With Golden Slipper winner Shinzo enjoying a well-deserved spell, the also ran colts from the Slipper are set to chase a G1 win this Saturday in the $1million ATC Sires Produce (1400m), but they face quite a challenge from the up and comers.
Godolphin have won two of the last four editions of this race, both times with colts that ran second in the Slipper – Anamoe and Microphone – and this year will be looking to make it a hat-trick with Exceed and Excel colt Cylinder.
The Newgate / China Horse Club and partners stallion syndicates have four runners, Don Corleone (Extreme Choice), Empire of Japan (Snitzel) and Militarize (Dundeel) coming out of the Golden Slipper, while Bases Loaded (Deep Field) comes off placings in the Skyline and Pago Pago.
Militarize is the one bred to appreciate getting to 1400m and was severely hampered in the Golden Slipper by the Learning to Fly mishap, so that run is no guide at all.
First season sires Grunt and Brave Smash (Jpn) both have stakes-winners engaged with Veight, an impressive winner of the G2 VRC Sires Produce at 1400m and Brave Mead equally impressive winning a Listed race at Moonee Valley over 1200m.
Pride of Dubai also has a winning hope with stakes-winner Maharba coming into this race off a second to Shinzo in the G2 Pago Pago and this talented gelding been set for this race all the way along this preparation and his sire did win it in 2015.
