The Group I ATC Golden Rose (1400m) - Sydney's million dollar sire-making race for 3YOs is upon us, and the stakes couldn't be higher!
With a Golden Slipper in the bag, the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr trained Guest House is attempting a double which, if successful, will make him one of the hottest stud commodities in decades.
No horse has returned to win the Golden Rose after the Golden Slipper. The only galloper to achieve a modified version of the feat was Flying Spur’s fabulous daughter Forensics.
Her 2007 Slipper triumph was followed by victory in the Golden Rose of 2008, but the filly had the benefit of time and maturity on her side - the 3YO feature was held in the autumn due to the EI outbreak.
Guest House also faces the challenge of jumping from 1100m to 1400m second up, a distance he has yet to be tested at.
We know the son of boom sire Home Affairs is very,very good - will he be a history maker?
Price and Kent Jnr are aiming up at their second Golden Rose after Jacquinot saluted for the stable in 2022. That horse was second up too, coming off a similar career progression as Guest House (minus the small matter of claiming the Slipper)
Standing in the way of Guest House are formidable opposition, a number of whom have come through the "Rose" leadup races which remain the standout formline going in, as they were intended to be.
Bjorn Baker's uber- classy Warwoven will step out as the G2 Run To The Rose hero and has the coveted rails draw.
Runner up, Snitzel's $2.7m glamour colt St Gotthard will have plenty of fans backing him to turn the tables, while third and fourth placed Under Focus (Too Darn Hot)and Central Europe (Frankel) will be relishing the step up in trip.
What about Arrowfield's late great Snitzel though! As well as St Gotthard he is represented by a G1 winner at the distance in Campione D'Italia and the promising Tenenbaum, is the damsire of the lone gelding in the field Plagiarism, while his superstar NZ based son Sword Of State sired Warwoven.
Snitzel already has two Golden Rose winning sons at stud in Trapeze Artist (2017) and In The Congo (2021) - the latter, a three quarter brother to the current queen of the turf Autumn Glow.
Other big name sires you'd hope to see are there - Wootton Bassett, who got last year's runner up Wodeton, is represented by the exciting up and comer Stormy Marco, one of four runners for Chris Waller.
Berzelius ( Extreme Choice), Cormier (Maurice), Tron Bolt (Toronado) and Castillo King ( Farnan) have all shown plenty in their careers to date.
Plagiarism will attempt to become the first G1 winner for Written Tycoon's son Written By, and he will lead them along smartly!
The Golden Rose Stakes is the old Peter Pan Stakes, named to honour the beloved dual Melbourne Cup winner of 1932 /34 who was as beautiful as he was talented - a real stunner with a burnished chestnut coat set off by a platinum blonde mane and tail.
The Peter Pan Stakes was inaugurated in 1978 at a distance of 1500m, dropping to 1400m when reinvented as The Golden Rose in 2003, and attaining G1 status in 2009.
The very first winner of the Peter Pan was the great filly Kapalaran by Showdown. She was followed by the likes of Kingston Town, Best Western, Sir Dapper, Drought, March Hare, Brave Warrior, Flying Spur, Fairway and Magic Albert.
As the Golden Rose, the honour roll includes Paratroopers, Duporth, Denman, Toorak Toff, Manawanui (gelding), Epaulette, Zoustar, Hallowed Crown, Exosphere, Astern, Trapeze Artist, Bivouac ( sire of last year's runaway winner Beiwacht), The Autumn Sun, Ole Kirk, In The Congo, Jacquinot, Militarize and Broadsiding.
Who is about to join this list of high achievers?
Top Pick: WARWOVEN
Warwoven is the headline act for Cambridge Stud's exciting young stallion Sword Of State, and he has inherited a good dose of the electrifying speed his sire possessed.
Warwoven stormed into early Magic Millions Classic / Golden Slipper favouritism last season when he bolted in his first two starts for Bjorn Baker, but things didn't go to plan.
The colt was controversially withdrawn by stewards from the Gold Coast's rich juvenile feature on race morning, leaving punters fuming, but his trainer philosophical.
Sword Of State's first crop son next stepped out without a trial in the G2 Skyline Stakes as favourite, and ran a close fourth to the future G1 Sires Produce hero / G1 Champagne runner up Campione D'Italia ( Snitzel) who started at 40-1 in that race. No more of those odds about him!
Warwoven was back on top of his game next start in the Pago Pago, when comfortably accounting for Outspan and Central Europe, the latter having been just ahead of him when runner up in the Skyline.
Central Europe sat out the Golden Slipper, but Warwoven was there to take his chances on the big day despite drawing barrier 14.
The colt was away smartly for Rachel King and put in a big effort under the sustained pressure of the great race, sitting three wide for the duration.
Warwoven stuck to his guns bravely in the straight to finish sixth, three lengths from the rampaging Guest House.
It was everything you wanted to see from a star 3YO in the making. The powerful colt has always been a stunning type, but has returned even bigger and stronger this preparation. He sat facing the breeze in the Run To The Rose and was still too good for them.
In 7 starts Warwoven has won 4 races and only once been unplaced on good ground, when he was a fast closing fifth to Guest House first up at 1100m. His career earnings stand at $551,250 to date.
Warwoven was bred by Kia Ora Stud and was offered by them at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, where the imposing individual took the eye of Bjorn Baker Racing / Ridgmont / S & J Gosling and Clarke Bloodstock, who teamed up to secure him for $380,000. Kia Ora wisely retained a share in his ownership!
Warwoven races in the distinctive navy and gold silks of Queenslander and Ridgmont owner/director Mitch Cunningham.
Warwoven is a memorable name and it's a clever one, by NZ Champion 2YO Sword Of State out of the superbly bred G2 Royal Stakes winning Makfi daughter Needle And Thread. He is her first foal.
Warwoven’s pedigree is one to delight pedigree nerds! It is indeed woven together from many strands of a foundational studbook family.
Bred and owned by the late Kevin Hickman, the colt’s dam Needle And Thread was born in Australia but raced in NZ, and commenced her breeding career at his Valachi Downs Stud at Matamata.
After Kevin’s passing, Kia Ora paid $410,000 to secure Needle And Thread through the Valachi Downs Dispersal sale.
The daughter of Makfi was one of ten foals ( five winners) from the winning Daylami mare Fleece (GB), who was bred by the Duchess Of Bedford's Bloomsbury Stud. The Duchess sold this beautifully bred mare to her good friend Kevin Hickman.
Dubawi's champion miler Makfi proved the standout among her suitors.
G2 winner Needle And Thread's full brother Savile Row was thrice a G1 runner up - in the NZ 2,000 Guineas and Levin Classic at a mile, and the 2000m Herbie Dyke Stakes.
Savile Row - who had done exceptionally well at stud with limited opportunity - sadly died recently, shortly after the Duchess had stepped in to purchase him and support him with her own mares.
So that's a tale of what could have been.
Warwoven's third dam Gold Dodger was bred in Kentucky but raced in Europe and was a Listed winner in France. The daughter of Seattle Slew's champion son and Hall Of Famer Slew O'Gold was a half sister to the G1 Prix de l'Arc heroine Solemia (by Sadlers Wells son Poliglote) and to the G1 placed colts Prospect Wells and Prospect Park by Sadlers Wells himself.
Now we get into the supernova Classic genetics of Warwoven's family, which is that of the Blue Hen Green Valley (Val De Loir) and her daughters.
Warwoven's dam Needle And Thread is bred on a cross of the half sisters Irish Valley ( by Riverman's Champion 2YO / Champion Miler Irish River), dam of undefeated English Champion 2YO and Ireland Champion Older Male Alhaarth, grand dam of Makfi, and;
Warwoven's fifth dam Vallee Dansante ( Lyphard)
Vallee Dansante was the only filly sired by the great Lyphard from Green Valley, and unsurprisingly her line has been fruitful!
Warwoven descends from her G3 winning daughter Brooklyn's Dance (by Mill Reef's Shirley Heights,so bred on the same Never Bend / Green Valley cross as Irish Valley), dam of the abovementioned G1 Arc heroine and black type producer Solemia among her six stakes winners.
Her half sister Brooklyn's Storm (Storm Cat) also founded a prolific family headed by dual G1 winner Silasol ( Monsun), dam of 2025 G1 Canadian International G1 hero Silawi and G3 winner Silius both by Dubawi.
Another half sister was stakes winner Never Green, bred 4m x 3f to Green Valley as her sire Halling was out of a mare by Vallee Dansante's half brother by Nijinsky, the great Green Dancer. She too was a stakes producer.
It didn't end there. Stakes winner Princess Dansante became dam of Skiffle, stakes placed Krissante produced French Champion 2YO Okawango, Quest Of Fire became second dam of dual Italian G1 winner Quijano and Funsie gifted the turf with the European Champion 3YO Colt of 2007 Authorized - all daughters of Vallee Dansante..
Of course, Green Valley's male masterpiece was Green Dancer by Nijinsky, a French Champion Sire and particularly fine broodmare sire.
Green Valley ( registered as Green Valley II) set a French record price for a yearling at Deauville in her day, but she never even made it to the track.
As a broodmare she proved to be a pearl beyond price.
She was sired by Val De Loir from the 1959 Prix d'Abbaye de Longchamp heroine Sly Pola and was a half sister to the exceptionally fast Mahmoud daughter Polamia, dam of French Champion 2YO and influential sire Grey Dawn II (Herbager) and stakes winner Mia Pola who would become ancestress of 1995 European HOTY and successful sire Dream Well.
Sly Pola by Pavot was a half sister to six stakes winners produced from Blue Denim ( Blue Larkspur)
Her colt by Princequillo, Blue Prince, is familiar to us in pedigrees through his son Prince Tenderfoot.
Snitzel loves this cross.
Blue Prince sired Icing, dam of G1 winner Al Hareb and most familiar to us through her daughter Snowtop by Thatching - dam of the excellent sire Myboycharlie, ancestress of Snowland and Snippetson by Snippets, and of Snitzel's unbeaten G1 Sistema Stakes winning colt Return To Conquer who has just retired to stand at Waikato Stud.
Another shining example of the nick - the G1 Sistema Stakes winning filly Lara Antipova, by Snitzel's Russian Revolution out of a Danetime mare.
Warwoven is bred
Danehill 4m,5m x
Danzig 5m,6m x 5m
The famed “ Agnes” family has so many daughters it can get confusing - they are like the Russian babushka dolls which fit perfectly one inside the other, because that's how they all nest together seamlessly in pedigrees.
Warwoven’s tribe descends from Little Agnes, daughter of Miss Agnes (16-a) and granddaughter of the taproot mare Agnes foaled in 1844.
Little Agnes is the taproot mare of family 16-c and founded the families of Wild Agnes ( taproot 16-d),Fair Agnes, Belle Agnes and Bonnie Agnes.
Her full sister Polly Agnes (16-g) heads the tribes of Lily Agnes (taproot 16-h), Jessie Agnes, Lizzie Agnes, Bay Agnes, Orphan Agnes and the odd girl out - Tiger Lily!
Half sister Countess Agnes produced Wild Duchess ( taproota 16-e) the ancestress of Blue Hen Plucky Liege- Admiral Drake, Sir Gallahad, Bull Dog etc.
Warwoven's branch of Little Agnes which produced Blue Hen Green Valley is that of Bel Agnes, sixth generation descendant of Little Agnes and this is where the family established in the USA.
Her dam Agnes Sard is important for Sword Of State, being by the great French broodmare sire Sardanaple who had Little Agnes as his fourth dam. More on him below!
Lily Agnes is the ancestress of Sword Of State through her granddaughter Sceptre, one of the great fillies to grace the turf (2,000 Guineas, 1000 Guineas, Oaks, St Leger, Jockey Club Stakes,Champion Stakes).
Sceptre's dam Ornament by Bend Or was a full sister to the unbeaten English Triple Crown winner Ormonde - arguably the greatest racehorse of the 19th century. His sons Goldfinch, Orme ( grandsire of Teddy) and others shaped the breed.
Sword Of State is a descendant of this esteemed family through Jura by Gainsborough, a dual Oaks winner in GB who ended her breeding career in Poland! She was a half sister to Craig An Eran by Sunstar and to the dam of champion Buchan - all progeny of Sceptre's daughter Maid Of The Mist.
Craig An Eran sired Admiral Drake who got Source Sucree, the dam of Turn-To. Mares who play into this nick on their damlines for Sword Of State will be to his liking, especially if they sex balance Source Sucree with a line of Turn-To - as he does with his third damsire Don't Say Halo. That stallion was additionally a member of the famed La Troienne family via Black Helen, full sister to her great son Bimelech.
Warwoven's dam provides Irish River, who descends from Source Sucree's half sister Black Brook ( by Sir Gallahad son) and is linebred to her grand dam Lavendula; Green Desert descends from a Sir Ivor mare as does Shareef Dancer carried by Dubawi's sire Dubai Millenium.
Dubawi's dam brings lines of Roberto and sir Ivor's grandson Drone; Seattle Slew sex balances Hail To Reason. Each of these also greatly complement Don't Say Halo, particularly Roberto who is a relation of his damsire Advocator, Seattle Slew (Round Table/ La Troienne nicks) and Green Dancer - like Don't Say Halo, Never Bend sits on his damline and his dam Lalun carries La Troienne son Bimelech. Makfi's dam Dhelaal is sex balanced to Never Bend.
Sword Of State's grandsire Redoute's Choice and damsire Encosta De Lago descend from Sir Ivor mares and Redoute's damline carries the turbo charged La Troienne line male Mr Busher, while Encosta brings Never Bend's all important half brother Bold Reason by Hail To Reason.
Lastly - Sword Of State traces to a daughter of the French Triple Crown winner Brantome, and his is the tail male line of Green Valley's prepotent Classic sire Val De Loir.
Warwoven is linebred to Blue Hens Almahmoud, Myrtlewood, her grand dam Frizette, Padua ( Blue Larkspur / Relic), Baby League and more.
The legacy of Snitzel continues to expand and Warwoven is a prime candidate to take it further into the Classic realm on the track and in the stud. I reckon he will get the mile of a Guineas, and the 1400m here I believe can only work to his advantage - especially from the ideal gate.
Warwoven and Rachel King will launch into battle from barrier 1.
Next Best: GUEST HOUSE
For a colt to come out and do what Guest House did in the G3 San Domenico, scorching past the filly Blue Door who is a deadset flyer, smashing the 1100m course record - wow!
However, this kind of performance would usually make me wary of a little form dip second up - especially if a horse is jumping to 1400m for the first time.
But like many, I've been buckled in to the Guest House bandwagon from day one, and am convinced that the reigning Golden Slipper champion is very special - special enough to win or go very close.
The last horse to win the San Domenico en route to victory in this race was In the Congo, and he arrived via a more traditional path by placing in The Rosebud, going down to Anamoe in the Run To The Rose and turning the tables on the future champ in the G1. However, In The Congo had only raced twice at two, in non- stakes races.
Guest House on the other hand was fully tested and tempered mentally and physically at two, and ultimately came out on top after an unlucky third in the helter skelter of the Blue Diamond, to emerge triumphant in the absolute cauldron that is the Golden Slipper.
In the parade before the San Domenico it was obvious that this charismatic son of Home Affairs has strengthened and matured considerably since then.
Even back when he was doing plenty wrong, the sheer class of the Price and Kent Jnr trained Guest House was evident for all to see.
Guest House was a $270,000 MM Gold Coast purchase for Mick Price Racing and Breeding / Roll The Dice Racing / Rogers Bloodstock, from the draft of Newgate Farm.
He is the sixth foal from the dual stakes placed Stratum mare Flamboyant Lass - every one a winner!
Guest House is bred
Danehill x 4m x 4m
Danzig 5m,5m x 5m,6m
Canny Lad 4f x 5f
Vain x 5f,4f
There's a lot of great things going on in his pedigree but a few eye catching factors are:
Firstly the nick between Stravinsky's dam Fire The Groom by Blushing Groom and the colt's fifth dam Morning Bird by the mighty Swaps, His sire Khaled is from the family of Blushing Groom, while Morning Bird’s dam Beguiling is a very close relation of Blushing Groom's sire Red God.
Swaps is also closely related to I Am Invincible's tail male ancestor Green Desert.
Green Desert descends from Tulle by War Admiral out of Judy Rae ( Beau Pere x Betty Derr) while the dam of Swaps, Iron Reward is by Beau Pere out of Iron Maiden ( War Admiral x Betty Derr)
This ties in with the duplicated Canny Lad who sex balances these lines - his sire Bletchingly is out of a daughter of Relic by War Relic and dam Jesmond Lass carries Beau Pere son Beau Cheval.
Red God and Beguiling were by Nasrullah out of Menow daughters and on both sides of the pedigree this is reinforced by Menow's grandson Buckpasser by Tom Fool - also the tail male ancestor of Snippets.
Fourth damsire Akureyri and damsire Stratum both reinforce the 22 family / Djebel cross that is found in Fire The Groom. Home Affairs carries a double of Wild Risk on his damline, not only strong in the 22 blood but sex balancing Ksar, Djebel’s grandsire - and one of these lines comes through Le Fabuleux - who is a relative of Vain's sire Wikes.
Meanwhile the Mr Prospector son Miswaki is key, sex balancing that sire as carried by Blue Hen Rolls through her close relation Exigent, the third dam of Home Affairs, both grand daughters of the great matriarch Fanfreluche. Fire The Groom also descends from a Mr Prospector mare.
The dam of Guest House has no Mr Prospector blood so this is a dynamic introduction for her. She does have a daughter of Buckpasser through the Danzig son Polish Precedent, thus replicating the same cross carried by Danehill, and Miswaki is out of a Buckpasser mare - so that sex balancing line to his son Akureyri is very important!
This pedigree also creates sex balanced linebreeding to Blue Hen Thong through her son Thatch and his full sister Special, the dam of Nureyev.
The sire of Guest House, Home Affairs has rocketed out of the gates at stud as impressively as he did on the track. Coolmore's exhilarating son of I Am Invincible didn’t race beyond 1200m and was a G1 winner at that trip, his other stakes wins (including the G1 Lightning at WFA) coming at lesser distances.
On the other hand the damsire of Guest House, Stratum, was plenty quick and won a Golden Slipper, but he could get milers and middle distance performers - the ability to carry speed a fair way is passed through his daughters, eg: WFA warhorse Lindermann!
Guest House is forging a great association with Zac Lloyd, and the dynamic duo should be able to slot in to a good possie from barrier 5, ready to unleash that lethal turn of foot.
Roughie: UNDER FOCUS
Darley's record-breaking shuttler Too Darn Hot is carrying on his merry way this season in both hemispheres - leading the Australian charge last Saturday were G2 Tea Rose Stakes heroine Bangkok Hottie, who added to her G2 Furious victory on the same day that colts Tornado Valley and American Eagle filled the placings in the G3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude.
Under Focus is bred on the same Fastnet Rock cross as Tornado Valley and the G1 winning colt Glacius (who led all the way to take the Saratoga Derby last month) as well as the G2 winning and G1 Moyglare runner up / Thousand Guineas third placed filly Simmering.
Dubawi's Too Darn Hot is the global leading sire in 2026 of individual G1 winners. News came this week that his foal from the great Winx has safely arrived - and it's a filly. Whoo!
Too Darn Hot’s champion son Broadsiding won the Golden Rose in 2024.
The Kris Lees trained Under Focus is lightly raced and has always shown elite ability - second on debut to Snitzel's $2.8m colt The Next Episode, winning his next start and placing behind the highly rated filly Blue Door in the Kindergarten before spelling.
The colt arrives here third up busting to get to 1400m if not further after an excellent G2 third to Warwoven in the leadup, and as he is owned by race sponsor Yulong there would be a nice symmetry to a win!
Under Focus has raced 5 times for a win and 3 placings which have earned him $103,650.
Purchased by YLP Racing from the HP Thoroughbreds draft at Inglis Easter for $300,000, Under Focus is one of two winners from two to race out of the Fastnet Rock mare Under Lights.
She is a full sister to the Australian G3 placed sprinter - miler Condor from the stakes placed Johannesburg daughter Ronan's Bay, who raced in Ireland before export to Australia.
Ronan’s Bay was bred in the USA, and her damline is precious being one of few maternal lines of family 42 descending from Maid Of The Heath.
This line for all its relative rarity plays a big role in our current breeding landscape via the mighty So You Think.
His second damsire Long Row was a grandson of the mare Panaview, a half sister to the ancestress of Under Focus, Springview by Vimy.
On the interesting American damline of Under Focus we find Mr Prospector's great broodmare sire Miswaki, the Nijinsky son Baldski (half brother to champions Exceller and Capote) the obscure Rustom Pasha line stallion Waking Dawn and Court Martial's St James's Palace Stakes winner Above Suspicion, a half brother to the Queen Elizabeth's champion Doutelle.
Under Focus is bred
Mr Prospector 5m x 6f, 5m
A notable sex balancing nick is formed with Too Darn Hot's second damsire Top Ville. The abovementioned Rustom Pasha (Son In Law) sired his fourth dam, while his sire High Top descends from a mare carrying Vimy and Court Martial daughters.
Too Darn Hot's linebreeding to Blue Hen Sunbittern, ancestress of Dubawi and In The Wings is notable as she was by the Son In Law line sire Sea Hawk.
Too Darn Hot likes to meet up with mares from with similar Blue Hen duplications, notably Almahmoud whom he carries via Cosmah (Halo) so Danehill's double of her half sister Natalma is ideal.
The dam of Under Focus also has a sex balance of speed source Crimson Saint, ancestress of Storm Cat and dam of Royal Academy:
and of Knight's Daughter (ancestress of Johannesburg via Monarchy, the full sister to Round Table carried by Fastnet Rock who is a member of this wider family) while Above Suspicion is a closer relation.
She is also linebred to great broodmare sires Nijinsky ( absent in Too Darn Hot) and Mahmoud.
Like Dubawi's grandsire Seeking The Gold, Miswaki is bred on a Mr Prospector / Buckpasser cross and Buckpasser's family of La Troienne appears frequently including via her son Bimelech, the damsire of duplicated Blue Hen Lalun in Too Darn Hot - a big plus for the dam of Under Focus!
While he isn't as electric as something like Guest House, Under Focus has shown that he's got a good set of gears and with good speed on here, he could be motoring late to make things interesting!
Dylan Gibbons retains the ride on Under Focus and they will jump from barrier 4.
Blowout: CAMPIONE D'ITALIA
Campione was plain first up, but the son of Snitzel also did absolutely nothing at his only other first up run, when on debut. He also looked just average in a quiet trial since.
But remember. After his debut flop Campione D'Italia came out and charged to victory at 40/1 in the Skyline, then unleashed a mighty run in the Golden Slipper to come from last to take fourth, won the G1 Sires over this distance and went down narrowly to another Snitzel colt, Fireball, in the G1 Champagne.
The age old question, has he improved from two to three, but I think the big boy's just kidding us. I'm expecting the game face to be on and a big form turnaround on Saturday!
The Chris Waller trained Campione D'Italia will be loving a fast run 1400m, and a tongue tie fitted will be beneficial as he does like to get rolling.
The veteran of just 6 lifetime starts for 2 wins and a second, Campione has already earned more than $1.2 million, is a G1 winner, a G2 winner, and G1 placed.
Purchased for $500,000 by China Horse Club, Newgate Bloodstock & Partners from the Baramul Stud draft at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, the Gerry Harvey bred colt is the fifth foal and first stakes winner from the winning Medaglia D’Oro mare Medaglia Valore.
Medaglia Valore is a half sister to the dam of dual G3 winner Espionage and they are daughters of General Nediym's flying filly Military Rose who won the Magic Millions Classic and G2 Riesling as a juvenile and trained on to further stakes success at three.
Her dam Bella Maddelena (Flying Spur) was also a stakes winning sprinter and dam of ten foals. While Military Rose was her sole stakes winner, daughter Islands by Vinnie is the dam of this season's G1 Moir Stakes runner up Cavalry Girl (Bivouac)
Campione D'Italia's next dam Zest by Marauding is out of Blue Hen Summoned by Crowned Prince, and thus a half sister to five Group winners including the great Zeditave who was a 5 x G1 winner at two and three, including the 1400m Futurity Stakes. Though he was an electrifying sprinter, Zeditave also won over 1600m as a juvenile.
Zest is full sister to the dam of dual G1 winning sprinter miler Norzita and half to Zeditave's sisters True Verdict and Zedagal who both bred on successfully, as well as Pampas Fire (grand dam of champion filly Melito), Great Verdict ( dam of G1 winner and sire Greys Inn) and the dam of top sprinters Alannon ( sire of superhorse Falvelon) among others!
This great family is a branch of the 1-n ( Chelandry) tribe which traces to Sunstep, also ancestress of Nasrullah's champion racer and sire Never Say Die, and he appears in the pedigree of General Nediym.
Campione D'Italia is bred
Danehill 3m x 5m
Northern Dancer 5m,6m,6m,5m x 5m, 6m (and sex balanced by Flying Spur)
One notable Snitzel nick in Campione's dam is General Nediym's sire Nediym. He descends from the mare Diablaretta - her son Coeur Volant is the second damsire of Canny Lad, while Canny Lad's third damsire Jambo is her half brother.
Campione D'Italia is sex balanced to Sir Ivor, who has daughters on the damlines of Redoute's Choice, El Prado, Shareef Dancer and Flying Spur - his grandson Marauding is therefore key - especially as he is out of a Biscay mare, again a great cross for Redoute’s.
Sir Ivor's male line Turn-To gets a big boost from Cagire, his half brother by Tourbillon on Campione D'Italia's damline - also a close relation to the linebred My Babu (by Tourbillon son Djebel). Turn-To's sire Royal Charger is also sex balanced in this pedigree.
Damascus descends from a full sister to War Relic and is tail male to Sun Teddy, from the family of Snippets and with many affinities for Snitzel's damlines.
Campione D'Italia is linebred to Blue Hens Boudoir ( His Majesty, Crowned Prince) La Troienne ( Buckpasser, Mr Busher, Hitting Away, Bimelech, her half sister Adargatis via Pardal) and is sex balanced to Tom Fool ( by Sir Ivor's close relation Menow, sex balancing Blue Hen Alcibiades) and more!
Champion sire and leading broodmare sire Medaglia D'Oro imparts his American brand of sustained Classic speed in this pedigree and Campione D’Italia showed that in his 2YO days with displays of long lasting acceleration. Expecting to see something similar on Saturday!
Campione D’Italia and Ben Melham will jump from barrier 7
