A look at the first-starters who will make up Victoria’s first 2YO race of the season.
The Breeders' Plate and Gimcrack Stakes bring in the 2YO season in Sydney, while in Melbourne the Maribyrnong Trial Stakes is the first juvenile race of the season.
Below is a look at those who make up the field for the $175,000 Listed event over 1000 metres.
1 – Gambler (Capitalist x Flamboyant Lass colt): One of two in the race who brings in Sydney trial form, which has held up well in this race in the past. The $360,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast yearling, who is trained by Peter Snowden, made the running in what turned out to be the equal-fastest trial at Randwick on September 23, run over late by Breeders' Plate favourite Tuscany and Tremonti, who is a rival here.
2 – Rumble Town (Microphone x Rumble Doll colt): Experience down the straight can often be an advantage in this race and the Danny O'Brien-trained colt, who was a $130,000 Gold Coast buy, finished third in an 800m jumpout on September 26. Showed great speed to easily win a jumpout on one of the inner tracks at Flemington a few weeks earlier.
3 – Shining Smile (Spirit Of Boom x Nataya Rose colt): The Lindsay Park youngster has won a couple of 800m jumpouts at Flemington, the first narrow win around the bend on the course proper before extending nicely when asked down the straight on Sept 26. Cost $160,000 at the Gold Coast, but at the 2023 National Weanling Sale not this year's yearling offering.
4 – Tremonti (Hellbent x Quachita colt): Comes through the same trial as Gambler, who he reeled in late when finished strongly along the inside after camping just off the speed. Barrier one isn't normally an advantage down the straight, but it's a different story in juvenile races when they generally follow the far-side fence and the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable's mantra is to put their horses on speed, so expect the $180,000 Gold Coast yearling to be prominent throughout.
5 – Valedictorian: Scratched
6 – Odessa (Zoustar x Araayaf filly): The only Victorian engaged who has stepped out in an official trial, winning an 800m heat at Cranbourne on Sept 16. Had previously finished second in two jumpouts prior to that and looks one of the more precocious of the McEvoy stable's big team of juveniles. A daughter of star sire Zoustar, she's out of a sister Doull who Rosemont paid big money for at the broodmare sales a few years back.
7 – Price Tag (Zoustar x Humma Humma filly): Another by Zoustar who is out of a Group 3 winner who is part of a fast, early family, which is why Jonathan Munz had to go to $600,000 at Inglis Easter to get her. The Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained filly came through the same straight-track jumpout at Shining Smile and while beaten home by the Lindsay Park colt, Price Tag seemed to have more in hand and she won a 600m Mornington jumpout two weeks earlier.
8 – She's Loaded (Capitalist x Roya Missile filly): The Mitch Freedman-trained $200,000 Gold Coast yearling won a very low-key 600m Burrumbeet jumpout on Sept 12 before getting a look at the straight when fourth, but beaten only three-quarters-of-a-length, in an 800m workout on Sept 26.
9 – Sisstainable (I Am Invincible x Sisstar filly): The Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained filly will be hard to beat if she's inherited any of the family's straight-track talent, being out of a Group 3 winner down the straight who is a sister to Newmarket Handicap and Coolmore Stud Stakes winner Sunlight. A $450,000 Gold Coast yearling, Sisstainable won a 600m Burrumbeet jumpout in August before narrow second in one of the straight-track jumpouts on Sept 26 when she looked like she had plenty left to offer.
