Six stallions have sire two Group 1 winners in Australia this season to date but just one of them can separate themselves from the pack in Saturday’s $1 million Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) at Ascot.
Declaration of War (USA), Pierro, Exceed And Excel, Blackfriars, Galileo (IRE) and Not A Single Doubt have two Group 1 winners apiece but only the latter has a runner in the penultimate Group 1 of the calendar year.
With a 10yo, four 8yos, three 6yos, four 5yos, and two 4yos, the Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained Dubious looks a baby in a field of pensioners.
The 3yo son of Not A Single Doubt was quick out of the blocks at two last season, winning the Group III ATC Breeders Plate. He was third behind Yes Yes Yes in the Group II Todman Stakes and won the Group II Champagne Classic at Doomben.
The stable never backs away from a challenge and Dubious was a rare 2yo runner in the Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup at Eagle Farm where he was far from disgraced when beaten a length and a half behind The Bostonian. Third in that race was Trekking who has been made the $2.60 favourite for the Winterbottom.
Admittedly Trekking’s form has been top-class in elite company this season while Dubious is still searching for his first win after four starts.
Bred by Chesapeake Thoroughbreds and Winton Bloodstock, Dubious was purchased by Aquis Farms /Ciaron Maher Bloodstock for $350,000 out of the Kitchwin Hills draft at the 2018 Magic Millions Yearling Sale.
He is the first foal of the Elusive City mare Suspicieuse (FR) who was purchased by Sheamus Mills for 55,000 euros at the 2013 Arqana Breeding Stock Sale.
A winner over 2000 metres and runner-up in a Listed stakes at Chantilly, Suspicieuse (FR) is a half-sister to Group III winner Sediciosa (Rail Link) from the family of successful Japanese stallion Neo Universe (Sunday Silence).
Suspicieuse (FR) has a Foxwedge colt in the Kitchwin Hills draft heading to the Magic Millions at the Gold Coast in January and she foaled a Russian Revolution colt in October.
