Deep Impact

The main event on Saudi Cup Day two weeks ago was all about the host nation, with the locally owned and trained Emblem Road (Quality Road) posting a remarkable upset in the world's richest horse race. Saudi Arabia has announced its presence on the global horse racing scene loud and clear, and the country-with its ever-increasing investment in racehorses and breeding stock globally--will continue to be heard from for years to come. When the layers are peeled back on the third running of the Saudi Cup card, however, it was...

Snowfall (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), the record 16-length winner of the G1 Cazoo Oaks last June, has been euthanised after suffering a pelvic injury in her box. "It's very sad news, terrible," said trainer Aidan O'Brien. "The lads were thinking of keeping her in training but they hadn't quite made up their minds. It was very possible. "She had a pelvic injury in her box. Sometimes pelvic injuries go the right way or they can go the wrong way. Unfortunately this one went the wrong way. It's very sad and...

Makoto Kaneko's Wagnerian (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}-Miss Encore {Jpn}, by King Kamehameha {Jpn}), the winner of the 2018 G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby), has died age seven of organ failure, according to published reports. The winner of the G3 Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai S. at two at the end of a three-race, unbeaten 2-year-old campaign, Wagnerian won the Tokyo Yushun at third asking at three. He added the G2 Kobe Shimbun Hai before the season was out, and though that would prove to be his last win, Wagnerian was third...

The death of Deep Impact (Jpn) in July 2019 may have robbed Japan, and the wider breeding industry, of a phenomenally successful stallion but his dominance persists for now, with a tenth Japanese sires' championship going his way in 2021.  The most prolific son of Sunday Silence, who was just 17 when he died a few months after covering a final book of 24 mares, has held the title consecutively since 2012, the year in which his eldest runners were 4-year-olds. He had hit the ground running as the champion...

Generational leader and 2020 Japanese Triple Crown winner Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) was bet down to heavy favouritism for his swansong in Sunday's G1 Japan Cup despite having met with defeat in his last three outings, and he justified the betting public's faith with a straightforward score on his way to the stallion barn at Shadai Stallion Station. After losing his unbeaten record in this race last year when he found only the champion filly Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) too tough, Contrail was third over yielding ground...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Today's Observations features a full-brother to multiple Classic scorer Snowfall (Jpn). 1.05 Nottingham, Mdn, £14,000, 2yo, c/g, 8f 75yT KALAHARI PRINCE (IRE) (New Approach {Ire}) is one of five Godolphin representatives lining up for this "Golden Horn Maiden" won 12 months ago by Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), and one...

Less than an hour after Profondo (Aus) stamped his authority on the G1 Spring Champion S. at Randwick at just his third career start, 'TDN Rising Star' Command Line (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) followed suit in the G3 Saudi Arabia Royal Cup (1600mT) at Tokyo Racecourse in his second trip to the races and first appearance graduating stylishly over the course and distance June 5. Sent off the marginal favorite in advance of Sternatia (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), a half-sister to Group 1-winning miler Stelvio (Jpn), the athletic colt was...

Dobune (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who cost new owner Susumu Fujita a whopping ¥517.1 million (about US$4.7 million) at the Chiba 2-Year-Old Sale this past May, overcame a wide gate and belied his inexperience with a two-length debut victory in a newcomers' event going 1500 meters (about 7 1/2 furlongs) on turf at Sapporo Racecourse Saturday afternoon. Off as the 17-10 favorite after trading at odds-on for the majority of the wagering, Dobune more or less walked out of ate 11 and was allowed to find his footing by Yutaka...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 1st-DMR, $70K, Msw, 3yo/up, 5 1/2fT, post time: 7:00 p.m. ET Bred in Australia by the renowned Arrowfield Stud, KAZUHIKO (AUS) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) was purchased for a joint third-highest price of A$1.7 million (US$1,211,760) at the 2019 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale by a partnership including Spendthrift Farm, Kennewell Racing and Group 1 Bloodstock. Trained by Lloyd Kennewell, the Sept. 1 foal was the subject of major betting support ahead of his debut in the G3 National S. at Adelaide's Morphettville Racetrack in South Australa...

G1 Cazoo Oaks winner Snowfall (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) makes her much-anticipated first start since that record 16-length romp in Saturday's G1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks at The Curragh, where she will face seven rivals. Also the winner of the G3 Musidora S. in May, Snowfall will be reunited with Ryan Moore after being piloted by Frankie Dettori at Epsom, and they will break from the inside stall. Snowfall will be joined by three Ballydoyle stablemates in Listed Naas Oaks Trial scorer Willow (Ire) (American Pharoah), who exits the outside gate...

Though he is gone, Deep Impact (Jpn) is far from forgotten, Shadai's breed-shaping sire having this year provided Classic winners in both his native country and in Britain in the form of the 16-length G1 Cazoo Oaks winner Snowfall (Jpn). He retains his position atop the Japanese sire standings, where he has sat uninterrupted since 2012, and the presence of four of his last-crop yearlings in Monday's opening session of the JRHA Select Sale were unsurprisingly among the very highest draws for buyers at Hokkaido's Northern Horse Park. His colt...

The foal session of the JRHA Select Sale is normally the headline-grabber, but the presence of four yearlings from the final crop of the late, great Deep Impact (Jpn) during Monday's opening session could just steal the show during the two-day sale in Hokkaido. Deep Impact, the Triple Crown winner and breed-shaping sire, died on July 29, 2019, having missed much of the preceding covering season with the spinal issues that ultimately took his life. His small final crop was expected to contain around 20 foals, four of which will...