Miss Finland, Star Witness, All Too Hard, Ole Kirk, and the Godolphin pair, Microphone and Ingratiating have their names etched on the Talindert Stakes trophy, and the royal blue silks are to be carried by a fascinating first starter at Flemington on Saturday.
Anthony and Sam Freedman take the wraps off the Street Boss (USA) colt Eject in the Listed feature that, for many, will be the final chance to earn a place in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes.
It is the route taken by Ingratiating, who was making his fourth start in the Talindert before separating Artorious and Anamoe in a memorable renewal of the Blue Diamond.
Microphone took a different path. He went straight to Sydney, defeating Cosmic Force and Castelvecchio in the Skyline Stakes before playing second fiddle to stablemate Kiamichi in the Golden Slipper run on a heavy track.
Like Anamoe, Eject is a son of Street Boss (USA), and like Ingratiating he is out of a Lonhro mare.
Eject is the third foal of the talented Banish, the winner of four of 13 starts highlighted by the Group II MVRC Moonee Valley Classic.
The first foal Exile (Fastnet Rock) won one and placed twice in five starts. She was covered by Street Boss (USA) at her first season at stud last spring.
The 3-year-old filly Elba, a sister to Exile, has placed in all four starts, including seconds at Moonee Valley, Sandown at the Sunshine Coast for Sam and Anthony Freedman.
Banish is the only filly foal of the stakes-winning Bernardini (USA) mare Meidung, who had just two foals before her death in October 2015.
Placed in the Reisling Stakes, Silver Shadow Stakes, Furious Stakes and Keith Mackay Quality, Meidung earned her stakes win in the Listed Twilight Glow Stakes at Sandown.
A half-sister to the Group III MRC Ethereal Stakes winner Gamay (Pierro), Meidung is out of the Canny Lad mare Amish, whose Sydney metro-winning daughter Maidel (Ad Valorem) is the dam of Widden Stud's Group II MRC Schillaci Stakes winner Dirty Work (Written Tycoon).
Amish is a half-sister to the grand Godolphin servant, the 6-time stakes-winner Pinwheel (Lonhro), who banked over $1.2 million.
This is the family of Hot Rhythm, a half-sister to Caulfield Guineas winner Sou'Wester.
Hot Rhythm's daughter, Verdi (Showdown), won the Group III Caris Diamond Quality and placed three times at Group 1 level.
Owned by Sir Tristan Antico, Verdi hit the headlines in 1988 when her Bletchingly colt Fortunino topped the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale and etched his name into the record books as the first million-dollar yearling.
It was not such a happy ending, though, as Fortunino never raced, and the next time he saw a sales ring, as a 4-year-old, he could elicit a bid of no more than $6,000.
