A small but select field of seven runners will line up in the $1million MRC CF Orr Stakes (1400m) on Saturday at Caulfield and a fascinating contest awaits for the first running of this great race in it's new slot on the calendar.
A likely Soft 5 surface will be a far cry from the lightning fast Good 3 the race has traditionally been run on at the end of a sweltering Melbourne summer!
6yo gelding Jimmysstar (Per Incanto) is the class horse and is in ripping form - a star by any measure!
Evaporate is another by the brilliant sire Per Incanto - the Hayes trained galloper is an undeniable talent on the rise, but he doesn't have Jimmy's blistering turn of foot.
Well related and expensive entire Bosustow (Blue Point) has placed in 2 of his 3 G1 attempts - the backmarker is suited in this small field and will enjoy a little bit of give underfoot.
Angel Capital (Harry Angel) seeks the G1 win that will set up his future stud career at Yulong - the industry giant have put their faith in the Waller genius to orchestrate the right outcome for their handsome stallion.
The way Street Boss is going at the moment, the mere fact Pinstriped is sired by Darley's champ should put punters on alert! The 7yo has been down on form for a while now - but his last win was the G1 Memsie at this track/distance in 2024, defeating Mr Brightside if you don't mind.
He was a blowout horse then, he could be again!
Mighty Ulysses (Ulysses) is an enigmatic character who has been largely disappointing since his arrival on our shores last year.
However, he is a G3/Listed winner in GB - and any horse that can run a close up fifth in a G1 St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot commands respect!
The sole three year old entrant is stylish colt Vinrock (I Am Invincible) and he gets the full blinkers on for this first try in open G1 company and first try at WFA, having notched up dual G1 placings against his own age. A big ask, even with the weight advantage, against the best of these!
Top pick: JIMMYSSTAR
Well, ‘ol Jimmy just picks himself doesn't he? - he's the best G1 WFA performed horse in the race, in fantastic form, goes on good or soft, and loves Caulfield.
Barring bad luck - and with no disrespect intended to his high quality opposition - I do find it difficult to imagine how this Kiwi-bred superstar can get beat!
The powerful chestnut comes off a dominant last start win in the $3 million Russell Balding 1300m over the exceptional Lady Shenandoah, and that followed a huge and luckless run in the Everest to finish only 1.4 lengths off the fastest horse on the planet. The formline's so good, Jimmy's arrival in Melbourne may well have left a trail of scorch marks along the Hume.
Jimmysstar burst on to the big sprint stage in Australia last season with explosive G1 victories in the Oakleigh Plate (1100m) and All Aged Stakes (1400m).
The gifted son of Per Incanto won two of his first three starts in NZ for his original trainer Guy Lowry.
A majority share in the exciting galloper was sold to a big group of clients of the Ciaron Maher stable headed by prominent owner Ozzie Kheir.
Jimmysstar has earned more than $6 million from 22 starts to date which have netted him 10 wins ( 2 x G1) and 7 placings.
Jimmysstar was bred by Wairarapa couple Pete and Chrissy Algie in partnership with Little Avondale Stud, who stand his remarkable sire Per Incanto (Street Cry).
Little Avondale Stud proprietors Sam and Catriona Williams, along with the Algies, remain in the ownership of the galloper they bred from Anniesstar - a daughter of the amazing Zabeel son Zed.
Anniestar won five races including the Listed Feilding Gold Cup (2100m), while her full-brother Jacksstar was a seven-time winner up to G2 level and also placed in the G1 Auckland Cup (3200m).
Her talented half-brother Bourbonaire was runner-up in the G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m).
Jimmysstar’s second dam is Star Guest by the champion racehorse and sire Pentire, who passed on his brilliant turn of foot to his progeny, who performed over all distances.
Jimmy's classy female line is Argentinian-bred and descends through the G1 winning mare Love's Hope, who goes back to the great Argentine foundation mare Ante Diem (by Carbine's sire Musket) exported from GB in 1884.
She became the ancestress of at least 19 Argentinian Classic winners, including the 1931 Triple Crown legend Mineral.
A damline which is the perfect foundation for Per Incanto's brand of speed.
Ante Diem (9-g) was a granddaughter of Maid Of Masham (two of her daughters founded families 9-e and 9-f) - thus these individually designated families do share a close genetic affinity.
Jimmy’s dam Anniesstar has produced three named foals, and all of them winners, including his full sister Charms Star (G3 Manawatu Breeders’ Stakes, runner-up G1 New Zealand Oaks and G1 QLD Oaks)
Anniestar produced a full brother to Jimmysstar in 2022 who was offered on behalf of Little Avondale by Riverside Stables and sold for $260,000 to Group 1 Bloodstock (FBAA) at Inglis Easter in 2024.
Per Incanto is also the sire of Jimmysstar's C F Orr rival Evaporate, and of another Ozzie Kheir raced horse in Gringotts, (also trained by Maher and bred on the Zabeel cross via Savabeel), who won the G1 George Ryder Stakes at Rosehill in March and the $3 million Big Dance LR at Randwick on Melbourne Cup Day.
And - Per Incanto is the damsire of Everest hero and world's fastest racehorse Ka Ying Rising!
From modest beginnings as an Italian-raced G3 winning sprinter with a service fee set at $4000, Per Incanto rose to be champion first season sire by winners and runner-up in the 2YO premiership in 2014-15.
A year later the son of Street Cry from the stakes winning Indian Ridge mare Pappa Reale was crowned champion 3YO sire by winners and champion second season sire by winners.
Per Incanto has kept up a stream of elite performers since then and is at the top of his game this season!.
Another thing to love about his progeny is their durability and constitution - they thrive on racing and often have long careers.
Jimmysstar is bred
Northern Dancer 5m x 5m
Sir Ivor 5f x 5m sex balanced
Notably Street Cry and Pentire share the same ancestress in far removes, the immortal matriarch Illuminata (family 1-l)
An outstanding feature of Jimmy's pedigree is sex balanced linebreeding to Klairon - tail male ancestor of Per Incanto's damsire Indian Ridge, and damsire of both Star Way and Zed's ancestress Klairessa, dam of Eight Carat - carried by his dam Anniestar.
He is linebred to Blue Hens and three quarter sisters Natalma and Cosmah, and sex balanced to Boudoir through her son Your Host and daughter Flower Bowl.
This pedigree boasts duplications of the sires Petition, Alibhai, Never Bend, Hail To Reason, Grey Sovereign and of mighty War Relic, who was bred 3m x 3m to Blue Hen Fairy Gold - her fourth dam was Maid Of Masham, Jimmysstar's own ancestress.
Jimmysstar and Ethan Brown have drawn perfectly in barrier 3.
Next best: ANGEL CAPITAL
Four year old stallion Angel Capital has had big wraps on him since he stepped out on debut at Cranbourne over 1000m and powered home from last to win going away by more than two lengths.
The son of Harry Angel doesn't want the track much worse than a soft 5 and owners Yulong are counting on that special Waller brand of genius to deliver the G1 title their stud prospect needs.
Angel Capital was a $400,000 yearling when purchased by Gregory Ho and Upper Bloodstock from the draft of famed SA nursery Mill Park Stud at the 2023 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
Bred by David Peacock, Angel Capital is the third stakes winner for the excellent Teofilo mare Bahamas.
The other two are the classy stayer Berkeley Square (Territories) and the G3 winner Senor Toba (Toronado) who was runner-up in the G1 QLD Derby and placed in the Champions and Chater Cup at Sha Tin.
Bahamas herself was quality on the track, placed in both the G3 SA Fillies Classic and G1 Schweppes Oaks.
She has a three year old colt by Blue Point, a $300,000 buy for Lucky Owners from the Mill Park draft at the Inglis Easter Australian Yearling Sale last year - he is yet to be raced.
Bahamas produced another colt by Blue Point last year and is resting from breeding duties this spring after missing to Harry Angel.
Bahamas is a lovely looking grey like her speedy dam St Trinians - a three times stakeswinning daughter of Nureyev’s Japanese -raced G1 winning sprinter Black Hawk, and the only black type earner from her dam Besotted.
Besotted was by champion Rubiton's full brother Euclase, a G1 winning sprinter and quite an influential broodmare sire.
Her grey coat, which she faithfully passed on - along with plenty of speed - was inherited from her damsire, the brilliant Native Dancer grandson Godswalk.
Angel Capital's damline has been nurtured through the generations on the lush paddocks of Mill Park Stud.
It goes back to the mare Indiscreet, a daughter of the magnificent old stallion Rain Lover, winner of two Melbourne Cups and a champion WFA performer to boot. How lovely to see the old boy's name crop up in the pedigree of such an exciting stud prospect
The female line continues back to the 1928 GB foaled import Gaiment, a mare from a relatively obscure branch of the famous 13a family and descending from Magdalen, a half sister to breedshaping Blue Hen Stray Shot who became ancestress of the great French champion Tourbillon and of Lalun's damsire Djeddah, Mr Prospector, Seattle Slew and Darshaan - to name but a handful of champions belonging to her most lofty tribe.
Angel Capital is bred
Northern Dancer x 5m,5m
Danzig 6m x 5m
Just a handful of of the speed enhancing patterns he is bred on:
“The grey ghost of Sagamore” Native Dancer is duplicated via his sons Atan, Raise A Native and Dancers Image, and sex balanced through numerous lines to his greatest daughter Natalma
Blue Hen Special sex balanced 5f x4m through his dam
Blue Hen Schiaparelli is sex balanced - Harry Angel has two lines to her daughter Barley Corn, while Bahamas descends from a daughter of Matrice by her son Masthead.
Mahmoud and more Mahmoud - the famous grey is the foundation of this pedigree through many duplications of his daughter Almahmoud, but also Mahmoudess and Level Sands - while Harry Angel carries a sex balanced duplication of the sire Migoli - out of Mahmoud's three quarter sister Mah Iran - and this is a major source of his blistering speed.
Angel Capital was purchased by Yulong following his explosive G2 victory in the Autumn Stakes. A bit of bad luck has dogged this beautiful individual at G1 level.
He had to be scratched (as favourite) from the Australian Guineas on race morning, was certainly the hard luck story of the Sir Rupert Clarke and should have finished closer in The Everest.
Angel Capital has had 3 starts at the 1400m at Caulfield for 2 wins and is hard fit here fourth up - but has had a good space between runs, and I reckon that is absolutely key to his chances.
As a backmarker he'll never get a better chance to get his elusive G1 than in this small field!
Angel Capital and Ben Melham will launch from barrier 5.
Roughie: BOSUSTOW
Another fine looking 4YO stallion with a stallion's pedigree to match is Bosustow.
A $900,000 yearling, the son of Blue Point was purchased by Rosemont Alliance/Suman Hedge Bloodstock (FBAA)/ Annabel Neasham Racing from the Segenhoe Stud draft at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Bred by Amelia Park Racing and Breeding, Bosustow is a half brother to the G1 WATC Northerly Stakes winner and $4,124,800 earner Amelia's Jewel (Siyouni).
He is the second winner from as many to race for Canford Cliffs mare Bumbasina (IRE), who was a 75,000 guineas purchase for Louis Le Metayer's Astute Bloodstock at the 2019 Tattersalls July Sale.
A half-sister to G2 winner Epona Plays (Aus) and G3 winner Dolce Strega, Bumbasina was sent back to France in 2023 for another date with Siyouni and produced a full sister to Amelia's Jewel in 2024.
An extra precious filly she is, as Bumbasina sadly died earlier this month while in foal to Zoustar.
Just days after Amelia’s Jewel sold for $3.8m to Tom Magnier at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale, Annabel and Rob Archibald’s Bosustow romped home in the G3 Gold Coast Guineas (1200m) - a track where he had previously posted a stunning eight length victory in the RL $3 million MM Guineas before heading to NZ where he finished second in the Group 1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m).
Bosustow was way too far back in the G1 Stradbroke but ran on well, and the lightly raced entire with earnings in excess of $2 million has been building to his peak run this prep with 2 G3 placings.
Bosustow is outcrossed within five generations.
His sire Blue Point was a champion - the only horse to have won three G1 Ascot sprints - and the young stallion has made a solid start to his stud career in the NH.
Blue Point was at his best as an older horse. By contrast, Bosustow’s damsire the Irish bred Canford Cliffs was a hugely precocious juvenile winning the Coventry Stakes by six lengths and training on to be a champion miler. His sire Tagula was seen to advantage early as well.
Blue Point has Bold Ruler x 2 through his dam and has nicked very successfully with mares strong in that blood.
Bumbasina’s damsire Oratorio descends from a daughter of Bold Ruler's son Chieftain.
This pedigree also features linebreeding to Try My Best through his sons Waajib and Last Tycoon and creates the speed inducing Shamardal / Danehill nick.
Bosustow and Jamie Mott jump from barrier 4.
Blowout: MIGHTY ULYSSES
This seven year old gelding is stablemate to Bosustow and has still had only 24 lifetime starts for earnings of $569,566.
Beginning his career with the legendary Gosden stable in GB he was twice a stakes winner at a mile and ran a huge race for a close fifth in the 2022 G1 St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.
In Australia, Mighty Ulysses has produced his best form just twice - and both wins have been on soft ground, which seems to be key to his chances.
They were his Listed Brisbane Mile win and a super impressive G3 Moonga Stakes victory here at Caulfield over 1400m - his only start at the track.
He is second up here, and that seems to be the peak run of his performance profile.
The gelding has a very large group of owners headed by Deg Racing / Hiracha Racing.
Mighty Ulysses is bred
Northern Dancer 4m,5f x 5m,5m sex balanced
Mr Prospector 5m,4m x
Nureyev 5f x 4f
Blue Hen Special 5f x 5m sex balanced
He's an extremely well bred horse, descending from Loralane by Lorenzaccio, a mare inbred to her own ancestress Sun Princess via full sister and brother Tessa Gillian and Royal Charger (9-,c)
The dam of Mighty Ulysses, Token Of Love by Cape Cross is a three quarter sister to the great European champion Golden Horn, and this is also the immediate family of Melbourne Cup hero Vow,And Declare.
His sire Ulysses by Galileo was Cartier Champion Older Horse and a contemporary of Churchill ( whom he defeated in the G1 International Stakes) and the all time great filly Enable ( he was runner up to her in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes)
Ulysses is a very good young sire and stands at Cheveley Park Stud. He is yet to sire his first G1 winner - could it happen on the other side of the world?
Mighty Ulysses and Luke Currie will jump from gate 1
