Sunday Silence does it again
By Tony Arrold - The Australian Thoroughbreds - 10 October 2005
Sunday Silence has registered another staggering feat in a Group race in Japan.
The perennial Japanese champion two months ago set the racing world back on its heels when he had eight daughters in a Group III event for mares at Sapporo. In a field of 14, the first six to finish were by Sunday Silence.
And the Halo horse has shown that rare feat was no flash-in-the-pan performance.
The Group II Kobe Shimbun Hai (2000m), an important preparation to the Group I Kikuka Sho (Japanese St Leger), was run late last month at Hanshin, with Pin-up colt Deep Impact sent off the hot favourite in a field of 13. Deep Impact was one of five sons of Sunday Silence in the line-up, and they were the first five to finish.
Deep Impact won cleverly by 2 ½ lengths from Six Sense and Rosenkreuz, with Machikane Kiarra and Admire Japan next to finish.
Having the equivalent of the 2000 Guineas Derby on his unbeaten record, Deep Impact is poised to become Japan’s first Triple crown winner since Narita Brian in 1994.
The third leg of the treble, the Kikuka Sho, will be run on Sunday.