If he were around today, Aub Walsh would get a kick out of Golden Mile carrying the Godolphin silks in Saturday's $3,000,000 Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m).
The son of Astern descends from the pint-sized mare Madame Monet, a genuine Aub Walsh product.
The winner of nine, including a stakes triumph in the Wagga Gold Cup and placed 15 times from 41 starts, Madame Monet was a $2,700 Inglis Summer Sale yearling.
A sister to STC WJ McKell Cup winner Linga Longa and a three-quarter-sister to the dam of the old Woodlands favourite Waikikamukau, Madame Monet was by Koryo (USA) from the Peter's Yarn (GB) mare Peter's Princess, a sister to Peter's Empire.
Records show that Peter's Empire won three of 58 starts, including the Listed STC Lord Mayor's Cup, but his crowning achievement came when second to the champion Vain in the 1969 Golden Slipper.
A son of Vilmorin, Peter's Yarn (GB) was a foundation sire for Walsh's Killarney Stud at Richmond after being purchased for $41,000 as a proven stallion.
Koryo (USA) arrived at Killarney a bit later. He was a 6-time winner in the US and possessed an impeccable pedigree being a son of the unbeaten Ribot from the Epsom Oaks heroine and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe runner-up Monade (Klairon).
Madame Monet left eight winners, but the family was ignited through the deeds of her great-granddaughter Gold Rocks.
A daughter of Stravinsky's son Oratorio, Gold Rocks won the 2009 Group II WATC Karrakatta Plate. She has been equally successful at stud with three stakes-winners.
Gold Fever (Savabeel) and Gold Rush (So You Think) both won the Group II MataRC Breeders Stakes, and Lonhro's daughter Calaverite carried the Godolphin silks to victory in the Listed ATC Gimcrack Stakes and Listed MVRC St Albans Stakes.
Like her dam and granddam, Calaverite was bred by Geoff and Heather Nicholls.
Few will celebrate a Caulfield Guineas success by Golden Mile more than the triumvirate of Merricks Station/Howson & Houldsworth Bloodstock/Group 1 Bloodstock (FBAA), who shelled out $310,000 for Calaverite at the 2022 National Broodmare Sale.
The daughter of Lonhro had winners by Teofilo (IRE) and Medaglia d'Oro (USA), and her third foal Golden Mile had just broken his maiden at Ballarat when Calaverite was offered in foal to Street Boss (USA).
Still, Godolphin has a bit to look forward to with a 2yo Exceed And Excel colt named Stanislaus and a yearling colt by Microphone.
Golden Mile comes to the Caufield Guineas off a fourth behind Jacquinot in the Group 1 Golden Rose at Rosehill, which followed a victory in the Group III Ming Dynasty Quality.
Astern was expected to sire his first Group 1 winner in the Guineas with the runaway Caulfield Guineas Prelude winner Aft Cabin. But with Aft Cabin on the sidelines through injury, Golden Mille looks like an able replacement.
