Billed as a hot contest with four well bred colts that had all either raced or trialled well, the Golden Gift ended as a cakewalk for the winner, who tracked the pace set by Spaceboy (Deep Field) and Cardiff (Snitzel) before accelerating away to win the 1100 metre dash by five and a quarter lengths.
Tassort
Winning rider James McDonald could not help but be impressed with the handsome colt.
"He felt terrific," said McDonald, who was the regular partner for his famous sibling Astern, who won the Group I ATC Golden Rose in 2016 and has had his first foals being born for Darley this spring.
"As soon as he walked in the stalls he was ultra professional, it was a very impressive debut. His turn of foot is instant, he is a very good colt."
James Cummings holds Tassort (images Steve Hart) in high regard and will be aiming towards the big Group I juvenile events in the autumn.
"It's great for Brazen Beau to have a colt like this. What we love most about him has been the way he keeps improving," Cummings said.
"He's always been a relaxed customer, but then when the pressure started to go about six weeks ago he's really woken up and gone on with it."
A stunning individual, Tassort has the honour of being the first winner for his sire Brazen Beau, his success not unexpected given he was featured prominently in Breednet's Juvenile Trial Watch story from November 2.
A homebred for Godolphin, Tassort is the sixth named foal for winning Exceed and Excel mare Essaouira, who has had five to race all winners headed by Alizee, winner of the Group I ATC Flight Stakes and Queen of the Turf Stakes, Astern, winner of the Group I ATC Golden Rose and Group III placed Mogador.
Brazen Beau
Essaouira has a yearling filly by Astern's sire Medaglia D'Oro (USA) and has foaled again to him this spring producing another colt.
Tassort looms as a bright prospect for Darley's exciting young sire Brazen Beau, who won the Group I VRC Coolmore Stud Stakes in 2014 and followed up in the autumn to win the Group I VRC Newmarket Handicap.
The champion son of I Am Invincible has his first runners this season and stands at Darley Victoria at a fee of $38,500. He had his first stakes horse last Saturday when promising filly First Dawn ran third in the Listed MRC Merson Cooper Stakes.
Brazen Beau has 16 entries for the 2019 Magic Millions.
