A look at which 2YOs might be best-placed to run out the 1800m of Saturday’s Byerley Hcp.
The Victoria Racing Club has made a concerted effort to provide a pathway to its Derby and Oaks, which in recent years has included bolstering the Byerley Handicap, a feature of this Saturday's Flemington meeting.
The 13 juveniles who make up this year's $150,000 race are all stepping out to 1800m for the first time and below is a look at their pedigrees, trying to find clues as to whom might be best-placed to run out the distance strongly.
1 – Dolphin Skin (Telperion x Tempo Manor)
The NZ$13,000 Karaka Ready To Run purchase relished getting out to 1600m in the Listed Taj Rossi Series Final to wear down Line 'Em Up Loui. Telperion never raced beyond 1400m – his only start over that trip producing a second placing in the Group 1 ATC Sires' – but he is by Street Cry, who has thrown a Melbourne Cup winner (Shocking). Sprinters dominate the damside of the pedigree page with Tempo Manor a daughter of Lightning Stakes and Newmarket Handicap winner General Nediym, who was a half-sister to Ready To Rip, who won a Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes and finished second to Buffering in a Group 1 Moir Stakes (1200m). Sir Lago, an Encosta De Lago half-brother to Tempo Manor, did win out to 1800m, though, and placed in a Group 3 Norman Robinson Stakes (2000m).
2 – LINE 'EM UP LOUI (Dissident x Miss Delima)
By a son of Sebring who won the 2014/15 Australian Horse of the Year award, but due to his deeds over 1400/1600m, out of a daughter of Oakleigh Plate winner Swiss Ace, whose only other to race is Swiss Babe, whose only win from seven starts was a 1200m Moe maiden.
3 – Sunsource (Zoustar x Patricia Dawn)
By a former star sprinter from a daughter of versatile late stallion Sebring. Patricia Dawn's only win came in a 1019m Mornington maiden and she never raced beyond 1400m, but did place in a Listed Twilight Glow Stakes at that trip. Patricia Dawn's first foal Dawn Of An Era is a three-time winner over 1400m in Japan, while further back are some American family members who won up to 1700m.
4 – Line Of Fire (Dundeel x Montrachet)
Son of the ATC Australian Derby winner who has an outstanding season with his two-year-olds, including Militarize, winner of the ATC Sires' (1400m) and Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Group 1 level, and Group 1 J J Atkins (1600m) runner-up Miracle Of Love. Montrachet , a daughter of Fastnet Rock was a winner over 1200m and is a half-sister to Group 2 Silver Slipper winner Satin Shoes and Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes placegetter Satin Shoes, but another half-sister – Zarzuela (Zabeel) – was twice a Group 2 winner at 2100m in New Zealand and ran third in the NZ Oaks (2400m).
5 – Be Still The Earth (Shalaa x Simply Carina)
By a sire whose best products to this point have been sprinters, Shalaa is also the sire of Quang Tri, who was runner-up in this race last year as a short-priced favourite. Out of an American daughter of El Prado who won at a mile in the US and is the dam of Heavenly Blue, a son of Snitzel who won the Group 1 South African Classic at 1800m.
6 – THIN RED LINE (Highland Reel x Scarlet Nights)
One of two debutants in the race, a son of a globe-trotting multiple Group 1 winner who ran second to Winx in a Cox Plate out of a mare by another Cox Plate runner-up, Manhattan Rain. Scarlet Nights was unplaced in two starts, at 1300m and 1600m, whose two others to race are Dream Inherit (Kuroshio), whose two wins have come at 1300m, and Crimson Dynamo (Highland Reel), who is unplaced in two starts. Scarlet Nights is out of a half-sister to former Kiwi star Xtravagant and He's Remarkable.
7 – ZED OR ALIVE (Zed x Lets Have Some Fun)
The other first-starter who is by the same sire as Melbourne Cup winner Verry Elleegant out of a daughter of Encosta De Lago whose best product to date is Crowning Star, a daughter of Hollowed Crown who is a Group 3-placed five-time winner up to 1600m in New Zealand. Lets Have Some Fun's dam Wooden Melody (Woodman) is a three-quarter-sister to Group 2 winner Taimana and half-sister to Emerald Dream (Danehill), a Group 1 winner at 2000m in New Zealand, and the dam of Listen Here (Elusive Quality), whose progeny include Shooting To Win and Deep Field.
8 – Salou (Lean Mean Machine x Mightier)
Member of the first crop by the son of Zoustar, from a mare by one of the all-time great sires, particularly of stayers – Zabeel. Arguably his best product was Might And Power, who is a half-brother to Salou's third dam, Miss Priority. VRC Oaks winner Mosheen also features down the page, but most of Salou's closest relations are sprinters, including Mightier's half-brothers A Time For War (Snitzel), winner of the Group 2 Pago Pago Stakes, and Listed winner Lord Olympus.
9 – Sambucus (Fiorente x Henriette)
By a Melbourne Cup winner – who produced last year's Byerley winner Skyphios – out of a Pins mare who won up to 1350m and is a half-sister to Jacquetta (Keeper), who won four races, but none beyond 1100m, and is the dam of former star Singapore sprinter Lim's Kosciuszko. There is some staying depth deeper down the pedigree page with Sambucus' fourth dam Marlass a half-sister to the dam of Victoria Derby winner Omnicorp.
10 – Labarna (Written Tycoon x Hittite)
By a Golden Slipper-winning sire out of a granddaughter of Hasna (Snippets), who placed in a Golden Slipper. She did also win an ATC Sires' (1400m) and Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Group 1 level. Hittite's sister Mintha, also by Redoute's Choice, was runner-up to Houtzen in a Group 3 Champagne Stakes at The Valley but did win up to 1600m, in the Rivette Series Final at Flemington.
11 – Waamil (Lonhro x El Daana)
Lonhro is not renowned as a sire of two-year-olds, nor stayers, but El Daana – a daughter of Redoute's Choice – was a Listed winner at two, a Group 2 winner at 1600m as a spring three-year-old and finished fourth in a Group 1 South Australian Derby (2500m) later in her Classic season. Her sister Grand Daughter was runner-up in the Group 1 Australasian Oaks (2000m). El Daana's first foal, Wawail, also by Lonhro, won twice at 1400m at Group 3 level and was placed up to 1600m in Stakes grade.
12 – Zella's Heart (Shamus Award x Sedated Witness)
On the back-up after finished ninth of 10, at $151, in the 1100m race at Caulfield last week won by Spicy Margs. By a Cox Plate winner not known for his two-year-olds, but he is a son of Snitzel, who produced this year's Golden Slipper winner Shinzo. Sedated Witness is by Star Witness from a daughter of Pentire whose two others to race have had 12 starts between them for no placings.
13 – Grand Illusion (Cable Bay x Loveheart Lass)
By a son of Invincible Spirit, who is also the sire of Australia's champion stallion I Am Invincible, out of a daughter of Fastnet Rock, whose only win came at 1200m. Loveheart Lass's half-brother Down Under Thunder (Street Sense) was Stakes-performed in New Zealand, winning up to 2100m, with the family descendants of All Along (Targowice), winner of the 1983 Arc De Troimphe.
