The big guns will come out blazing for Saturday’s Group III Furphy San Domenico Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens.
Four colts put their unbeaten records on the line.
The Divine Prophet colt Promitto backed up his maiden win at Newcastle with a dominant performance on a heavy track in the Group II Skyline Stakes (1200m) at Randwick in February.
The I Am Invincible colt Nettuno heads down from Brisbane with three wins, including a last start success in the Group III Ken Russell Memorial at the Gold Coast.
The handsome Snitzel colt Zoukerino created a massive impression on his debut on the Kensington track at Randwick and backed that up with a fighting win in the Listed The Rosebud (1100m) at Rosehill at his most recent start on August 13.
The most inexperienced runner in the field is the Supido colt Buenos Noches who earned his spot following a successful debut at Canterbury on August 3.
Beaten once in three starts, Best Of Bordeaux will be the measuring stick. The Snitzel colt captured the Group II ATC Silver Slipper and Group III Canonbury Stakes before playing second fiddle to the remarkable Rebel Dane filly Fireburn in the Golden Slipper.
Coolmore has acquired a majority stake in the Kacy Fogden-trained Best Of Bordeaux, with a slew of the industry heavy hitters also involved.
We will put our faith in the Tony Gollan-trained Nettuno.
Likely to join his champion sire at Yarraman Park when his racing days are over, Nettuno was a facile winner of his first two starts at the Sunshine Coast and Doomben.
Carrying the red, yellow seams and cap of Segenhoe Stud, Nettuno went off a short-priced favourite in the Ken Russell Memorial at the Gold Coast in May when scrambling to a narrow win over Midnight In Tokyo. If that looked underwhelming, it took on more significance when third-placed Sheeza Belter closed out her 2-year-old campaign with wins in the Group II BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes and Group 1 BRC JJ Atkins Stakes at Eagle Farm.
Bred by Yarraman in association with Elwyn and Joanne Rea, Nettuno was a $500,000 Magic Millions purchase from the Yarraman Park draft for Gollan Racing/John Foote Bloodstock/Black Soil Bloodstock.
He is the best of the five winners from as many to race out of the Galileo (IRE) mare Saint Minerva. Nettuno’s 6-year-old half-brother, the 7-time winner Cheerful Days (Smart Missile), was runner-up in the Group III The Lion Rock Trophy at Sha Tin on May 29.
Bred by Gainsborough Lodge, Saint Minerva came from the third of five crops left in Australia by the great Galileo (IRE).
Trained by Alan Bailey, she won races at Doomben and Ipswich before waltzing to a six-length triumph under Craig Williams in the 2009 Group III Grand Prix Stakes (2200m) at Eagle Farm.
Saint Minerva failed to run a place in five subsequent starts before heading to the 2011 Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale, where Bill Mitchell had the final say at $200,000.
Saint Minerva’s dam Amicable (Last Tycoon) is a half-sister to Rhythmic Charm (Sackford), who had her day in the sun in the 1990 Group 1 Sire’s Produce Stakes.
The granddam of the successful Scenic Lodge stallion Universal Ruler, Rhythmic Charm, descends from the magnificent Sovereign Edition mare Sheralee.
The Champion 2yo in NZ in 1970-71, Sheralee won 13, including eight stakes, and placed in a further six of her 28 starts.
Saint Minerva died in October last year.
Her eighth and final foal is a three-quarter brother to Nettuno by Hellbent, who was a $210,000 purchase for Dullingham Pty Ltd at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
