16 Thursday, September 26, 2013 racingpost.com PEDIGREE TONY MORRIS ANALYSIS Kizuna NTIL the late 1990s maidens at Warwick (fourth) and Europe could preserve Salisbury (third) as a three-year-old doubts about the ability of for James Fanshawe. U Japanese-trained horses to Niel winner out to On that scant evidence she was compete successfully on hardly above selling-plate calibre, but the world stage. she had some pedigree, being by Then came the victories of Seeking Storm Cat out of Pacific Princess, who The Pearl in the Prix Maurice de had a Grade 1 victory to her name in Gheest, of Taiki Shuttle in the Prix the 1976 Delaware Oaks. Jacques le Marois, of El Condor Pasa in make an impact Pacific Princess’s winning daughter the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and of by Northern Dancer, Pacificus, Agnes World in both the Prix de produced two Japanese horses of the l’Abbaye and the July Cup. year in Biwa Hayhide (by Sharrood) But all four of those successful and Narita Brian (by Brian’s Time), pioneers were American-breds. While and Catequil had herself made quite they advertised the quality of Japanese for sire in the Arc an impression as a broodmare before racing and training, they did nothing Kizuna, her eighth foal, became a to promote the cause of Japanese Classic winner. breeding. We had to wait a little longer winner Ruler Of The World. Catequil’s first produce was for that. KIZUNA b c 5-3-2010 The horse will need to up his game Phalaenopsis (by Brian’s Time), It has been the Prix de l’Arc de again if he is to win the Arc, but if, as winner of Japan’s 1,000 Guineas and Triomphe, the European championship his trainer intimated, he was only 85 twice named her nation’s champion Turn-To event that Japanese stables now target Hail To Reason per cent fit for trials day, there may filly. Her third foal was the Forty Niner Nothirdchance well be significant improvement to colt Sunday Break, who was regularly, that has given us most Halo reasons to respect horses bred in Cosmic Bomb come. campaigned in the US, where he won Cosmah Japan, and they have earned that Almahmoud Deep Impact is widely held to be the the Grade 2 Peter Pan Stakes and was Sunday Silence best horse ever bred in Japan, an twice placed third at the top level, in respect without actually winning it. Understanding Promised Land That omission is surely going to be Pretty Ways assertion that his record of 12 wins the Wood Memorial Stakes and the rectified some time soon and this Wishing Well from 14 starts, seven of them at Group Belmont Stakes. Montparnasse year’s Arc trials day indicated they will Mountain Flower 1 level, does nothing to contradict. Catequil also features as granddam Deep Impact Edelweiss field two worthy challengers for the He was twice horse of the year, his of two smart performers, both (b 2002) runner-up in a Japanese Graded event. prize on Sunday week, Orfevre proving Lyphard Northern Dancer only defeat at home coming by half a an easy winner of the Prix Foy and Goofed length against Heart’s Cry in the 2005 One was Ranunculus, by Special Week Alzao out of Phalaenopsis, the other Naked, Kizuna claiming a narrow victory in Sir Ivor Arima Kinen, a race he won the Lady Rebecca the Prix Niel. Pocahontas following year. Retired to Shadai by French Deputy out of Aranda, Wind In Her Hair Stallion Station in 2007, Deep Impact Catequil’s winning daughter by Sunday It was the near miss of El Condor Crepello Busted naturally attracted extensive Silence. Pasa, who attempted to make all and Sans Le Sou Burghclere patronage from breeders at home and was caught only close home by ACIFIC PRINCESS won seven Queen’s Hussar abroad. Montjeu in 1999, that inspired the Highclere and was placed in eight of Highlight There was considerably more to him subsequent bids for Arc glory, and her 23 starts in a Nearctic than an exceptional racing record and there have been some sterling efforts. Northern Dancer three-season career. In Natalma a sire of immense importance. His Deep Impact, a son of 12-time Storm Bird P addition to her triumph in dam, Wind In Her Hair, was second in Japanese champion sire Sunday New Providence the Delaware Oaks, she was Grade South Ocean the Oaks and a Group 1 winner for Silence, had won his home nation’s Shining Sun 1-placed as a two-year-old in the Triple Crown in 2005. He started at Storm Cat John Hills in the Aral-Pokal at Secretariat Bold Ruler Matron Stakes, and won the Grade 2 odds-on for the 2006 renewal, Somethingroyal Gelsenkirchen, and she was out of Hempstead Handicap at Belmont Park performing nobly to reach a third Terlingua Burghclere, a Busted three-parts sister Crimson Satan at four. place he later had to forfeit on account Crimson Saint to Height Of Fashion, the dam of Catequil Bolero Rose By 1967 horse of the year Damascus, of the presence in his system of an Unfuwain, Nashwan and Nayef. Height she was a half-sister to Fleet Wahine, a (b 1990) Sunglow illegal substance, supposedly derived Sword Dancer Of Fashion’s own dam was the 1,000 daughter of Fleet Nasrullah who from a nasal spray. Highland Fling Guineas and Prix de Diane heroine, Damascus ranked joint-third among British Nakayama Festa, by Sunday My Babu Highclere. Kerala three-year-old fillies of 1971, when Silence’s son Stay Gold, was relatively Blade Of Time Deep Impact has been favoured with Tom Jones saddled her for wins in the unfancied as a 22-1 chance in 2010, Pacific Princess quality and quantity in the books he Donatello Ribblesdale Stakes and Yorkshire Oaks. Acropolis has been covering. His stock were but he turned in a highly creditable Aurora Fiji, the dam of Fleet Wahine and display, better than anything he had Fiji understandably in huge demand when Pacific Princess, was also trained in Mossborough shown at home, going under by only a Rififi they reached the marketplace and his Newmarket, by John Oxley. Khanum head to Derby hero Workforce after a results – Kizuna is his second Derby Unfortunately, she did not come to protracted struggle. Bred by North Hills Co Ltd in Japan winner from his first three crops – are hand early enough to contest the justifying all the attention. Another son of Stay Gold, and Verdict 1,000 Guineas after the cold winter of another Triple Crown victor, Orfevre His second-crop daughter 1962-63, and when she won the vvAn extremely well-bred colt, clearly up to competing with Europe’s best came to last year’s Arc after a smooth Gentildonna won the fillies’ Triple Coronation Stakes in fine style it was By an outstanding racehorse who is already achieving major success as a win in the Prix Foy and started a warm vv Crown and the Japan Cup last year, possible to believe she would at least sire favourite. and she is one of his three winners of have figured in the finish for the By contriving to let Solemia get back vvProduct of a family that has been thriving in Japan the Oka Sho, Japan’s 1,000 Guineas. Classic. up after he had sped by her and gone He also made a mark in Europe in Fiji was not seen out again after two lengths clear entering the final 2012 through Beauty Parlour, winner Royal Ascot, retiring a winner four furlong, he in effect missed an open countryman Kizuna also warrants from Yutaka Take in the Prix Niel, of the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches. times out of five. goal. He was assuredly the best horse respect. Off the course for four months quickened impressively to take Kizuna isn’t just the son of a highly in the race and ought to have won. after his victory in the Tokyo Yushun, command well inside the final furlong successful sire. It’s a fact his dam, Kizuna (8)and Yutaka Take Orfevre looks like being sent off Japan’s Derby, the son of Deep Impact and held on gamely when Ryan Moore Catequil, was an undistinguished power up the outside to favourite this time around, but his travelled sweetly under a hold-up ride delivered a strong challenge on Derby runner, appearing just twice in modest land the Prix Niel in style.