Newgate Farm's Deep Field kept his battle with Better Than Ready alive for leading first season sire for number of winners when the regally-bred Astro Boy Yoy made a winning career debut at the Sunshine Coast on Sunday.
Ridden by Ryan Maloney for trainer Toby Edmonds, settled third in the run and when given his head the son of Deep Field bounded away to win by one and a quarter lengths from the Love Conquers All gelding Love Express with the fast-finishing Show a Heart filly Shono Mercy a further one and a half lengths back in third.
Purchased by his trainer for $260,000 out of the Negate Farm draft at the 2018 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Astro Boy Toy (pictured as a yearling ) is a half-brother to the multiple Group II winner and multiple Group 1-placed Toydini (Bernardini).
He is the ninth foal of the crack racemare Johan's Toy (Johan Cruyff) who could boast just a lone Listed stakes win on her resumé but was second in the Group 1 AJC Doncaster Hcp And Group 1 Epsom Hcp and was third in the Group 1 Group 1 Coolmore Classic.
Johan's Toy is a half-sister to the $1.7 million earner Extra Zero (Danzero) who was a wonderful servant for Lindsay Park winning the Group II Autumn Classic and was runner-up in the Group 1 Victoria Derby and Group 1 Australian Cup.
Another half-sister Operetta Lass made it three stakes-winners for the Belloto mare Extra Bubbly when she captured the Group III AJC Adrian Knox Stakes at Randwick.
The same year that Astro Boy Toy was sold, the Bergstrom family parted ways with Johan's Toy who was purchased by Aquis Farm for $160,000 at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.
She was carrying a Capitalist colt at the time of her sale and that colt failed to meet his $130,000 reserve when offered at this year's National Weanling Sale.
Johan's Toy has a yearling filly by Deep Field and was covered very late in the season, January 14, by Divine Prophet.
Deep Field (image Mark Smith) takes his seasonal tally to 19, just two shy of the long-time leader Better Than Ready.
