Opinions were divided on the merit of the win, however there is no denying that Godolphin’s Alcyone still looks an untapped talent after he opened his winning account over 1800 metres at Flemington on Saturday.
Given the run of the race, one out one back, by John Allen, the two-year-old son of Teofilo (IRE) hit the front halfway down the straight and despite wandering around, there was a lot to like as he found plenty when challenged to defeat Johnny Get Angry (Tavistock) by three-quarters of a length with a further long-neck to Shadow Prey (Crackerjack King) in third.
Making is fourth start, Alcyone was coming off a close second to the top-class Night Of Thunder gelding Cherry Tortoni in the Listed Taj Rossi Final at Flemington on July 4.
The win secured Alcyone a ballot exemption for the 2020 Victoria Derby.
He’s a little bit on the green side still, we saw that late but he was tough enough to get the win, stable representative Sean Keogh said.
“I think we are dealing with a big, raw colt at the moment.
“He is bred to mature into a nice three-year-old going forward .
“He might be due for a bit of a break now and when we get him back and iron a few things out he will be a nice horse."
A half-brother to the 4-time winner and stakes-placed Lonhro gelding Toga Picta, Alcyone is the fourth winner from as many foals out of the Group 1 BRC Queensland Oaks and Group 1 STC Arrowfield Stud Stakes and Group II VRC Matriarch Stakes winner Purple who retired with a record of 6 wins, 6 seconds and 5 thirds from 28 starts with earnings of $1,137,113.
One of just two foals out of the talented Zabeel mare Lady Viola, Purple descends from the renowned broodmare Taiona.
Read more about her breeding here.
Purple has a yearling colt by Tavistock named Marquess and a weanling filly by the sadly missed Cambridge Stud stallion.
She was covered by Teofilo’s son Kermadec last spring.
