Astute Japanese breeders could enthusiastically welcome the decision of Sheikh Mohammed's management of his world breeding and racing empire Darley to shuttle one of Australia's best sires from their Aberdeen, Hunter Valley complex to their stud at Hokkaido in Japan for the 2010 northern hemisphere season.
One of Danehill's most prepotent sons and from a daughter of freakish imported broodmare Eight Carat, Commands could be a saviour of Japanese breeding, one that is saturated with the one giant force, Sunday Silence. The fashion of Sunday Silence at the highest level in Japan is shown by the 2009 breeding season statistics for their leviathan breeding farm, the Shadai Stallion Station. Shadai's 30 sires in the 2009 season served 4,066 mares (down from 4216 the previous year). Fourteen of their sires used are by Sunday Silence and between them they looked after 2,311 mares at an average of 165 each. Among these Sunday Silence sires were two who had books in excess of 200, Neo Universe (the busiest with 251) and former Arrowfield shuttled Fuji Kiseki. Deceased before he completed the season, another Shadai Sunday Silence sire, Agnes Tachyon, looked after 198 mares. One of Agnes Tachyon's best sons, Japanese Derby winner and Japan Cup second Deep Sky, is one of eight sires scheduled to stand besides Commands at the Japan branch of Darley, operator also of studs in America, England, Ireland and France.They have two stud farms in the Hunter Valley, one at Cootamundra in central western NSW and another in Seymour in Victoria. Darley became the biggest in Australian racing and breeding when they purchased the Inghams' farms, training establishments and horses for about half a billion dollars two years ago.In the process they acquired two of Australia's current best sires, Commands and up and coming Lonhro On Saturday each of these sires had a double at Rosehill Gardens and Lonhro also had a winner and a long neck second at Flemington. Since be retired to stud in 2000, the now13-years-old Commands has supplied seven crops of racing age, including current 2-year-olds, from his Australian use for 356 winners of over 1000 races and $36million. His 2008-09 local statistics were 124 winners (8 SWs), 222 wins and $6,637,018, making him sixth by money and second by winners and wins. He visited France for the 2002 northern hemisphere season and included among his offspring a stakes winner and two others stakes placed. Commands has never had any runners in Japan, but his sire Danehill left winners from one restricted northern hemisphere season there, travelling up from Australia.Danehill has also had a small number of Ireland sired stakes winners in Japan. Commands is to be the most expensive service fee sire standing at Darley in Japan in the 2010 season, being listed at 5million yen, about $40,000 Australian. He has 20 lots in the major section of next months Magic Millions yearling sale at the Gold Coast.
© Bloodstock Media Service Published 22/12/09
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