Daiwa Major, a giant of Japanese turf and sire of champions, has passed away

The son of Sunday Silence won 5 G1 races during his career and sired, among others, Serifos, Admire Mars, and Ascoli Piceno

Daiwa Major was a crack on the track / SHADAI STALLION STATION

HOKKAIDO, Japan (Special for Turf Diario).— Japanese turf has lost one of its most iconic figures. Daiwa Major, a five-time G1 winner and later a consecrated sire, passed away on January 20 at Shadai Stallion Station at the age of 25 due to natural causes. The news shook the Japanese racing community, coming just one day after the death of Dance in the Mood, his contemporary and fellow offspring of Sunday Silence, in a coincidence as sad as it is symbolic.

Bred by Shadai Farm, Daiwa Major was a true phenomenon on the track. A son of the influential Sunday Silence, he built an extraordinary career as an elite miler, winning five top-level races, including the Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) (G1), the Yasuda Kinen (G1), and the Tenno Sho (Autumn) (G1). Furthermore, he was twice named Champion Miler of Japan, a recognition reserved for the truly exceptional. In 2007, stretching his range, he finished third in the Arima Kinen (G1), confirming his class even against the country's best stayers. He closed his campaign with earnings exceeding 9 million dollars.

In the stud, Daiwa Major also left a profound mark. Among his most notable offspring are Serifos and Admire Mars, while Ascoli Piceno recently shone by winning the Victoria Mile (G1) and previously the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies (G1). His legacy even expanded to Europe, where Double Major, a two-time winner of the Prix Royal-Oak (G1), has begun to pave his own way as a sire.

Japanese media reported that staff checked his stall during the early morning hours without noticing anything unusual, but found him collapsed two hours later. His death was swift and unexpected. Keisuke Miwa, from Shadai’s stallion department, told Netkeiba: “Until the day before, there was nothing strange. He was strong, energetic, and had finished all his feed. It was so sudden that we are all in shock. He was always a powerful horse with a commanding presence, and even as a stallion, he remained muscular and with admirable energy.”

Daiwa Major was also a half-brother to the extraordinary Daiwa Scarlet (Agnes Tachyon), a multiple G1 winner, which ultimately established their family as one of the most influential in modern turf.