Title: "Equinox’s First Foals Shine at Japan Racing Horse Association Select Sale"
The first foals by Equinox, the world’s highest-rated horse in 2023, are the shining stars of a stellar Japan Racing Horse Association Select Sale catalog, which was announced May 26.
A total of 25 foals from the first crop of Japan’s dual Horse of the Year have been entered for the foal section of the auction, which takes place at the Northern Horse Park in Hokkaido July 14-15.
Such is the anticipation around the debut crop of the champion that they make up 10% of the catalog.
Two of the impeccably bred youngsters by the six-time group 1 winner included in the sale are out of North American champions: Lot 329 is a colt out of Caledonia Road, victorious in the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), while Lot 344 is a son of multiple grade 1 winner and champion Midnight Bisou.
American-sourced grade 1 winners with fillies by the Japan Cup (G1) and Dubai Sheema Classic (G1T) hero cataloged in the sale include Bella Sofia (Lot 376), successful in the 2021 Test Stakes (G1), and 2015 American Oaks (G1T) winner Spanish Queen (Lot 386) while Lot 476 is a daughter of the South American grade 1 winner Conviction.
Equinox colts out of United States grade 1 winners Mucho Unusual (Lot 396), Grace Adler (Lot 418), and Going to Vegas (Lot 431) are also among the champion’s progeny in the sale, as is the son of Gran Premio del Plata (G1T) winner Global Beauty.
Reine Minoru, winner of the 2017 Oka Sho (G1), has an Equinox colt (Lot 324) who is also on offer at the JRHA Select Sale.
The black stallion was preceded as the world’s best racehorse by Flightline, and a colt from the second crop of the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) victor out of Chilean champion Vita De Mamma (Lot 320) is an eye-catching lot.
Kingman, sire of Irish Two Thousand Guineas (G1) victor Field Of Gold, is represented in the catalog by the first foal of Lezoo (Lot 307), the Cheveley Park Stakes (G1) winner who was acquired through Narvick International for approximately $3,128,664 at the Tattersalls December Mare Sale of 2023. From the first Tweenhills crop of brilliant Australian sire Zoustar, she was also successful in the Princess Margaret Stakes (G3) and the listed Hopeful Stakes.
Frankel, who stands alongside Kingman, continued an outstanding weekend for the Juddmonte team with a group 1-double May 25 that included Lake Victoria’s triumph in the Irish One Thousand Guineas (G1). He is the sire of a colt out of Saturne (Lot 342), a daughter of Kingman who won the Prix du Moulin (G1) and was sold to Narvick International and Grand Stud for $4.2 million at Fasig-Tipton’s November Sale in 2023. The Frankel colt is the first foal of the multiple group 1-placed mare.
The foal sale is preceded by the yearling auction, and a jaw-dropping catalog of 233 yearlings has been assembled for the session.
Offspring of group/grade 1 winners from around the globe are included with winners of top-level races in America, France, Ireland, Australia, Japan, Chile, and Argentina all dams of yearlings in the sale.
The sire profile is as power-packed with Bricks And Mortar, Candy Ride, Contrail, Efforia, Epiphaneia, Flightline, Kitasan Black, Lord Kanaloa, and Maurice all listed.
![Title: Heroic Horse Rescues Amidst Devastating Floods in NSW Hunter Region
Jess Yates was asleep on her property in the NSW Hunter region when she received a distressing call. The owner of Hunter River Horse Agistment at Millers Forrest, east of Maitland, was told by her neighbour that a horse was in the water.
"I threw clothes on really, really quickly, jumped in our boat and just went out to the middle of the paddock and it was caught up in a lot of the [electric] tape fencing that we have," Ms. Yates said. "You can see the horse going under and doing circles as it gets caught up in more rope."
The horse owner said she jumped into action. "I just didn’t think, I just knew I had to get in the water and cut it [out] and get it back up so its head’s above water and then get it up to dry land," she said.
The Hunter and Mid North Coast, which have been heavily impacted by flooding, are significant horse breeding, training, and agistment regions. Helicopters were used at the weekend to fly fodder in and rescue large animals. But the livestock death toll is rising, with the most recent figure at 1,000.
Stories of dramatic rescues have started surfacing as the flood recovery progresses. Craig Ruttley is based at Glenthorne Park Thoroughbreds, just south of Taree, where he breeds thoroughbreds. He said he had heard of horses being washed away but managed to rescue all 45 of his.
"I was actually swimming out, grabbing horses and swimming with them to bring them up," he said. "They wouldn’t go through the water unless you went with them … we got them all up to the highest ground possible." Mr. Ruttley said he was one of the lucky ones. "There definitely have been horse casualties from the floods," he said. "You know there’s a poor little girl out there who goes to pony club that’s lost her best friend."
The NSW government has so far received more than 200 requests for emergency fodder, with 21 tonnes delivered by aerial drop as of Monday afternoon. The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, along with Local Land Services, have about 80 people available to respond.
Vets from Local Land Services have been helping with animal assessment, treatment, and euthanasia on welfare grounds and carcass disposal. Mr. Ruttley said the flood has been devastating and people would need a lot of support. "It’s [been] chronically … wet over here for a long time and then to get this flood it’s just unimaginable," he said. "I’ve got friends down the road … they’ve lost their house, they’ve lost their cars, they’ve lost their pets, they’ve lost everything."
Ms. Yates said the flood would be a big setback for her business as well. "We were building brand new stables out here, they’ve floated away," she said. "I’m assuming there’s going to be a hay shortage as well which is going to be a problem for us to feed our horses. They’re not going to be able to eat this grass for a little while because it’s been sitting under floodwaters for so long."
People can get assistance with fodder and stock water if there is an immediate animal welfare concern, as well as aerial support for isolated or stranded livestock and advice on how to care for animals in flood conditions. People affected by the floods can also apply for a disaster recovery allowance. The number for Local Land Services for people affected by the NSW floods is 1800 814 647.](https://i0.wp.com/live-production.wcms.abc-cdn.net.au/6d7748d12b7236de261e7c035e9b6d63?impolicy=wcms_watermark_news&cropH=2109&cropW=3750&xPos=0&yPos=1179&width=862&height=485&imformat=generic&w=696&resize=696,0&ssl=1 "Title: Heroic Horse Rescues Amidst Devastating Floods in NSW Hunter Region
Jess Yates was asleep on her property in the NSW Hunter region when she received a distressing call. The owner of Hunter River Horse Agistment at Millers Forrest, east of Maitland, was told by her neighbour that a horse was in the water.
\"I threw clothes on really, really quickly, jumped in our boat and just went out to the middle of the paddock and it was caught up in a lot of the [electric] tape fencing that we have,\" Ms. Yates said. \"You can see the horse going under and doing circles as it gets caught up in more rope.\"
The horse owner said she jumped into action. \"I just didn’t think, I just knew I had to get in the water and cut it [out] and get it back up so its head’s above water and then get it up to dry land,\" she said.
The Hunter and Mid North Coast, which have been heavily impacted by flooding, are significant horse breeding, training, and agistment regions. Helicopters were used at the weekend to fly fodder in and rescue large animals. But the livestock death toll is rising, with the most recent figure at 1,000.
Stories of dramatic rescues have started surfacing as the flood recovery progresses. Craig Ruttley is based at Glenthorne Park Thoroughbreds, just south of Taree, where he breeds thoroughbreds. He said he had heard of horses being washed away but managed to rescue all 45 of his.
\"I was actually swimming out, grabbing horses and swimming with them to bring them up,\" he said. \"They wouldn’t go through the water unless you went with them … we got them all up to the highest ground possible.\" Mr. Ruttley said he was one of the lucky ones. \"There definitely have been horse casualties from the floods,\" he said. \"You know there’s a poor little girl out there who goes to pony club that’s lost her best friend.\"
The NSW government has so far received more than 200 requests for emergency fodder, with 21 tonnes delivered by aerial drop as of Monday afternoon. The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, along with Local Land Services, have about 80 people available to respond.
Vets from Local Land Services have been helping with animal assessment, treatment, and euthanasia on welfare grounds and carcass disposal. Mr. Ruttley said the flood has been devastating and people would need a lot of support. \"It’s [been] chronically … wet over here for a long time and then to get this flood it’s just unimaginable,\" he said. \"I’ve got friends down the road … they’ve lost their house, they’ve lost their cars, they’ve lost their pets, they’ve lost everything.\"
Ms. Yates said the flood would be a big setback for her business as well. \"We were building brand new stables out here, they’ve floated away,\" she said. \"I’m assuming there’s going to be a hay shortage as well which is going to be a problem for us to feed our horses. They’re not going to be able to eat this grass for a little while because it’s been sitting under floodwaters for so long.\"
People can get assistance with fodder and stock water if there is an immediate animal welfare concern, as well as aerial support for isolated or stranded livestock and advice on how to care for animals in flood conditions. People affected by the floods can also apply for a disaster recovery allowance. The number for Local Land Services for people affected by the NSW floods is 1800 814 647.")
