The Classics beckon for ten Spring Carnival hopefuls when the babies stretch out to 1700 metres for the first time at Flemington on Saturday.
Back in May we highlighted a 1200 maiden at Ballarat as a pointer to the Classics in the spring
Nothing in the intervening two months has swayed us off that belief.
That day the Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained Albarado (Savabeel) fended off a trio of Godolphin youngsters to make the best possible start to his career.
Filling the placings that day were two sons of the former Darley shuttler Teofilo (IRE).
Alcyone, a son of the Group 1 BRC Queensland Oaks and Group 1 STC Arrowfield Stud Stakes winner Purple (Commands), charged home to be beaten a neck while Choir, a half-brother to Group 1 ATC Sires' Produce Stakes winner Microphone (Exceed And Excel), came from the rear of the field to be a further two and a quarter lengths back in third.
Albarado and Alcyone met again at their second starts over 1420 metres at Flemington. Albarado finished second to the top-class Night Of Thunder (IRE) gelding Cherry Tortoni. In a less than enterprising ride, Alcyone came from last to finish tenth that day however I urge fans to watch him run through the line.
With the absence of Albarado, Alcyone and Cherry Tortoni met again at fortnight later in the Listed Taj Rossi Final (1600m) with the later keeping his record at a perfect three for three.
With a 4.5 kgs pull in the weights Alcyone rallied strongly to go down by a short-head.
The Tavistock gelding Johnny Get Angry, trained by AFL legend Denis Pagan, was one and three-quarter lengths back in third.
Alcyone, Johnny Get Angry and Choir meet up again on Saturday. Alcyone descends from one of New Zealand’s most influential broodmares, the 1985 NZ Broodmare Of The Year, Taiona.
A minor winner by Sovereign Edition, Taiona played a huge part in the early success of Sir Tristram.
Her first foal was Sovereign Red, the winner of 10 races including the Victoria and WATC Derbies, Caulfield Guineas, Underwood Stakes, Rothman's (Doomben) 10,000 and the Western Mail Classic (Kingston Town Classic), all at Group 1. Sovereign Red would later prove a success at stud
The second foal of Tainoa was the 1982 Melbourne and Caulfield Cup winner Gurner's Lane.
The Cambridge Stud-bred son of Sir Tristram was lucky to be racing at all. He ran into a fence as a foal and his scars precluded him from select sales. Then Patrick Hogan noticed him cribbing on a fence and on vets advice he underwent an operation on his throat. At the same time the vet cleaned up the foal’s leg and on Hogan’s instruction had him gelded.
At the 1983 Trentham Yearling Sale, the British Bloodstock Agency, on behalf of Robert Sangster went to a record $750,000 for a sister to Sovereign Red and Gurner’s Lane. Considering the previous sale record $360,000 set a year previously, this was a momentous occasion.
Named Trichelle she would go on to win six races including the Group 1 VATC Marlboro Cup.
Eight year’s after Trichelle, Tainoa would have her fourth stakes-winner by Sir Tristram with the Listed winner Queen’s Choice.
The year before Trichelle was born, Taiona had a change up and visited the Forli stallion First Consul (USA).
The result was the filly Scarlet Robin who could not get out of her own way on the track but did become a moderately successful broodmare.
Just five of her 11 foals reached the track with four winners highlighted by the Group III winner Estimable (Balmerino) and the very talented Zabeel mare Lady Viola.
A $340,000 purchased by Paul Moroney, Lady Viola won at Randwick, Sandown at Moonee Valley in a nine-start career for Bill Mitchell.
Sadly, Lady Viola had just two foals for Woodlands Stud. She died shortly after foaling her only filly, Purple.
The daughter of Commands enjoyed a stellar career on the track when sporting the Darley silks under the training of Peter Snowden.
Besides her wins in the aforementioned Group 1 BRC Queensland Oaks and Group 1 STC Arrowfield Stud Stakes, Purple captured the Group II VRC Matriarch Stakes before retiring with a record of 6 wins, 6 seconds and 5 thirds from 28 starts with earnings of $1,137,113.
Alcyone will be bidding to become her fourth winner from as many foals. The son of Teofilo (IRE) has a very bright future indeed.
