Top-class racehorse and sire Daiwa Major died of old age at Shadai Stallion Station Jan. 20. He was 25.
The son of Sunday Silence was a five-time grade 1 winner on the track, landing the likes of the Japanese Two Thousand Guineas (G1T), the Yasuda Kinen (G1T), and the Tenno Sho Autumn (G1T), as well as being the country's champion miler on two occasions. He finished an honorable third over a longer trip in the 2007 Arima Kinen (G1) before heading to stud. He earned over $9 million over his illustrious career.
Daiwa Major sired a number of accomplished horses, including Serifos and Admire Mars, while Ascoli Piceno landed last year's Victoria Mile (G1T) and the 2023 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (G1T). A powerful chestnut, he was bred by Shadai Farm and was the half brother of multiple grade 1-scorer Daiwa Scarlet.
Double Major, a dual winner of the Prix Royal-Oak (G1) for Christophe Ferland and the Wertheimer family, has advertised his talents as a stallion in Europe.
It is reported that staff inspected Daiwa Major's stables at 2 a.m. and found nothing unusual, but discovered him in an unwell state two hours later, before he died very quickly.
Quoted by Japanese racing publication Netkeiba, Keisuke Miwa of the Shadai stallion office said: "Until the day before, there had been nothing unusual about him. He was strong and energetic, and had finished all his feed just before. It was so sudden, everyone is shocked.
"During his career, he was a powerful miler with an intimidating presence, and even after becoming a stallion, he remained muscular and positive towards mares. He was very energetic. He took two seasons off breeding and spent his time at a leisurely pace."
In a sad coincidence, Japanese racing had been absorbing the death of Dance in the Mood only a day earlier. The pair were from the same era and had been closely matched in a number of the mile events.
Dance In The Mood, also by Sunday Silence and a winner of the Japanese One Thousand Guineas (G1), became a successful broodmare for Shadai Farm.
