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Best On Breeding

Mark Smith - Friday December 7

The Japanese love to showcase their best horses around the world and Longines International Raceday at Sha Tin has proved rich pickings.

The international exposure has no doubt proved useful when some of the most exciting winners retired to stud.

The Japanese flyer Lord Kanaloa (JPN) made the world sit up and take notice with facile victories in the Hong Kong Sprint in 2012 and 2013.

From his first crop, the son of King Kamehameha has sired the imperious filly Almond Eye and the Mile Championship hero Stelvio.

Further back in history the 2001 Hong Kong Vase winner Stay Gold (JPN) has proven to be an exceptional sire with his long list of Group 1 winners headed by the great Orfevre (JPN) and the enigmatic Gold Ship (JPN).

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Stay Gold has Crocosmia (JPN) to represent him in Sunday’s Hong Kong Vase.

A contemporary of Orfevre (JPN) and Gold Ship (JPN) was Rulership (JPN) who didn’t make it to International raceday but his only Group 1 victory came in Hong Kong's QEII Cup in 2012.

The Leading First Season Sire in 2016, Rulership (JPN) is the sire of Kiseki (JPN) who disappointed behind Highland Reel in last years Hong Kong Vase but has bee a model of consistency this season, most recently finishing the most courageous of seconds behind Almond Eye in the Japan Cup.


When listing the most successful Japanese horses in Hong Kong how do you leave out the Arrowfield shuttler Maurice (JPN) (photo Mark Smith) who earned worldwide acclaim with wins in the 2015 Hong Kong Mile, 2016 Champions Mile, and 2016 Hong Kong Cup?

Japan is expected to dominate Sunday’s Hong Kong Cup with Sungrazer (JPN) (Deep Impact) and Deirdre (JPN) (Harbinger).

Australia’s lone representative at the meeting, Comin' Through (Fastnet Rock), will face off against two Japanese aces in the Hong Kong Mile.

They are the 2017 Group 1 Mile Championship winner Persian Knight (JPN) (Harbinger), who is coming off a close second in the same race, and our ‘Best On Breeding’ Vivlos (JPN).

Kazuhiro Sasaki’s daughter of Deep Impact would be a standout in any broodmare sale around the world.


The 5yo mare has covered plenty of miles in her 15 starts.

Back in October 2016, Vivlos (JPN) claimed the final leg of the three-year-old fillies’ Triple Crown, the Group 1 Shuka Sho (2000m) at Kyoto.

Two starts later she claimed the Group 1 Dubai Turf at Meydan at the expense of Heshem and Ribchester but she hasn’t visited the winner's circle since.

She went back to Dubai in March to defend her title but had to play second fiddle to Benbatl but we know the class of that son of Dubawi who made Winx work for her fourth Cox Plate.

At her most recent start Vivlos (JPN) (photo JRA )  finished eighth in the Group 1 Tenno Sho won by Rey De Oro from Sungrazer and Kiseki.

Vivlos (JPN) is a sister to Verxina (JPN), twice winner of the Group 1 Victoria Mile who had the honour of being runner-up to the champion Gentildonna (JPN) in all three legs of Fillies Triple Crown. 

Vivlos (JPN) is also a half-sister to Cheval Grand (Heart’s Cry) who was ridden by Hugh Bowman to success in the 2017 Group 1 Japan Cup.

Their dam, the five-time winner Halwa Sweet is by that grand broodmare sire Machiavellian.

She is a great-granddaughter of the magnificent racemare Glorious Song (Halo) who is the dam of top-class stallions Rahy (Blushing Groom) and Singspiel (In the Wings).

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