Toronado's Prince Of Sussex Prepares for the Showdown

Mark Smith - Sunday March 31

You would be hard-pressed to find a better-looking thoroughbred than Prince Of Sussex, who disappointed when backed off the map at his debut at Pakenham before making amends when opening his winning account in Saturday's $250,000 VOBIS Gold Rush at Bendigo.

The son of first season sire Toronado (IRE) made no mistake here under Michael Dee to win eased down by two and a quarter lengths from the More Than Ready (USA) colt The Executioner with the Fighting Sun colt Groot a length back in third.

Advertisement


Trainer Matt Laurie said he has pencilled in the $1million Showdown for VOBIS-qualified horses to be run for the first time at Caulfield on April 27.

"It's a $1 million race here in Melbourne so it seems the logical plan," Laurie told racing.com.

"We've always had a good feeling about this horse and obviously we were very disappointed with his first start but we freshened him up and approached it a little bit different and that was awesome.

"He obviously just got super, super lost (in his debut) but his trial was very impressive at Cranbourne and he's such a magnificent horse."

A $145,000 purchase by Carringbush Park out of the Swettenham Stud draft at the 2018 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, Prince Of Sussex (pictured as a yearling) is the second foal of the Testa Rossa mare Il Diamante who showed ability in her four starts for Peter Moody winning on debut at Cranbourne and placing at Sandown and Sale before finishing her career on the track with a fourth at Sandown.

Il Diamante is a half-sister to the multiple stakes-placed Montauk (More Than Ready) out of the well-performed Octagonal mare Diamond Cove a Listed stakes-winner of seven races from the family of Charge Forward and Kidman's Cove.

The daughter of Testa Rossa has a filly foal by Toronado (IRE) but missed to the Swettenham Stud stallion last spring.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Quinella for Toronado in Launceston Guineas
Despite being caught wide for the majority of the trip, the three-year-old Toronado (IRE) filly Still A Star proved a class above in Saturday’s Listed Kevin Sharkie Launceston Guineas (2100).
Bred to be Good - So You Think x More Joyous
It sounds like a match made in heaven, a colt by two time Cox Plate winning sire So You Think from eight time Group I winner More Joyous, and this 2YO is slated to make his debut in New Zealand this weekend,  
Willydoit Data Surprise - Sprinter or Stayer?
Scientific tests have revealed surprising results on the distance aptitude of this season’s star New Zealand staying three-year-old Willydoit.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Randwick
Spring racing is just around the corner and a busy set of trials at Randwick on Friday featured eight heats won by juveniles with winners including stakes horses The Playwright and Cobra Club as well as unraced youngsters by Justify (USA), I Am Invincible and Flying Artie.
Melbourne Racing Club Unveils Major Spring Racing Enhancements
Racing Victoria has confirmed prize money allocations for the 2025-2026 season and Melbourne Racing Club (MRC) has announced some exciting race program changes and prizemoney increases that, together with other great initiatives at Flemington and Moonee Valley, reinforce the position of Victoria’s Spring Racing Carnival at the forefront of international racing.
Bred to Be Better at Three
Andrew Campbell will unveil another exciting youngster at Hawera on Saturday when two-year-old gelding Valvano makes his debut in the Simon Bendall @ Metcalfe Real Estate (1200m).
Sires With Winners - Friday July 11
Here is the full list of 45 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Toronado Four Winners in Two Days!
Fresh from siring a metropolitan winning double on Wednesday with Masked Crusader and Mrs Beckham, Toronado (IRE) was quick to follow up with another double at Warrnambool.
Debut 2YO Winner for Brutal
Fresh from siring a smart metro winner at Sandown on Wednesday in Brutalina, Brutal was in the frame at Scone on Friday where Brett Cavanough unleashed a promising two year-old debut winner in Bird Whistle.
Toronado Double at Caulfield
An early start to the Wednesday meeting at Caulfield has produced a race to race double for Swettenham Stud’s promising young sire Toronado (IRE).