All American and Better Than Ready were the only stallions to sire a winning treble last Sunday but the Geisel Park resident trumped the Queenslander with an international update as the damsire of Group 1 Japanese Oaks heroine Liberty Island.
All American domestic winners Got Out The Fence (Seymour), Fifty Carats (Nowra) and Lincoln’s Law (Kalgoorlie) sent his Australian progeny prizemoney past $20 million. The only sires on the TBWA Stallion Directory with a better career-stat are Dash For Cash ($26m) and his Geisel Park barn-mate Manhattan Rain ($23m).
Topping his earner-list on $2.04 million is Champion Australian 2YO Filly & 3YO Filly Yankee Rose. Those awards were cut-and-dried following her Group 1 wins in the 2016 Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) and Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick.
Yankee Rose was purchased privately off the track by Northern Farm owner Katsumi Yoshida and she is proving an astute broodmare buy for the Japanese breeding supremo. Her first foal Romneya (Deep Impact) won a Nakayama nursery and she was followed by Liberty Island (Duramente).
Her third foal, a colt by Lord Kanaloa made the equivalent of AUD 4.49 million at the 2021 JRHA Select Foal Sale. That’s the highest-price paid for a foal or a yearling out of an Australian-bred mare at the JRHA Sales.
Liberty Island (3f Duramente – Yankee Rose by All American) thrashed her classic rivals by six lengths in the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) in Tokyo on Sunday. Jockey Yuga Kawada kept her focused with plenty left in the tank and she quickly found another gear to establish the biggest winning margin since 1975.
“She was quite tense transporting here for another big race,” Kawada said after the filly made the 500km trip from Hanshin to Tokyo. “I had to reserve her energy and calm her down before the race. She settled well and we were able to race in good rhythm.”
Kawada admitted he helped Liberty Island make a statement in the final 200m. “I knew we were already clear but I wanted her to finish off the race strongly. I kept driving her to the wire which led to a big margin.”
Liberty Island won the G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) last month when she launched a furious run to pass the entire field after missing the start. Trainer Mitsumasa Nakauchida and Katsumi Yoshida will give her the opportunity to sweep the Triple Crown in the G1 Shuka Sho (2000m) at Kyoto on October 15.
All American (Red Ransom) stands for a $4,400 fee at Geisel Park alongside Manhattan Rain ($8,250) and they have been joined by Aysar ($8,800) this season. All fees (inc GST).