TWO-year-old JRA races commence in Japan in early June. While still very much in its infancy, some notable achievements have been posted by some of this year’s freshmen stallions and four sires have already had their name advertised in the JRA winner’s enclosures by runners from their first crop.

Racing in Japan is separated into two levels, the more elite level which is run by the JRA (Japanese Racing Association) and the second-tier is operated by the NAR (National Association of Racing) and is almost exclusively run on dirt. Understandably, the focus is nearly in its entirety on the JRA code when it comes to breeding appeal and reputation of stallions.