unproven but hopefully it will work out for him.
“They [the Yoshida family] have been great supporters of ours down through the years and have sent plenty of mares our way. They buy a lot of mares from us as well. It's been a very good relationship.”
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