Dee Majesty

Dee Majesty (Japanese: ディーマジェスティ, foaled 24 March 2013) is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. As a two-year-old in 2015 he showed some promise by finishing second in his first two starts and then winning a minor race before his season was ended by a leg infection. In 2016 he was one of the best colts of his generation in Japan, winning the Kyodo Tsushin Hai, Satsuki Sho and St Lite Kinen as well as finishing third in the Tokyo Yushun and fourth in the Kikuka Sho. He was retired from racing after two disappointing efforts in the spring of 2017.

Dee Majesty is a bay horse with a white blaze and white socks on his forelegs bred in Japan by his owner, Masaru Shimada's Hattori Farm. He was trained throughout his racing career by Yoshitaka Ninomiya.

He was from the sixth 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. His dam Hermes Tiara never raced but her mother was a half-sister to both Generous and Imagine.

Dee Majesty was described by his groom as embodying the best qualities of his male ancestors, having "the body of Brian's Time, the heart and lungs of Sadler's Wells and the sharpness of Deep Impact".

Dee Majesty began his track career by finishing second to King Lion in an event for previously unraced juveniles over 1500 metres at Sapporo Racecourse on 5 September. Three weeks later at Nakayama Racecourse he contested a maiden race over 1800 metres came home second of the thirteen runners behind Meiner Fun. The colt recorded his first success at Tokyo Racecourse on 23 November when he won a maiden from Mount Robson and thirteen others. He was then aimed at the Grade 2 Hopeful Stakes but was withdrawn from the race owing to a leg inflammation.

On his debut as a three-year-old, Dee Majesty started a 21.6/1 outsider for the Grade 3 Kyodo Tsushin Hai over 1800 metres at Tokyo. Ridden by Masayoshi Ebina he won by one and a quarter lengths from Immortal with the odds-on favourite Hartley (winner of the Hopeful Stakes) coming home ninth of the ten finishers. Dee Majesty's trainer Yoshitaka Ninomiya commented "The rider was urging him on from just before the final turn but I think the going was at its worst right there. He gave it his all and peeled off from the rest of the field with the fastest final 3-furlong time of the field for what was a very strong race."

For his next run, Dee Majesty ran in the Grade 1 Satsuki Sho, the first leg of the Japanese Triple Crown over 2000 metres at Nakayama on 17 April. In the run-up to the race, Ninomiya said "He's still growing and is still a bit weak in his back and hindquarters, but he has gained a bit of weight and has the physique of a mature horse. He has an excellent heart and strong lungs and his breathing is very good." With Ebina in the saddle, Dee Majesty started a 30/1 outsider in a field of eighteen three-year-old colts. Satono Diamond started favourite ahead of Leontes and Makahiki while the other runners included Air Spinel (Daily Hai Nisai Stakes), Mount Robson (Spring Stakes), Lord Quest (second in the Hopeful Stakes), Admire Daio (Wakaba Stakes) and Dreadnoughtus (Kyoto Nisai Stakes). Dee Majsty raced towards the rear before making a forward move on the outside approaching the final turn. He produced a strong run in the straight, took the lead from Leontes 100 metres from the finish and drew away to win by one and a quarter lengths, with Makahiki taking second ahead of Satono Diamond. The winning time of 1:57.9 was a new record for the race. Masayoshi Ebina said "everything went as planned. He was responding really well turning the last corner and I knew then that he'll be able to take over the field at the top of the slope".

On 29 May, in front of a crowd of 140,000 at Tokyo, Dee Majesty started 2.5/1 favourite for the Tokyo Yushun with the best-fancied of his seventeen opponents being Satono Diamond, Makahiki and Leontes. Ebina repeated his tactics from the Satsuki Sho, coming from well off the pace before moving up on the outside for a late run in the straight, but on this occasion he was never able to get to the lead and finished third, beaten a nose and half a length by Makahiki and Satono Diamond.