Danon Premium

Danon Premium, (Japanese: ダノンプレミアム, foaled 3 April 2015) is a Japanese retired Thoroughbred racehorse and breeding stallion. He was the top-rated juvenile in Japan in 2017 when he was undefeated in three races including the Saudi Arabia Royal Cup and the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes. In the following year he won the Yayoi Sho but finished sixth when favourite for the Tokyo Yushun. As a four-year-old he won the Kinko Sho and Yomiuri Milers Cup as well as finishing second in both the Tenno Sho and the Mile Championship.

Danon Premium is a black or brown colt with a white blaze bred in Japan by K I Farm. During his track career he carried the colours of Danox Co Ltd the business software enterprise of his owner Masahiro Noda, and was trained by Mitsumasa Nakauchida. He has been ridden in most of his races by Yuga Kawada.

He was from the eighth crop of foals sired by Deep Impact, who was the Japanese Horse of the Year in 2005 and 2006, winning races including the Tokyo Yushun, Tenno Sho, Arima Kinen and Japan Cup. Deep Impact's other progeny include Gentildonna, Harp Star, Kizuna, A Shin Hikari, Marialite and Saxon Warrior.

Danon Premium's dam Indiana Gal was a durable Irish mare who ran 34 times over four years on the track, winning the Salsabil Stakes and the Carlingford Stakes in 2009. Her great-grand-dam Ash Lawn was a half-sister to Royal Palace and closely related to Fairy Footsteps, Light Cavalry and Desert Prince.

Danon Premium began his track career in a contest for previously unraced juveniles over 1800 metres at Hanshin Racecourse on 25 June and won by four lengths from Spring Smile and eight others. After a summer break, the colt returned to the track on 7 October when he was moved up in class for the Grade 3 Saudi Arabia Royal Cup over 1600 metres at Tokyo Racecourse. Starting the 2.6/1 second choice in an eighteen-runner field he won by one and three quarter lengths from the favourite Stelvio in a race record time of 1:33.0.

On 17 December Danon Premium started the 1.3/1 favourite for the Grade 1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes at Hanshin with the best fancied of his fifteen opponents being Tower of London (winner of the Keio Hai Nisai Stakes), Stelvio and Danon Smash. Danon Premium raced in third place before taking the lead early in the straight and recorded an emphatic victory as he came home three and a half lengths clear of his rivals, with Stelvio taking second ahead of Tower of London and Keiai Nautique. After the race Yuga Kawada said "He's a smart horse. He was a bit keen to go today but I believed in his strength and urged him to go when I saw a clear path entering the lane. He stretched and accelerated really well, just as we had expected. We need to extend the distance of his races in order for him to win the classics next year but I think he will continue to develop well toward this goal".

In the official ratings for Japanese two-year-olds Danon Premium was rated the best juvenile of the year ahead of Time Flyer (Hopeful Stakes) and Wagnerian. In January 2018 Danon Premium was named Best Two-Year-Old Colt at the JRA Awards for 2017 taking 275 of the 290 votes.

On his three-year-old debut Danon Premium contested the Grade 3 Yayoi Sho (a major trial for the Satsuki Sho) over 2000 metres at Nakayama Racecourse on 4 March. Starting the 0.8/1 favourite in a ten-runner field he maintained his unbeaten record as he came home one and a half lengths in front of Blast Onepiece. The colt bypassed the Shuka Sho after sustaining an injury, described as a "stone bruise", to his right foreleg. He returned to the track for the Tokyo Yushun over 2400 metres on 27 May and started the 1.1/1 favourite against seventeen opponents. After tracking the leaders he began to make progress in the straight but was boxed in on the inside rail in the closing stages and finished sixth behind Wagnerian, Epoca d'Oro, Cosmic Force, Etario and Blast Onepiece. He did not race again in 2018.