Unheralded debutant set for future fame

In the midst of a week including two Championships meetings and the Easter Sale, there's an unheralded debutant in a Newcastle maiden on Saturday that will likely have her name up in lights one way or another in this same famous week going forward.

The horse in question is Via Venuto, an unraced 3YO filly by All Too Hard that is yet to run a place in five barrier trials, but superior racetrack ability isn't a requirement if you've got the right relations for the sale ring, which this miss certainly has.

Of the 22 yearlings which sold for a million dollars or more at this week's Easter Sale, 12 were from mares that varied from moderate winners to non-winners and unraced.

But they had the family and Via Venuto certainly has that, being out of Valdemoro, a placegetter in the Gr1 VRC Oaks and Gr1 Vinery Stud Stakes and half-sister to one of the world's genuine superstars in Highland Reel as well as Idaho, Gr2 Hardwicke Stakes winner at Royal Ascot to go with placings in the Irish and Epsom Derbies.

It's a family that has done Australia proud internationally since Australian Oaks winner and Caulfield Cup placegetter Circles Of Gold went to stud and left us racehorses of the calibre of Elvstroem and Haradasun and producers like Hveger.

So while we may not see Via Venuto at the top of the tree at Randwick on Championships week, she is more than likely to get there at the Inglis Riverside Stables in the future.

She is set to run in race three at Newcastle, while race four interestingly sees the $200,000 "cheapie" Private Universe make its debut.

Private Universe is out of Sister Madly, a $1million buy as a broodmare who's first foal sold for $1.2million.

For all of Saturday's debutants click here.