Heart's Cry Takes Arima Kinen
By Mark Smith - Racenet - 25 December 2005
With all 190,000 advance-sale tickets sold, Japanese racegoers ventured in their droves to Nakayama racecourse this afternoon expecting to see a match race between undefeated three-year old Deep Impact and 2004 Horse Of The Year Zenno Rob Roy, two of the best racetrack performers sired by the incomparable Sunday Silence.
Not unexpectedly the deceased son of Halo supplied the trifecta for the 50th running of the A$2m Gr 1 Arima Kinen (2500m). However it was not Deep Impact or Zenno Rob Roy that took the honours.
At his ninth career start Deep Impact met defeat for the first time at the hands of Christophe Lemaire and Heart’s Cry who was on a run of ten consecutive losses since last tasting victory in the Kyoto Shimbun Hai (JPN Gr2) on May 8 2004.
The Kojiro Hashiguchi trained 4yo colt put the writing on the wall at his last start when nosed out of the Japan Cup (G1) by Alkaased in a record 2 minutes, 22.1 seconds.
It was the fourth successive year the Arima Kinen winner had been partnered by a French Jockey. Olivier Peslier rode Zenno Rob Roy to victory last year after guiding Symboli Kris S to successive victories.
The Arima Kinen has a unique balloting system. The first 10 entries are decided by fan balloting while the remainder of the field is determined by prize money.
The fast finishing Heart’s Cry (Sunday Silence-Heart’s Dance by Tony Bin) defeated Deep Impact (Sunday Silence-Wind In Her Hair by Alzao) by half a length with Lincoln (Sunday Silence-Grace Admire by Tony Bin) one and a quarter lengths back in third. Cosmo Bulk (Zagreb) crossed the line in fourth place preventing Sunday Silence from being credited with the first seven home. He was followed by Coin Toss (Sunday Silence) Heavenly Romance (Sunday Silence) Sunrise Pegasus (Sunday Silence) and the disappointing Zenno Rob Roy (Sunday Silence).
Reigning Horse Of The Year, Zenno Rob Roy, has been beaten in his five starts this season, all at Gr 1 level. However he had not failed to place in any of his previous starts, which included a second to Electrocutionist in the Juddmonte International Stakes (G1) at York and a last start third in the Japan Cup (G1).
As two of the best racetrack performer by Sunday Silence, Deep Impact and Zenno Rob Roy had long been looked on as two of the most desirable stallion prospects in Japan.
Yet Heart’s Cry lacks for little on pedigree. His dam Irish Dance is a stakes winner daughter of the highly influential Tony Bin. Granddam Bupers Dance was unraced however she could boast being a half sister to the prolific stakes winner My Juliet (Gallant Romeo) and the Champagne Stakes winner Lyphard’s Special. She also had the less dubious distinction of being a three-quarter sister to the Northern Dancer colt Snaffi Dancer who created headlines at the 1983 Keeneland July Sale when purchased by Sheik Mohammed for a then world record yearling price of US$10.2m. He was reported as being so slow it was futile to send him to the racetrack.
My Juliet was a different kettle of fish altogether. In her long career she racked up 24 wins before continuing her success at stud by producing the full sisters Stella Madrid (Alydar) and Tis Juliet. Among the six wins for Stella Madrid were the Matron Stakes (G1), Frizette Stakes (G1), Acorn Stakes (G1) and Spinaway Stakes (G1). She has produced two stakes winners to date.
Tis Juliet won three stakes races including the Shuvee H (G1). She has been less successful at stud and has spent her latter years in Australia. She produced a filly by Danehill named Inski Outski, which was purchased at the 2005 Magic Millions Yearling Sale by Dynamic Syndications for $625,000. Tis Juliet herself went through the 2004 Magic Millions Winter sale where she was picked up by Yarradale Stud for $20,000. She has missed in her last two seasons to Johannesburg and Zentstov Street and was served by Zentstov Street again this year.