When the 2020 European Horse of the Year Ghaiyyath (IRE) shuttled to Darley Victoria for the first time in 2021, you always had the feeling he was the sort of stallion that would get a classic horse and he did just that at Flemington on Saturday when Observer won the $2million Group I VRC Victoria Derby (2500m) for Godolphin.

The Future Starsday of the Breeders’ Cup meeting at Del Mar on Friday always looked as though it could put the spotlight on Australian bred sire Starspangledbanner, who had key runners in both the Group I Breeders’ Cup Turf Juvenile Colts (1m) and Juvenile Fillies (1m) and he duly delivered with exciting colt Gstaad.