A lot of attention is paid to the sprinting three year-old division and much less so to the stayers, but with $2million in prizemoney the Group I ATC Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on Saturday has attracted a full field of 14 and all of them are on trial at the trip.
Since 2015, three fillies have won this race in Yankee Rose, Maid of Heaven and Montefilia with four contenders this year to take on the colts and geldings, so who is actually bred for the job?
Click here to see five generation pedigrees for all runners.
1/ Attica (C Lonhro x Savatiano, by Street Cry (IRE) – Still in his first prep with two wins and a second from three starts, most recently a dominant winner of Listed ATC Dulcify (1600m) when he bolted in.
By a great champion sire in Lonhro, who was effective to 2000m and is from multiple Group winner Savatiano, who was high class, but never won beyond 1400m and comes from a family of sprinter milers. Bred to probably get this trip, but no further.
2/ Shangri La Boy (C Pierro x Pelican, by Fastnet Rock) - Another lightly raced colt in first prep with two wins and a third, most recently a stylish winner of G3 ATC Gloaming Stakes (1800m).
By outstanding classic sire Pierro from Pelican, whose only wins were at 1000 and 1200m with her star offspring to date being brilliant juvenile Storm Boy. Shangri La Boy looks a lot more like Dad than Mum and while his grand-dam Seachange was a two time NZ Horse of the Year, albeit a sprinter miler, am inclined to think the Pierro genes have come out on top and in that case he gets a tick for this.
3/ San Giovanni (G Zoustar x Granny Red Shoes, by Not a Single Doubt) - Five starts for two wins at provincials and was last start third in the G3 Gloaming.
Zoustar is the reigning champion sire, but not noted for stayers with just five stakes-winners at a distance beyond a mile and of those only one was in Australia. This guy also bred for speed right through his female family with dam Granny Red Shoes and grand-dam Shoboard both juvenile SW’s at 1200m.
4/ Officiate (C Justify (USA) x Port Augusta, by Encosta de Lago) - Hasn’t missed a place in four starts and broke maiden at Canterbury over 1550m and last start third in Listed VRC Super Impose (1800m).
Justify is a genuinely versatile sire that has an Epsom Derby winner and English St Leger winner on his resume so that’s a positive and Port Augusta is a daughter of blue hen L’on Vite (USA) with this international family producing loads of Group winners in the 1600 to 2000m range and some beyond including G1 New Zealand Derby winner Sherwood Forest.
5/ Master of the Air (C Dundeel x Don’t Doubt Mamma, by Not a Single Doubt) - Two wins at the provincials from five starts and last start sixth in G3 Gloaming.
By outstanding classic sire Dundeel from G2 winner Don’t Doubt Mamma, who was successful to 1600m and her dam by Fantastic Light, who was a European Horse of the Year that excelled up to 2400m. Fourth dam is G1 Queensland Oaks winner Joie Denise, the dam of another couple of 2400m G1 winners in Tuesday Joy and Sunday Joy, the dam of champion mare More Joyous. Pedigree puts him right in the mix.
6/ Federalist (C I Am Invincible x Arcadia Queen, by Pierro) - Unplaced five starts, all of them bar one in stakes races and was a last start fourth in the Listed Dulcify.
By another champion sire that does not get long distance SW’s in I Am Invincible, who is yet to sire a stakes-winner in a race beyond 1600m. He is the first foal of champion mare Arcadia Queen, who was top class up to 2000m, but this guy won’t be following in her footsteps.
7/ Champagne Hero (C Maurice (Jpn) x Soft Sand (GB), by Dansili )- Two provincial wins from five starts and last start seventh in G3 Gloaming when he didn’t get a lot of luck.
By very good stallion Maurice, who can get a classic horse notably dual Derby winner Hitotsu and is from classy Soft Sand, who was a SW at 1200m, but also a close second in a G1 VRC Myer Classic at 1600m and is by outstanding Euro sire Dansili, who produced loads of staying G1 winners for Juddmonte. Champagne Hero has two full siblings in stakes -placed Kiliako and good metro winner Pippie Beach, both effective to 1600m, but they are fillies and he’s a big strong colt, so the step up in trip could suit.
8/ Tambeloa (C Tagaloa x Gamble Me, by Rock of Gibraltar (IRE) - One win from five starts in Warwick Farm 1600m maiden and last start seventh in G3 Gloaming.
From first crop of Japanese bred G1 Blue Diamond winner Tagaloa, who sired Spicy Lu to win G3 Ethereal last Saturday at 2000m. While his race record says sprinter, Tagaloa doesn’t look that way in type as he is quite leggy and athletic with many of his offspring appearing similar. Tambeloa is a half-brother to six other winners, two of them stakes-placed, but none have won beyond 1400m and his dam Gamble Me was a G3 winner at 1200m.
9/ Southern Prince (G Trapeze Artist x Southern Venture, by Zabeel) - Two wins and two placings from six starts with last two runs both wins at Kembla over 1400 and 1600m, so way up in class, but in winning form.
Despite being a Champion 3YO Sprinter, Trapeze Artist has had three SW’s over more than 1600m and this guy is from a stakes-placed Zabeel mare whose family has produced G1 winners Metal Bender and NZ Oaks winner Amarelinha. Dam has had 11 to race and all are winners, but none have earned Black Type, so Southern Prince is going to have to surpass all of his many siblings to figure in the finish.
10/ Crusader Voyage (3c Camelot x Sea Siren, by Fastnet Rock) - Still a maiden with four placings from five starts, but is bred to think 2000m in a G1 contest is a walk in the park.
By renowned sire of stayers Camelot and is from Aussie bred triple G1 winning sprinter Sea Siren, but she started her stud career in Ireland and when sent to Galileo produced triple G1 winning staying mare Warm Heart, stakes-winner Bremen and G3 placed Celestial Object, so it’s not hard to see Crusader Voyage making the quantum leap if you believe in the pedigree!
11/ Within the Law (f Lucky Vega (IRE) x Contract Signed, by Dundeel) - Elite 2YO filly last season that comes out of the G1 King Charles Stakes against the best milers in the country, but has been cursed with bad barriers of late and has been again here.
She’s by a speed son of Lope de Vega in Lucky Vega (IRE) from a super classy female family that leans to sprinter milers, think Kementari, but her dam sire is Dundeel which is a positive when looking to 2000m and class will carry her a long way.
12/ Queen of Clubs (F Maurice (Jpn) x Libre a Vous, by Redoute’s Choice) - One win from seven starts which came last season at two, but she has been racing well in the Darley Princess Series before finishing unplaced in the G1 Flight Stakes when pulling up with cardiac arrhythmia.
Second foal of unraced French bred Redoute’s Choice mare from an Aga Khan female family that does not lack for stamina and is bred on the same Maurice x Redoute’s Choice cross as Hitotsu. So pedigree says yes indeed!
13/ The Pearls (NZ) (F Proisir x The Pearler, by Volskraad) - Surprisingly the only Kiwi bred runner in this race. A win and three placings from six starts and good last start second in G3 Gloaming Stakes.
As you would guess from The Name she is from The Family in New Zealand that has produced countless winners that are all The Something or Other and notably include the 1993 Cox Plate winner The Phantom Chance.
She is a half-sister to The Lustre, who won at 2000m and was placed in the G1 NZ Thousand Guineas and is from SW The Pearler, who was also a SW up to 2000m. Proisir is overdue for a new G1 winner and she could be it.
14/ Sheeza Diva (F Pierro x Dizzy Diva, by Starspangledbanner) - Has had more racing than any other runner with 10 starts producing one win in a Hawkesbury maiden over 1300m, but she was a late closing fourth in the G3 Gloaming putting her in the picture for this.
Sheeza Diva is bred for an Oaks being by Pierro from a placed daughter of Dizlago, who won a G3 Ethereal Stakes at 2000m and third dam Dizelle won the G1 Australian Oaks and is the dam of VRC Oaks winner Pinot, who is by Pierro.
If she runs OK here I hope they go to Melbourne, because this is a pedigree that screams Oaks!
Top picks
1/ Shangri La Boy
2/ Attica
3/ The Pearls
4/ Queen of Clubs
Roughie
Sheeza Diva
