Scallopini would make an excellent goodwill ambassador for Melbourne; he loves the place.
In five trips south, the Steven O'Dea and Matthew Hoysted-trained son of Snitzel has three stakes wins and a second in the Group III Bletchingly stakes. And they have all come since Scallopini turned eight.
His latest triumph came in Saturday's Group III Furphy Shaftesbury Avenue Hcp (1400m) at Flemington. With Damian Lane in the saddle, Scallopini left his opponents in his wake defeating Savannah Cloud (Sababeel) by one and three-quarter lengths with Biometric (Bated Breath) a further neck back in third.
"He's a beauty; they don't come much better," Lane said.
"He leaves the barriers well, races on speed, sometimes he can be a little eager to get on with things, but gee he's racing so well.
"He can go a high cruising speed, and then he can really sprint off it
"Matt and Steve have got these horses flying, and it's a privilege to be riding for them."
Matt Hoysted said Scallopini loves the Flemington 1400m.
"He's rising nine and in career-best form. Every time we raise the bar, he keeps meeting it, so just so proud of him," Hotsted said.
"He's just an old marvel, he loves his time down here, and I couldn't be prouder of him."
"With the big weight and that bit of extra work, I could see Mark (Zahra) on Ayrton just kicking up and keeping him three-deep a little bit longer than we probably needed to be."
With his sixth stakes success and first at Group III, Scallopini advances his record to 13 wins, eight seconds, and six thirds from 41 starts with earnings of $1,130,258.
Bred by Steve Gillard, Scallopini was a $200,000 purchased for Proven Thoroughbreds/Steve O'Dea from the Yarraman draft at the 2016 Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
The son of Snitzel is the older half-brother to Group II winning mare Shades of Rose and is one of three winners for the unraced More Than Ready (USA) mare Rose Of Mulan, a daughter of crack racemare Lady Mulan, winner of the Group II ATC Light Fingers Stakes and placed in the Group I QTC TJ Smith Classic, Group I Coolmore Classic and Group I Flight Stakes.
Rose Of Mulan produced a filly by Hellbent last spring and is in foal to I Am Invincible.
