Globetrotting mare Lys Gracieux (Jpn), who closed out the year by winning the Takarazuka Kinen, WS Cox Plate and Arima Kinen under Damian Lane, has been honoured as Japan’s Horse of the Year for 2019.
The 5yo daughter of Heart’s Cry was also named Japanese Champion Older Mare and edged out the reigning Horse of the Year Almond Eye (Lord Kanaloa) in both categories.
Popular trainer Yoshito Yahagi also stabled the Champion Juvenile Colt Contrail (Deep Impact) who tied up the honour with his recent win in the Group 1 Hopeful Stakes to stay perfect for the season.
Champion Juvenile Filly honours went to Resistencia (Daiwa Major) who capped her unbeaten three start season with victory in the Group 1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies.
Lys Gracieux and Resistencia carried the colours of U Carrot Farm as did the Group 1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) winner Saturnalia (Lord Kanaloa) who was named the Champion 3-Year-Old Colt.
U Carrot made it four when the Group 1 Champions Cup winner Chrysoberyl (Gold Allure) was crowned the Champion Dirt Horse.
Champion older horse went to Win Bright. The son of Stay Gold won four of six starts, reeling off three consecutive wins to kick-start the year including the Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Sha Tin, which was also the scene of his season ending triumph in the Group 1 Hong Kong Cup.
The 2019 Champion Sprinter/Miler award went to Silk Racing’s Indy Champ (Stay Gold) who won three of his six starts for the year including the Group 1 Yasuda Kinen and the Group 1 Mile Championship at Kyoto. Interestingly, Indy Champ has made just one start at a distance shorter than 1600 metres in his 13-start career and that came at his first start as a 2yo when winning over 1400 metres at Hanshin.
Champion 3-year-old filly went to the Group 1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) heroine Gran Alegria (Deep Impact) who made just three starts for the year, culminating in a five-length victory in the Group II Hanshin Cup.
The great Deep Impact (JPN) earned posthumous honours as the champion stallion for the eighth consecutive time. His seasonal earnings were a staggering $A101,215,848, which was almost double that earned by second-placed Heart’s Cry (JPN) the sire of Horse Of The Year Lys Gracieux (Jpn).
With just three crops on the track, the rising star Lord Kanaloa (King Kamehameha) did well to clock in third, followed by Stay Gold, Rulership, King Kamehameha, Daiwa Major, Harbinger (GB), Gold Allure, and Orfevre.
For the ninth time in the past ten years, Deep Impact earned the title of Champion Sire of 2yos again beating out Heart’s Cry.
In third place was Kizuna who was honoured as the Champion First Season Sire. The son of Deep Impact has 182 foals in his first crop and a staggering 127 made it to the track at two with 27 winners headed by the Group III Hakodate Nisai Stakes winner Bien Fait.
Clocking in second was Epiphaneia (Symboli Kris S) followed by Arrowfield shuttler Real Impact (Deep Impact), Gold Ship (Stay Gold) and World Ace (Deep Impact).
