DUE in no small part to Almond Eye, Lord Kanaloa enjoyed a stellar year as a stallion with his first crop of three-year-olds. A sire of a record-breaking number of individual winners for a freshman sire in 2017. He has produced 30 individual two-year-old winners in 2018.

This is second only to Deep Impact (prize money) as the most prolific producer of juvenile winners in the JRA.

He also secured a second individual Group 1 winner from his first crop with Stelvio winning the Mile Championship. Lord Kanaloa sits in fifth spot in the overall turf sire’s list. Lord Kanaloa, a son of King Kamehameha will stand for €115,000 for 2019, an almost 90% increase to his fee in 2018.

As Japan continues its reliance on Sunday Silence bloodlines, its dependence on Deep Impact only intensifies.

Just a Way seals freshman crown

IN what was expected to be a largely underwhelming year in the freshman ranks, with few top-class racehorses having their first crop appear on the track.

Top rated horse in the world in 2014, Just a Way produced 12 individual JRA winners of 14 races.

Based on prize money, it is likely that this will be enough to seal the leading first season sire for the son of Heart’s Cry.

From a book of 220 quality mares in his first year, sheer volume alone gave Just a Way a decisive advantage over his freshman counterparts.

His most prolific produce is A Will a Way, a two-time winning filly and a runner-up in a Group 2 from three career starts. Just a Way will once again stand at Shadai Stallion Station in 2019 for 4,000,000 Yen.