Caulfield’s carnival kicks off in earnest with three mouthwatering G1 contests to savour on Saturday.
All eyes will be on glamour girl Sheza Alibi as she steps up to 2000m for the first time. Is her utter domination set to continue, or will a chink in her armour finally be found?
The Toorak Hcp is always a great betting race and 2026 is no exception. Punters will need luck to pluck the winner from a classy field of 15 runners!
Then there's our subject race, the time honoured G1 Caulfield Guineas, to be contested by ten quality colts and one gelding.
In 2026 the great race is headlined by Bjorn Baker’s runaway Golden Rose hero Warwoven, and the Sydney G1 - a sire-making race itself - now speaks with authority when it comes to the credentials of Guineas contenders.
There have been far too many memorable Caulfield Guineas winners to list them all, but names that always spring to mind when looking back through the years are Mahogany, Show a Heart, Lonhro and of course the legendary Redoute’s Choice victory over arch rival Testa Rossa.
We know stats aren't all they're cracked up to be - but it's hard to ignore the fact that only three Guineas winners in the last three decades were outside the top four in their final lead up - and one of them was last year’s winner Autumn Boy, who was eight lengths off the pace in Beiwacht's Golden Rose at his previous start.
Training methods have changed, so perhaps that statistic will become less relevant in years to come.
Chris Waller turned it around for Autumn Boy, and will be hoping for a repeat scenario with Tron Bolt (Toronado) who was fifth in the Golden Rose, but is already a G1 winner at a mile having won the JJ Atkins at two, just like Autumn Boy!
Waller also saddles up the G2 Stutt Stakes winner Diameter ( Brazen Beau) and runner up Something's Burnin’ ( Too Darn Hot ) - and as the race was run here and not the Valley this year, it makes for a particularly relevant formline.
We only have to go back to 2023 to find Griff, the last colt to do the Stutt / Guineas double.
Before him it was Whobegotyou in 2008, but in the intervening years the Stutt Stakes winners Evaporate, Hey Doc, Divine Calling, Pierro and Carrera all placed in the Guineas; Shamus Award and Run For Levi placed in both; and we cannot forget Mighty Boss, who could do no better than fourth in the Stutt, but jumped from barrier 17 at 100/1 and won the Guineas in a classic Mick Price orchestrated boilover!
A roughie can win this race, but will it happen this year?
After the deluge that hit Melbourne last weekend, Caulfield is still rated a Soft 6 on Wednesday, with some good drying weather and winds forecast until Saturday, which may see a few morning showers - but nothing too drastic.
So I think we can work on a Soft 5 at worst.
The $3million G1 will once again test the Golden Rose form against the Victorians, who will prevail?
Top Pick: WARWOVEN
Warwoven was almost contemptuous of his rivals when winning the G1 Golden Rose, and I'm sticking solid.
I don't think a mile is an issue for this colt - and with his trainer publicly putting the Cox Plate on the radar, maybe 2000m isn't either - but first things first!
First time in Melbourne and at Caulfield is always a question a good horse needs to answer, but the best usually do.
Warwoven is the headline act for Cambridge Stud's exciting young Snitzel son Sword Of State and is now his first G1 winner, plus a hot commercial stud prospect in his own right.
The Bjorn Baker trained Warwoven stormed into early Magic Millions Classic / Golden Slipper favouritism last season when he bolted in his first two starts, but things didn't go to plan after that.
Fast forward and this spring it’s all come together.
The powerful colt has always been a stunning type, but is bigger and stronger this preparation. He sat facing the breeze in the Run To The Rose and was too good for them, then literally blew them away in the G1.
In just 8 starts Warwoven has won 5 races for career earnings of more than $1.1m to date.
He 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 first foal for her new owners was a 2024 colt by Golden Slipper hero Farnan, who stands at Kia Ora associate Vinery.
Offered as part of the Blue Gum Farm yearling draft at the MM Gold Coast, the as-yet unnamed youngster was picked up for $150,000 by Queensland's Kendrick Racing / Kariba Racing.
Needle And Thread delivered a Farnan filly last year, but will have no foal this season.
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.
Fleece also produced two daughters to O'Reilly who were both unraced.
One of them, the now retired Charmeuse, produced the G1 Rosehill Guineas /G2 Waikato Guineas runner up Arrogant (Ocean Park) among her multiple winners.
A daughter of the 7 x G1 winner Daylami, Fleece was a half sister to Chintz (Danehill Dancer) a G3 winner at the Curragh and producer of dual G1 winner The Ghurka (Galileo) who won the French 2000 Guineas by five and a half lengths.
Another half sister to Fleece was Artful ( Green Desert) a stakes producer for Bloomsbury Stud via juvenile colt Duplicity and Buckhurst (Australia) who was a 3 x G3 winner in Europe. He beat the likes of Blenheim Palace and Cox Plate hero Sir Dragonet for Lloyd Williams, before coming down for a crack at the Cups - but was unable to reproduce that form down under.
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 by Dubawi.
Another half sister was stakes winner and producer 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.
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 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.
Warwoven’s grandsire 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 greatest 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.
Foundation mare Agnes had one daughter, Lady Alice, who ended up in the USA. From her line came the great mare Sylvabelle who is everywhere in American pedigrees by virtue of her Hall Of Fame grandson Broomstick. His daughters produced Equipoise (carried by Tom Fool, male line of Snippets and Buckpasser, broodmare sireline of Canny Lad, Dubai Millenium is bred 4m x 5f to Tom) while his grand son John P Grier appears on the damline of Native Dancer and Seattle Slew's sire Bold Reasoning.
Thus, Danehill's inbreeding to Native Dancer's greatest daughter Natalma is key. Meanwhile Snitzel's ancestress Scotch Verdict is bred 4m x 5f to Broomstick and carries Equipoise son Attention - Equipoise himself was sex balanced to Sylvabelle's dam Saint Editha!
The legacy of Snitzel continues to expand and Warwoven is a prime candidate to take it further into the Classic realm both on the track and in the stud. I reckon he will get the mile of a Guineas no problemo, and if he wins - well, why not go to the Cox Plate!
Warwoven and best buddy Rachel King will launch into battle from barrier 6.
Next Best: TRON BOLT
Chris Waller didn't get his wish for an inside draw for his number one Guineas seed fulfilled, so the colt will be going back - but I don't think it's a huge issue for a horse with Tron Bolt's turn of foot.
Tron Bolt will give Waller a rare hat -trick if successful, with the master trainer putting the polish on the last two Guineas winners Autumn Boy and Private Life, as well as Autumn Boy's sire The Autumn Sun in 2018 and Press Statement in 2015.
Tron Bolt's lead up runs have been good, and now he's ready to peak in the race which has been his primary target this campaign.
His sire Toronado who stands at Swettenham Stud in Victoria, was a champion miler at three and is a G1 sire in three countries - well known for imparting brilliant acceleration, passed on in large measure by his own sire High Chaparral.
With a number of his best colts sold to HK, Toronado hasn't had a Caulfield Guineas contender until now.
Tron Bolt races in the Hermitage colours carried to victory by The Autumn Sun and ( like another recent Guineas hero Ole Kirk) - he was bred by Gilgai Farm.
He was a super successful pinhook, having been sourced from the Gilgai draft at Inglis Easter by Hunter's Lodge and Liam Ruddy, who paid $250,000 for the strapping youngster.
Tron Bolt then topped the 2025 Inglis Ready 2 Race Sale for Hunters Lodge, when selling for $900,000 to Hermitage Thoroughbreds.
The colt has an uber-classy pedigree and is the first foal from the G3 winner Baccarat Baby by the fantastic sire and broodmare sire Casino Prince (Flying Spur). Both her stakes wins came at 1600m.
The mare was purchased for $900,000 by Gilgai Farm from the Spendthrift dispersal at the 2022 MM National Sale, and is a half sister to the outstanding 3 x G1 winning mare Duais ( Australian Cup, Tancred Stakes, Queensland Oaks) by Shamus Award, and a three quarter sister to G2 Doomben Roses heroine Philia ( All Too Hard) - the three best winners out of six of them from seven to race produced by the excellent Johannesburg daughter Meerlust.
Duais is now owned by Yulong, and Philia was purchased for $1.4 million at the 2025 Inglis Chairman's sale by Katsumi Yoshida.
Baccarat Baby produced a second Toronado colt in 2024, which Gilgai sold at the Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale last year for $110,000 and has not produced a foal since then.
Her dam Meerlust was modestly talented herself, but a third generation descendant of none other than Northern Dancer's Blue Hen Fanfreluche, and thus the Casino Prince mating gives Tron Bolt's dam a double cross.
This comes via half sisters Red Luce, by Secretariat's dual G1 winner General Assembly (a three quarter sister to the dam of champion Holy Roman Emperor) and Flying Spur’s grand dam Grand Luxe ( Sir Ivor)
Red Luce was imported to Australia from the USA in 2002 and her daughter Flying Visit (bred in America) from GB the same year.
Flying Visit was a daughter of the Damascus grandson Fly So Free, a 3 x G1 winning colt ( including the 1990 Breeders Cup Juvenile) who sired the Dubai World Cup hero Captain Steve.
Flying Visit resided at Emirates Park, for whom she produced seven foals, three of them fillies - but Meerlust is the only one to have made an impact at stud.
Tron Bolt is bred
Mr Prospector 5m x 5f,6f
Danzig 5m x 5m
A few things jump out about his pedigree. He is linebred to Best In Show's Blue Hen Sex Appeal via her sons the full brothers Try My Best and El Gran Senor - with Danehill and Toronado's second damsire Always Fair both by Danzig out of mares by Sex Appeal’s sire Buckpasser.
Toronado's third damsire Sassafras descends from Blue Hen Schiaparelli as does Last Tycoon, while Faubourg carried by Casino Prince, plus Hennessy and Storm Cat are all members of that wider family (8-c)
Secretariat daughters Seccrettame (Gone West) and Terlingua ( Storm Cat) meet his son General Assembly, and the nick between Gone West and Johannesburg is profound as they are both descendants of Aloe (2f) - Johannesburg via Round Table's full sister Monarchy by Princequillo.
Notably, daughters of Round Table plus Secretariat's half brother Sir Gaylord appear in Always Fair.
Another feature are the duplications of sire Damascus and Blue Hen Grey Flight carried by Tron Bolt's dam.
Damascus was bred on a cross of full brothers Pharamond and Sickle (via a daughter) sired by Phalaris from Selene, combining with Blue Larkspur in his pedigree.
Sickle's tail male line is that of Native Dancer while Grey Flight ( Mahmoud) was a half sister to the grand dam of Native Dancer. Hennessy carries multiple Mahmoud daughters and descends from a full sister to John P Grier, the second damsire of Native Dancer.
This is all five star stuff for High Chaparral - tail male to Northern Dancer out of Natalma - by Native Dancer out of Almahmoud ( Mahmoud) and bred x 2 to Blue Hen Lalun who descends from a Blue Larkspur mare and doubles up his sire Black Toney, plus Native Dancer son Atan ( x 2 Selene, also a close relation of Gone West)
Toronado's damlines add further sex balancing of Native Dancer via Mr P's sire Raise A Native, who is related to Blue Larkspur, and lines to a closer relative Relic.
Toronado himself descends from Blue Hen Belle Sauvage who was bred x 2 to Selene's grand dam Gondolette via Selene herself and half sister Dolabella by White Eagle - the second damsire of Princequillo.
This pedigree also features sex balanced lines of Mill Reef and Nashua, plus lots of La Troienne!
Tron Bolt will be partnered for the first time by Craig Williams, who amazingly has won pretty much everything but never this race, he'll be hungry! - and they will jump from barrier 11.
Roughie: DIAMETER
The way Diameter got to the line to win the G2 Stutt Stakes after being held up was full of merit, and he was also unlucky at his previous start in the Listed Michael Moroney when two lengths off Kiwi star Lara Antipova at the line.
Sporting the famous Godolphin royal blue silks, Diameter will attempt to join his half brother Cylinder ( Exceed And Excel as a G1 winner for his dam Circular ( Street Cry) - a member of one of Australasia's greatest families stemming from Blue Hen Shadea (Straight Strike).
If successful, the colt will ensure his place alongside his half brother and his sire Brazen Beau on the Darley roster and I think he is way over the odds at his current price.
He heads into the Guineas as a last start G2 winner at the track and distance.
The Waller-trained colt also has G1 mile form, having finished a close third to Snitzel colt Fireball in the Champagne Stakes at two, after winning the Fernhill at his previous start.
Diameter has only ever raced in stakes company, and from his 7 career starts has notched up 2 wins and 2 placings for $448,050 in stakes.
The stunning looking near-black colt will conjure up recollections of his famous relative Lonhro if he can finish over the top of them in the Guineas!
Notably, his dam Circular was a specialist miler with her best win being the G3 Matron Stakes at the distance.
Circular has produced five named foals for Godolphin. Her dual G3 winning daughter Parisal (Astern) is retained and has a colt and this year's filly on the ground by Too Darn Hot.
Cylinder was a dual G2 winning juvenile before he beat even the great sprint mare Imperatriz to claim his Newmarket crown.
Circular's dam Hexamater by the one and only “ Ocky” won four races and Circular is the only stakes winner among her nine named foals to date.
Hexameter is a three quarter sister to Octagonal's breedshaping champion Lonhro, being out of his half sister, the winning Sibylline by Danzig's excellent son Chief's Crown.
A minor winner, Sibylline was understandably given every chance at stud, first by her breeder Woodlands for whom she produced five foals, and then by Godolphin.
The matriarch Shadea ( Straight Strike) stands at the head of this branch of a beloved family which also includes her AJC Oaks winning half sister Mahaya ( Sir Tristram), and they were the only two daughters of the First Consul mare Concia, in turn foaled by Blue Hen My Tricia (Hermes) - dam of five stakeswinners including Sir Tristram's champion 3YO colt Grosvenor who won the Caulfield Guineas / VRC Derby double in 1982 and placed in the Cox Plate.
There are too many stakes winners descending from My Tricia to list!
Diameter is bred
Danzig 5m,4m x 5m
Bletchingly 5m,4f x
His sire Brazen Beau was an elite 3YO collecting the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes / Newmarket double before taking on all comers at Royal Ascot, where he was runner up in the G1 Diamond Jubilee.
The brilliant son of I Am Invincible is yet another descendant of the Windy Answer / Ciboulette sire-making family via the latter’s three quarter sister Prize Answer - and is linebred to Ciboulette who is the grand dam of his broodmare sire Snaadee.
Brazen Beau's ancestress Windy Answer was bred 2m x 3m to Blue Hen Lady Angela ( Hyperion, family 14c) via half brothers Nearctic by Nearco and Choperion by Chop Chop. Ciboulette was by Choperion's sire Chop Chop.
Lovely nicks here with Shadea's damsire Straight Strike who is bred 3 x 5 to three quarter brothers and Nearco sons Nasrullah and Royal Charger, and to three quarter brother and sister Be Faithful and Brookfield, with this pattern enhanced by First Consul.
Her damsire Hermes was by Hyperion's great son Aureole out of a Donatello ( 14c) mare and traced to Nearco's Blue Hen Felucca.
Snaadee's damsire What A Pleasure was by Bold Ruler out of Grey Flight - his three quarter sister Bold Consort was the dam of Shadea's second damsire First Consul, sex balancing that daughter of Mahmoud who is a relation of Native Dancer.
Octagonal's damline ( Eight Carat) provides a double of Nearco's dam Nogara, Supreme Court (14 c) and Nearco daughter Tessa Gillian out of Nasrullah's half sister Sun Princess.
Diameter's pedigree features multiple sex balanced duplications of Sir Ivor, Native Dancer, Northern Dancer, Nearctic, Never Bend, Relic, Petition, Royal Charger, Hornbeam and My Babu, and of Blue Hens Almahmoud, Grey Flight, Lalun, and Somethingroyal.
Can Godolphin add another Caulfield Guineas winner to their record after Anamoe, Golden Mile,Long John and Helmet?
J Mac's hopped off to pilot Central Europe, so Jye McNeil takes the reins on Diameter for the first time since his early 2yo days, and the duo will jump from barrier 9.
Blowout: TORNADO VALLEY
Fresh from piloting Cosmic Crusader to G1 glory in the Turnbull Stakes, William “The Wizard” Pike jumps aboard the G3 Guineas Prelude runner up Tornado Valley.
I've always been a fan of Tornado, who was out of the blocks in fine fashion at two when winning his first stakes race at his second race start in the G3 Maribyrnong Plate.
This prep, the tough son of Too Darn Hot has improved with every start and goes to the mile for the first time - I'm betting he is looking for it now, despite his juvenile flop when stepped up in trip.
He’s bred to improve vastly at three and his dam was G1 placed at 2200m, while a little bit of the forecast rain will be right up his alley!
The Ciaron Maher trained Tornado Valley will line up for his tenth career start on Saturday. He hasn't won since that 1000m juvenile outing, but has placed 4 times and earned more than $860,000.
The colt is a beautiful individual with a real stallion's pedigree.
He was a $300,000 buy for Bennett Racing Pty Ltd at the MM Gold Coast from the draft of Rosemont Stud, who are part of his big group of owners.
His dam is the superbly bred Fastnet Rock mare Oklahoma Girl, placed in both the G2 Roses and the G1 Queensland Oaks, a daughter of Shawnee Girl - a G2 placed three quarter sister to champion racer and sire Northern Meteor - his son Shooting To Win won the Guineas, and was third in the Golden Rose and Randwick Guineas to Hallowed Crown.
Shooting To Win and his champion full brother Deep Field, plus the good sire Smart Missile ( by Fastnet Rock and second in a Golden Rose) are multiple G1 Sires closely related to Tornado Valley.
Tornado Valley is the fifth foal and third to race from his dam Oklahoma Girl, who was bred by the Ingham Family and trained by Chris Waller.
Oklahoma Girl and Sure Knee were the best of nine foals produced by the Encosta De Lago daughter Shawnee Girl who was a tough middle distance winner of four races out of My Moccasin, daughter of the excellent Danzig son Belong To Me (a La Troienne descendant) from Northern Meteor's dam Explosive (Fappiano).
Explosive also produced the fantastic broodmare Comical Smile by Comic Strip, dam of three stakes winners including the successful sire Smart Missile, and Northern Meteor's dual G3 winning full sister Queen Of The Hill by Danehill (another black type producer) plus the Frank Underwood Cup winner Rabbuka ( Giant's Causeway) who raced 106 times and ended his career as a steeplechaser.
She is also the grand dam of the G1 winning sprint mare Pailaspan ( So You Think)
I think the question with Tornado Valley is less likely to be “does he get a mile”, but more how fast can he run it.
If the Guineas turns out to be a sit and sprint affair, he can't match the acceleration of something like Warwoven - but if it’s run at a fast clip and he's up there in the first four, I reckon he'll be hanging tough all the way to the line.
Tornado Valley is bred
Northern Dancer x 5m,5m
Danzig x 4m,5m
Most of the horses mentioned above are duplicated in his pedigree, with sex balanced lines to Mr Prospector being a speed enhancing feature.
He carries the noted Sadlers Wells / Fairy King cross which is obviously enhanced mightily by his own membership of their tribe!
Belong To Me, by a son of Raise A Native from a daughter of Hail To Reason from the family of La Troienne, is a great nick for both Dubawi and Singspiel.
Too Darn Hot's inbreeding to Blue Hen Sunbittern through half sisters High Hawk and High Tern echoes that super close inbreeding of full sisters which exists on his damline - and he has proved to favour mares with similar duplications.
Here he gets full sisters Thong and Moccasin through daughters which were both sired by Forli - pretty awesome stuff.
Too Darn Hot's recent G1 Saratoga Derby winning colt Glacius is out of a Fastnet Rock mare.
Pikey and Tornado Valley will look to time their run and kick on strong from barrier 8.
