The Group 1 Crown Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington takes centre stage on Saturday, while five stakes races for the 3-year-olds at Flemington and Rosehill will hopefully make the pecking order for the Classic generation a little more transparent.
Rosehill hosts the running of the Group II James Squire Run To The Rose and Group III Precise Air Ming Dynasty Quality (1400m).
The last five Run To The Rose winners have been Cylinder, In Secret, Anamoe, Rothfire and Bivouac. So, in the 18 years since its inception, the feature has rapidly earned a reputation for future Group 1 stars.
The Justify (USA) colt Storm Boy is one of the most exciting horses in the nation and will start as a short-price favourite, but will have to earn it over a field of untapped youngsters.
Flemington features the Listed Exford Plate (1400m), Listed Cap D'Antibes Stakes (1100m) for fillies, and Listed Winning Edge Presentations Poseidon Stakes (1100m).
Six Guineas hopefuls line up in the Exford Plate with Wonder Boy, Daggers, Detroit City, Dawn Service, Si Si Milano, and Viasain all holding entries for the Caulfield Guineas, while the lone filly in the race, Comanche Miss, will be out to break her maiden at start four.
We will have a throw at the stumps with a $12 shot in the Ming Dynasty at Rosehill.
Iron Hawk went off an unloved $41 chance when making a winning debut at Warwick Farm on July 31.
The son of Written Tycoon defeated the Too Darn Hot filly Silmarillion, who franked the form when second to Ameena in the Silver Shadow Stakes at Randwick before breaking through in the Listed Atlantic Jewel Stakes at Moonee Valley.
Following a battling third behind Autumn Glow over 1300m at Rosehill, Iron Hawk was a troubled fourth behind the exiting daughter of The Autumn Sun in the Group III Up And Coming Stakes over the same track and distance on August 31.
Bred by Rifa Mustang, Iron Hawk was a $220,000 purchase for Trilogy Racing from the Sledmere Stud draft at the 2023 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
The Gary Portelli-trained colt is the second winner from four to race for the hard-knocking Catbird mare Lady Dynamo, the winner of five, and placed in 18 of her 52 starts, with a frustrating 14 seconds, including the Listed Murray Bridge Cup.
Lady Dynamo's dam Governing Spirit (Deputy Governor) is a sister to stakes-winner Del Toro and a half-sister to the Group III Illawarra Classic and Listed Vain Stakes winner Splendid Horse (Geiger Counter), out of the unraced Sir Tristram mare Phantom's Lady.
A half-sister to Group II STC Phar Lap Stakes winner Encores, Group II VRC Bloodhorse Breeders' Plate winner Irradiate, and Listed STC Eskimo Prince Quality winner Sir Laurence, Phantom's Lady is the daughter of the top-class Century mare Stage Hit.
The joint top filly on the 1978-79 Australian 2YO Free Hcp, Stage Hit, made an instant impression when reeling off four wins in Melbourne, including three Listed stakes. She tasted defeat for the first time when bowing to only Star Shower in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes.
The best of three starts in Sydney came when fourth behind Century Miss in the Golden Slipper.
At three Stage Hit defeated Lowan Star in the Group II VRC Edward Manifold Stakes and lowered the colours of Asian Beau and Jewel Flight in the STC Canterbury Stakes and Great Klaire (GB) and Lowan tar in the STC Rosemount Wines Classic (Coolmore Classic), now both Group 1s.
