Henny Hughes bounced back from some bad news out of New York earlier this month to sire his first Group winner in Japan on Saturday.

The Darley shuttler broke through with Henny Hound in the G3 Falcon Stakes (1200m) when racing returned to Hanshin after the Japanese earthquake and tsunami.

Henny Hound (3c Henny Hughes – Beautiful Moment by Crusader Sword) was a three length debut winner in Tokyo last November.  He resumed in the Falcon Stakes and clocked a quick 68.70s to increase his earnings to the equivalent of US$564,700.

Henny Hound was bred by Gulf Coast Farm in Kentucky and was a US$200,000 purchase for owner Masamichi Hayashi at the 2010 Barretts 2YO March Sale.  His dam Beautiful Moment was stakes placed at Hollywood Park.

Henny Hughes received a setback earlier this month when his first stakes winner Fort Hughes was put down at Belmont Park.

Sheikh Mohammed’s homebred colt was a four length winner of the LR Jimmy Winkfield Stakes at Aqueduct in January and was being set for the G3 Bay Shore Stakes on April 9.  Tragically, he fractured a cannon bone during trackwork at Belmont Park on March 13.

Henny Hughes has sired 26 first-crop Kentucky bred winners.  He remains the only three-year-old to win the G1 King’s Bishop and G1 Vosburgh in the same year.

His first Australian bred yearlings are being sold at this year’s majors.  His colt from Thunder Gulch mare Denia topped Session 5 of the Gold Coast Magic Millions in January.  Offered for sale by Vinery Stud, he was snapped up by BC3 Thoroughbreds for $210,000.

Henny Hughes (Hennessy) stood for a $19,250 fee at Darley Australia in 2010.