Domestic buyers put the chips down on Equinox as the first yearlings to hit the market by one the best racehorses of the modern era saw the Shadai Stallion Station rookie responsible for the most expensive horse sold on the opening day of the JRHA Select Sale at ¥420 million [$2,591,499]. The top lot status belonged to lot 110, a colt out of High Chaparral mare Youngstar and he was consigned by Northern Farm, who ended the session as the leading vendor. It was Danox Co Ltd, which is the racing name used by owner and software executive Masahiro Noda, who struck the winning bid.One of the best horses to carry the Danox silks is Danon Decile (Epiphaneia), winner of the Dubai Sheema Classic last year.All told, the owner spent ¥1.49 billion [$9,191,999 ] on the day.The top lot is a half-brother to Eri King (Kizuna), winner of the Group 2 Kobe Shimbun Hai and only beaten two lengths into second in the Japanese St Leger back in October.As for Equinox, he posted a massive ¥1.984 billion [$12.24 million] aggregate for 13 lots sold. A remarkable tally for a sire whose horses have yet to grace the track.Northern Farm's Katsumi Yoshida heaped praise on Equinox in his end of sale debrief with the local and international press and hailed the sale on the whole as a success with a 13% rise in the aggregate to ¥17.660 billion [$108,937,370].Of the 262 horses offered, 250 sold at a clearance rate of 94%, which was down by 3.7% on last year. The average was ¥70 million and the median was ¥52 million.Yoshida said, “It was an incredible sale. We had a constant stream of people who visited the farm to see the horses, so we knew there was strong interest beforehand. The outstanding pedigrees are obviously the biggest factor, but it's not just that prices have gone up. The overall quality of the catalogue has improved and I genuinely believe it has become the world's premier sale. Kitasan Black's progeny have already proven themselves on the track, but the expectations for Equinox's crops – even before they've raced – are extraordinarily high. As for Efforia, his offspring have been performing very well, and they are outstanding physically as well.”He concluded, “Japanese horses have been achieving outstanding results internationally, which has attracted a growing number of overseas buyers. Hong Kong, in particular, could see a new model emerge, where horses are first campaigned in Japan before being transferred to race there.”Kitasan Black Shines BrightestThe limelight may have been hogged by his brilliant son Equinox, but Kitasan Black remained in strong demand with buyers and posted the strongest aggregate of any stallion with 14 horses selling for a massive ¥2.218 billion [$13,450,604].Lot 150 was one of the more expensive Kitasan Black colts sold on the day at ¥210million [$1,295,467] to Koya Ozasa. He was consigned by Northern Farm.Ozasa said, “I like Kitasan Black and looked for a nice yearling by him. While I felt the market for Kitasan Black was too hot last year, I think it has slightly calmed down this year. This is my pick of the day and I was determined to buy him. I expect him to be a runner in major international races, such as the Kentucky Derby and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.”Kitasan Black was responsoble for nine yearlings who made ¥100 million or more while Equinox had eight. “I Dream To Win The Japanese Derby”Equinox famously failed to win the Japanese Derby, going down by only a neck to Do Deuce in the 2022 edition, but Yujiro Inutsuke revealed that his big dream will be to win the race whith his son, lot 21.Inutsuke went to ¥210 [$1,295,467] to facilitate his dream with the Equinox colt out of Green Bananas, the dam of Breeders' Cup heroine Audarya (Wootton Bassett).Inutsuke said, “I am a great supporter of Equinox. I really wanted to buy a yearling by Equinox. I inspected the Equinox yearlings and I thought this yearling was the best Equinox yearling consigned by Shadai Farm. Coincidentally, the birthday of this colt is the same as Equinox, so I am very happy to buy him. He goes to Takahisa Tezuka, the trainer of Masquerade Ball. I would love to try and win the Japanese Derby with this colt.”SubplotsEfforia had been billed as one of the hottest young stallion prospects in Japan leading into the sale and it didn't take long for him to make his mark when lot 7, a colt by the multiple Group 1 and Japanese 2,000 Guineas winner, sold for ¥200 million [$1,234,000]. That Lake Villa Farm-consigned colt was the first to break the ¥200 million barrier, selling to Anima Racing, and he opened the floodgates for what proved to be a memorable sale for the stallion who grossed ¥1.504 billion [$9,278,852.80] for 10 lots sold. The highest price achieved was lot 190 at ¥390 million, who was consigned by Shadai Farm and sold to Kaneko Masato Holdings Co Ltd. That colt is out of Grade 2 winner Lady Fog Horn (Zavata). Meanwhile, a little later in the session, another Efforia colt [51] sold to Danox Co. Ltd for ¥330 million, or a little over $2 million. Consigned by Northern Farm, that Efforia colt is out of an Australia half-sister to French 2,000 Guineas winner Persian King and played an important role in the memorable sale for the stallion.On the eve of the Select Sale, Shadai Farms boss Teruya Yoshida labelled Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Siskin as “an unbelievable sire”, pointing to the fact that from limited numbers, the former Ger Lyons-trained star has punched well above his weight. From a select offering of four yearlings, Siskin averaged ¥63 million [$391,949].Ace Impact's sole representative, the Yano Farm-consigned colt out of Le Havre mare Dream Of Deauville, fetched a more-than-respectable ¥33 million [$203,000]. Lot 63 was purchased on behalf of Group 1-winning owner Tanaka Seihou.From a similarly low representation, Wootton Bassett posted respectable results when two colts [lots 13 and 29] by the ill-fated Coolmore stallion sold for a combined ¥164 million [just over $1 million]. Lot 13 was consigned by Shunsuke Yoshida and hails from Justify mare Unless, who won at Listed level and placed in Group 3 company for Aidan O'Brien in Ireland. Unless is out of Clemmie, making her a half-sister to top-class miler Churchill. Meanwhile, lot 29 is out of classy Irish mare Insinuendo (Gleneagles) and was consigned by Oiwake Bloodstock. Insinuendo won at Group 2 level for Willie McCreery before being sold for €560,000 at the Goffs November Mares Sale in 2023.The European fillies played a massive role in the success of the sale. Perhaps none more so than Pretty Gorgeous, whose Kitasan Black colt provided some early excitement by getting knocked down from Northern Farm to Danox Co Ltd for ¥320 million [$1,974,045]. Pretty Gorgeous was a brilliant winner of the Group 1 Fillies' Mile for Joseph O'Brien.Thought for the dayKitasan Black and his superstar son Equinox accounted for ¥4.202 billion [25,937,391] of the entire ¥17.660 billion aggregate.The post Domestic Buyers Put Chips Down On Equinox Yearlings At JRHA Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.