With two $1million races for the two-year-olds, Saturday's Group II BRC Sires Produce Stakes (1400m) at Eagle Farm and the Group 1 JJ Atkins (1600m) on the same track a fortnight later, there is still plenty to play for in the race for Champion First Season Sire and Champion 2yo Sire.
With six winners to date, Astern has made steady progress up the first season sire ladder.
One of those winners in the Edward Cummings-trained Dark Rebel who will be looking to make the quantum leap from a debut mid-week maiden win at Warwick Farm to Group II glory in the BRC Sires' Produce Stakes.
A $120,000 purchase by Myrtle House/Edward Cummings out of the Glastonbury Farms draft at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Dark Rebel is the fifth winner from as many to race out of the Commands mare She Must Be Obeyed.
Trained by Anthony Cummings, She Must Be Obeyed won her first at Canterbury. Despite racing just five times, She Must Be Obeyed had a rap sheet a mile long.
When she was retired after pulling up lame at Kembla Grange on February 12 2008, few celebrated more than the barrier attendants.
In her abbreviated career, She Must Be Obeyed copped five suspensions, four for refusing to load and one for being difficult to load.
The daughter of Commands is out of the talented Last Tycoon mare Yvonne who won her first five starts for Tony McEvoy, including the Group III SAJC Lakewood Stud Stakes and Listed SAJC HC Nitschke Stakes. She would later add the Listed SAJC John D Lee Stakes.
The third dam of Yvonne is the outstanding broodmare Radiant Ann (Resurgent), who left three stakes-winners highlighted by the fillies Bellota and Fancy Miss.
A daughter of Oakville, Bellota had established herself as one of the leading three-year-old fillies in New Zealand when she made her first and only trip to Australia in the spring of 1974.
First-up she finished fourth behind All Shot, Australasia and Gay Icarus in the Craiglee Stakes.
Following a second to Leilani in the Toorak Handicap, Bellota embarked on a punishing schedule.
Ten days after winning the Coongey Handicap, Bellota finished third behind Battle Heights and Taras Bulba in the WS Cox Plate.
It was then off to Flemington for the Melbourne Cup, where she clocked in ninth behind Think Big.
Four days later, Bellota dropped back from the two miles of the Melbourne Cup to the one mile of the George Adams Handicap, where she separated Skyjack and Drifted In.
Seven days later, she lined up in the 2400m Sandown Cup finishing sixth behind the winner Pyramul.
Bellota returned to New Zealand, where she raced consistently before ending her career in a blaze of glory with a Group 1 win in the Avondale Gold Cup.
The daughter of Oakville was equally successful in her broodmare career. She left three stakes-winners, two of which won at the highest level.
They were the AJC Oaks heroine Starzaan and the Perth Cup winner Rocket Racer.
Owned by the quintessential 'colourful racing personality', Laurie Connell, Rocket Racer raced into equine infamy with his Perth Cup success.
After his widening nine-length triumph when backed off the map, it was widely suspected Rocket Racer was dopped up on etorphine 'elephant juice'.
After returning to scale, Rocket Racer was assisted by back to his stall and treated for dehydration. He was not swabbed.
Connell had some form to back up the allegations. Two weeks earlier, one of his horses, trained by George Way, had tested positive to the banned substance.
Bellota's half-sister Fancy Miss (Sir Tristram) was a stakes-winner in New Zealand.
She is the dam of the Group 1 SAJC South Australian Oaks and Group 1 VRC Chrysler Stakes winner Miss Margaret.
A daughter of Marscay, Miss Margaret left the Group II WATC Karrakatta Plate winner Confront and the Listed winner Celebrity Miss (More Than Ready), who kept the line going as the dam of Bob Peters' 2021 Group 1 Oakleigh Plate heroine Celebrity Queen (Redoute's Choice).
Right On (Ward Drill) may not have matched the deeds of her half-sisters Bellota and Fancy Miss on the track, but she did not let the family down at stud.
She left two stakes-winners headed by the remarkable Lord Reims (Zamazaan) who won the 1987 Group 1 Caulfield Cup and the Group 1 Adelaide Cup in 1987,88 and 89.
Right On is the granddam of Yvonne.
There are eight first-season sires (Astern, Capitalist, Extreme Choice, Star Turn, Maurice (x2), Rebel Dane, Flying Artie and Odyssey Moon represented in Saturday's $1million feature at Eagle Farm.
Extreme Choice could throw out a challenge to stablemate Capitalist should Tiger Of Malay return to his early form.
Capitalist has a winning chance as well with the progressive Gleneagles, who has won his last two starts.
