Golden Rose winner’s progeny hitting their straps

Golden Mile's Ming Dynasty Quality win ensured last Saturday was a red-letter day for Astern, but this week has the potential to be even bigger for the Darley stallion.

The James Cummings-trained Golden Mile became Astern's second-highest-rated product with his brilliant win in the 1400-metre Group 3 Ming Dynasty.

He posted a 111 Timeform figure with his 3-1/4-length win over Matcha Latte in a time of 1:23.09. Only Panzer Division (116) has produced a higher-rating Ming Dynasty win since 2010.

Golden Mile, the second favourite for the G1 Golden Rose (1400m) later this month, now sits behind only Seradess (112) and ahead of Aft Cabin (106) and Brigantine (105) as Astern's top performers, with those other three all running this Saturday.

Seradess runs for the first time since her dashing win in the G3 Proud Miss Stakes (1200m), the race in which she returned her peak figure, in this Saturday's 1100m Open Handicap at Caulfield.

Earlier in that program, Aft Cabin will be out to further press his Caulfield Guineas claims in the G3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude (1400m).

Brigantine, whose peak rating came two starts ago when third to Coastwatch and Hilal in the G2 Stan Fox Stakes (1500m), resumes in the BM88 Handicap that rounds out the Randwick card.

Seradess and Brigantine are part of Astern's first crop, which numbered 112 foals, when the son of Medaglia d'Oro stood for $38,500.

Golden Mile and Aft Cabin are from his second crop of 91 foals, when he stood for $33,000, the same fee as season three. He stood for $22,000 in 2020 and $11,000 last year.

Astern remains at that fee for this breeding season, which he is carrying out at Godolphin's Kelvinside property in the Hunter Valley.