Real Shadai

Thoroughbred racehorse infobox
horsename = Real Shadai


caption =
sire = Roberto
grandsire = Hail To Reason
dam = Desert Vixen
damsire = In Reality
sex = Stallion
foaled = 1979
country = United States flagicon|USA
colour = Bay
breeder = North Ridge Farm
owner = Zenya Yoshida
trainer = John Cunnington, Jr.
record = 8:2-2-2
earnings = F911,400
race = Grand Prix de Deauville (1982)
awards= Leading sire in Japan (1993)
honours =
updated= June 18, 2007

Real Shadai (1979-2004) was an American-born Thoroughbred racehorse who raced in France and who became a leading sire in Japan. A descendant of Nearco, he was sired by Epsom Derby winner Roberto and out of the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame mare, Desert Vixen.

Real Shadai was bred by Franklin Groves' North Ridge Farm near Lexington, Kentucky and sold at the 1980 Keeneland July yearling sale for $360,000 to the renowned Japanese horseman, Zenya Yoshida. As he had done before with his Champion colt Northern Taste, Yoshida turned Real Shadai over to trainer John Cunnington, Jr. at the Great Stables in Chantilly.

In 1981, Real Shadai was a non winner in his two starts at age two but of his six races the following year, he won twice, the most important of which was the 1982Grand Prix de Deauville. His other significant outing was a second place finish in the 1982 GI Prix du Jockey Club to Robert Sangster's colt Assert.

Entered in the 1982 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Real Shadai was up against a very strong field that included Assert along with Ardross, April Run, Akiyda, and one of the great international racing fillies of all time, All Along. After finishing fifth to winner Akiyda, Real Shadai was retired from racing.

Sent to stand at stud at his owner's Shadai Stallion Station in Shiraoi, Hokkaido, Real Shadai had a successful career as a stallion. He was the leading sire in Japan in 1993 and his progeny would earn in excess of US$110 million. Among his notable offspring was Shadai Kagura, Japan's Champion Three-Year-Old Filly in 1989 and winner of the Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas) as well as Rice Shower, who captured the 1992 Domestic Grade I Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger) and was a two-time winner of the Domestic Grade I Tenno Sho (Spring) (1993, 1995).

Pensioned in 2000, Real Shadai became afflicted with hyposthenia, brought on by laminitis, and died at the age of twenty-five on May 26, 2004

References

* [http://www.pedigreequery.com/real+shadai Real Shadai's pedigree and partial racing stats]
* [http://www.jair.jrao.ne.jp/topics/t40029.html 2004 obituary with photo for Real Shadai at The Japan Association for International Horse Racing website] .