Cup Day at Flemingto will kick off with the Group III VRC Maribyrnong Plate (1000m) which has attracted a big field of juveniles including some unraced blueblood homebred babies for Godolphin and Yulong as well as the highest priced yearling by first crop sire Pinatubo (IRE).
Click here for the Sale Mail for Flemington.
Lindsay Park Racing purchased Pinatubo (IRE) colt Carnevale from the Rosemont Stud draft at Magic Millions for $700,000 making him the top seller in Australia from the first crop of his sire, who was the Champion 2YO of his generation in Europe.
The precocity shown by Pinatubo on the racetrack was not replicated with his first Northern Hemisphere crops and the three stakes-winners he has produced in Europe are all stayers, so go figure!
It might be a very different story here given he has covered plenty of speed oriented mares and Carnevale fits that profile given he is the first foal from Fiesta, a multiple Group winning daughter of I Am Invincible that never won beyond 1200m.
He has two runners in the race and the other is Tales of Time, a $170,000 Inglis Classic purchase that is also from a fast family being from Cinderella, a winning half-sister by I Am Invincible to Group I winning 2YO Sizzling.
Most expensive runner is Free Flying, a $750,000 Inglis Easter purchase that is a half-sister by Snitzel to Group II winner Learning to Fly. She has the benefit of race experience with a stakes second on debut last month and the advantage of the fence from barrier one.
She’s also entered for the $400,000 Inglis Banner on Saturday.
Unraced bluebloods to watch are the Chris Waller trained Diameter, a half-brother by Brazen Beau to G1 winner Cylinder and Zoustar filly Daily Reward in the Yulong colours. She is a half-sister to stakes-winner Eawase from Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner Karuta Queen, who was bought by Yulong for $600,000 from the MM Strawberry Hill Dispersal in 2023.
