In Australia, we have five Group I races for two year-olds and this season colts and geldings have enjoyed a clean sweep in all of them with not a single filly placed in any of them, so who are these boys and which of them will make the quantum leap to Group I success at three?
Below we have listed the pedigrees of each 2YO Group I winner which may offer insight into their chances for enhancing their success in 2021/ 2022.
Golden Slipper 1200m – Stay Inside
Golden Slipper winners have had a pretty poor record for improving their stocks at three in recent years with only She Will Reign adding another Group I win to her resume since the 2012 winner Pierro, who was exceptional at two and three.
Stay Inside is from the first crop of Extreme Choice, who was a Group I winner at two and three and there is a good depth and variance in his female pedigree with first two dams by Anabaa (USA) (a versatile and outstanding shuttle sire) and Nothin Leica Dane (a very tough stayer).
The best horses in his female family are Spartacus, who was a triple Group I winner as an older sprinter and Wonderful World, who won a Caulfield Guineas, so pedigree would suggest optimism Stay Inside may well improve at three.
Sires Produce Stakes 1400m - Anamoe
Anamoe scored the most impressive juvenile win this season of all the colts with his Sires Produce triumph and pedigree would certainly indicate there is a lot more to come.
His sire Street Boss has left plenty of top class older horses and his dam Anamato won the G1 Australasian Oaks at three and comes from the family of champion older horse Grand Armee. Sky could be the limit for this guy.
Champagne Stakes 1600m – Captivant
Captivant is from the first crop of Golden Slipper winner Captilalist, who did not train on at three, but that does not necessarily mean that his progeny won’t as his sire Written Tycoon did not train on either and he’s going to be Champion Australian Sire this season.
He comes from a fast female Black Type family generally associated with speed, but he’s already proven at a mile and that will give him plenty of options in the spring.
Blue Diamond Stakes 1200m – Artorius
Artorius is from the first crop of Flying Artie, who was a top class juvenile, but better again at three scoring a career defining win in the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes.
Dam is a half-sister to G1 Darley Sprint winner Delectation and first two dams are by champion sires Redoute’s Choice and More Than Ready with the extended female family featuring plenty of North American sprinter milers. Pedigree points to progress at three.
JJ Atkins Plate 1600m Converge
Converge is the only gelding in the group and is by arguably the best active stallion in the world in Frankel.
His dam had two starts over 1400 and 1600m finishing second and fourth so had some speed and her mother was a G3 winner in the US up to 1800m with the third dam a G1 winner at three in Argentina at 1600m. No reason to think he won’t be better again at three.
