The appearance of first season sire progeny is always a highlight of the first two-year-old races of the racing year and one of the highest-profile stallions who stood their first season in 2019 dominates proceedings in that area this weekend.
Trapeze Artist, the son of Snitzel who counted a T.J. Smith Stakes and Golden Rose among his four Group 1 wins, has three runners engaged.
It is the equal highest representation of any stallion across the two $200,000 Group 3 races at Randwick – the Breeders Plate (1000m) and Gimcrack Stakes (1000m) – and the $175,000 Listed Maribyrnong Trial Stakes (1000m) at Flemington.
Trapeze Artist, who stands at Widden for $55,000, has Flying Trapeze and Snatchreilly in the Breeders Plate and Sky Artist in the Gimcrack Stakes.
Snatchreilly, a son of the O'Reilly mare Natchwhali who cost $600,000 on the Gold Coast, and Sky Artist, a homebred out of the Snippetson mare Little Bita Love, will both carry the colours of Bert Viera, who raced Trapeze Artist.
Gary Portelli paid $85,000 for Flying Trapeze at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and the colt from the Bernardini mare Coromandel was an solid trial winner at Randwick on September 19.
Trapeze Artist is one of two first season sires who will have their first runners this weekend with Just Gisella, a $200,000 Gold Coast yearling, to fly the flag for Coolmore stallion Justify in the Gimcrack Stakes.
Below is a look at some of the other runners of note in some of the most fascinating races to be run this weekend.
HIGH-PRICED YEARLINGS
Mach Ten (Breeders Plate): James Harron knows a thing or two about identifying precocious two-year-olds and although he had a few go around at the Randwick trials a couple of Mondays ago, this $1.2 million Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale buy will be the lone youngster to carry his colours this weekend. By Exceed And Excel, the Michael Freedman-trained colt is the first foal from the American mare Devious Rumor, a daughter of Street Boss.
Make A Call (Breeders Plate): Not quite a seven-figure lot, but the son of Extreme Choice holds the distinction of being the most expensive horse ever sold at Inglis Classic after being snapped up by Newgate, China Horse Club and Trilogy Racing for $825,000. The Peter and Paul Snowden-trained bay colt out of the Dubwai mare To Dubawi Go performed nicely for third in the messy trial won by Fameux on September 19.
Charm Stone (Maribyrnong Trial): Daughter of I Am Invincible and Najoom, which makes her a sister to Naajmaty, who Sheamus Mills went to $1.55 million for at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, which made her the third highest-priced lot of that sale. The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained filly has come up favourite off the back of an impressive Flemington jumpout when she was beaten just under a length but went to the line with plenty in hand.
BLUEBLOODS
Breeders Plate
Physical Graffiti: By last season's leading first season sire Russian Revolution out of the Showcasing mare Dazed And Confused, who is a half-sister to Queensland Oaks winner Vouvray.
Empire Of Japan: A son of Snitzel who is from Ichihara (General Nediym), a Group 2 Magic Night Stakes winner who is a sister to the dam of Menari, who was also be Snitzel.
Tarabeau: Blue Diamond and ATC Sires' placegetter Cornrow is the half-brother to Tarabai, the dam of this son of Brazen Beau.
Gimcrack Stakes
Perfect Proposal : Another by Russian Revolution who is out of a mare who was a sister to former champion filly Alinghi, who won a Blue Diamond Stakes and finished third in Dance Hero's Golden Slipper as an odds-on favourite.
Platinum Jubilee : Daughter of Zoustar and Miss Debutante, whose only other foal to race is last Friday night's Group 3 Champagne Stakes winner Queen Of The Ball, who also won the Group 3 Black Opal Stakes earlier this year.
Queen Of The Mile: By Written Tycoon out of Stresa, which makes her a sister to Magic Millions and Golden Slipper winner Capitalist, who won the male equivalent of this race in 2015.
Satin Silks: Would have been popular had she seen a sale ring, being by champion stallion I Am Invincible out of the Flying Spur mare Satin Shoes who won her first three starts, culminating with the Group 2 Silver Slipper Stakes.
Sicilian: Another by I Am Invincible who is out of the Lonhro mare Pursuits, part of a deep Darley/Godolphin family that also includes Aichi, Detours and Jorda.
TRIAL STARS
Breeders Plate: Eight of the nine came through the Randwick trial set on September 19 – the exception being Insane Volt, who finished fourth of five in a Warwick Farm trial four days later – including three of the winners; Flying Trapeze, Mach Ten and Tarabeau. The latter was the quickest of the three that day, covering the 850m in 51.94secs, marginally faster than Mach Ten (51.97), while Flying Trapeze went 52.38secs. Flying Trapeze
Gimcrack Stakes: Again, the Randwick trials dominate formlines, with 14 of the 16 runners having stepped out there including all four winners. Perfect Proposal clocked the fastest time of the day (51.06secs), colts and geldings trials included, while Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained stablemates Sicilian and Platinum Jubilee went 51.38secs and 51.40secs respectively. Just Gisella was the slowest of the four fillies trials in a time of 52.20secs, but hit the line in a manner that suggests she will be strong late. Rockabilly Rebel and Blind Date were the two trialled at Warwick Farm on September 23 with Rockabilly Rebel winning the 789m trial by two lengths from Blind Date in a time of 46.41secs.
Maribyrnong Trial Stakes: Two acceptors came through the Randwick trials on September 19, while the Victorians have travelled far and wide for jumpouts and trials, none more so than Another Nephew whose preparations have included a Benalla trial and three jumpouts. Flemington hosted 800m straight jumpouts on September 22 and while Tony and Calvin McEvoy's Mount Olympus is the only winner from that set engaged on Saturday, runner-up Charm Spirit heads betting after being given an easy hitout.
