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A look at the bloodlines of this year’s Australian Derby field.
This year's ATC Australian Derby contains the first four home in the New Zealand Derby, along with Victoria Derby winner Manzoice, but all but one of the remaining 13 runners are untried beyond 2100 metres meaning a pedigree deep-dive could assist when trying to ascertain who might run a strong 2400m.
1 – SHARP 'N' SMART (Redwood x Queen Margaret): The $55,000 Karaka Book 2 purchase has already underlined his staying credentials with a win in the New Zealand Derby (2400m) and narrow second placing in the Victoria Derby (2500m), which defies his pedigree to a degree, being out of a daughter of Swiss Ace. But, he is by Redwood and further down the page is Brise De Mer, who is a half-sister to one of the European greats of the 1990s, Halling (Diesis).
2 – MANZOICE (Almanzor x Choice): The horse who ran down Sharp 'N' Smart to win the Victoria Derby is part of the first Southern Hemisphere crop of Almanzor, a son of Wootton Bassett. A $340,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast buy, Manzoice is out of the Mastercraftsman mare Choice, a G3 winner in New Zealand whose granddam Baroness Britney is a half-sister to Hasta Lueago whose daughter Windin The Willows has thrown G2 South African Oaks (2400m) winner Wind Chill.
3 – ELLIPTICAL (Dundeel x Marquise Da Rossa): A $380,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast buy whose old man was a dazzling six-length winner of this race in 2013. Dam is a daughter of Testa Rossa whose only win came in an 1100m Ballarat maiden but was a three-quarter-sister to Elmore, who was twice a 2600m winner at Flemington, while Geelong Derby Trial winner Mithrandir also features on the pedigree page. First go at this trip but has had three Group 1 starts over 2000m for a Spring Champion Stakes second, Champions Stakes seventh and Rosehill Guineas fourth placing.
4 – PERICLES (Street Boss x Accessories): Another who had a crack at the VRC Derby and will have derived great benefit from a few months' maturity being a December 4 foal. The queries over his staying credentials remain, however, given his sire, despite the deeds of Anamoe, is best known for his sprinters and dam Accessories, although being by a Japan Cup winner in Singspiel out of a Mill Reef mare related to some well-credentialled stayers in Europe, has produced a swag of Group 1 performers – Helmet, Epaulette and Bullbars among them – but at their best up to 1600m.
5 – WILLIAMSBURG (Snitzel x Fenway): Son of a superstar stallion, but one best known for his deeds with sprinters. Fenway, however, was a Group 1 winner over 2000m who boasts some impressive stayers in the family. The daughter of High Chaparral is out of the Zabeel mare Deedra, a daughter of Joie Denise, who is also the dam of Tancred Stakes (2400m) winner Tuesday Joy and ATC Oaks (2400m) winner Sunday Joy. Cost $470,000 at Inglis Easter.
6 – ANDALUS (Almanzor x Genius): Another by Almanzor, this one out of a daughter of Savabeel who won four races up to 1600m. Second dam I Que (O'Reilly) is a half-sister to Ritzy Lady (Zabeel), who won a Listed New Zealand St Leger (2500m). Cost NZ$420,000 at Karaka.
7 – FULL OF SINCERITY (Puccini x Herman): By an NZ Derby winner out of a daughter of Reset who was a six-time winner up to 2200m in moderate company. Older half-brother Drum Major (Epaulette) has won twice, over 1200m and 1300m, while second dam Miss Harvest is a half-sister to the speedy Moss Rocket and Group 1 JJ Atkins (1600m) winner Mossman. Geelong Cup (2400m) winner Ancient City does appear further down the page, though.
8 – JAPANESE EMPEROR (Satono Aladdin x Intothespotlight): Trained in Melbourne by Mike Moroney, but bred in New Zealand, where he sold for NZ$360,000 at Karaka. By a Japanese Group 1 winner who won up to 2000m from an O'Reilly mare who is a sister to the dam of Golden Rose (1400m) runner-up North Pacific. Second dam Love The Limelight is a half-sister to four-time Australian Group 1 winner Metal Bender and the dam of New Zealand Oaks (2400m) winner Amarelinha.
9 – MARK TWAIN (Shocking x Pinders Prize): Caught the eye when charging home into fourth in the NZ Derby, which was no surprise for a son of Melbourne Cup winner who is out of a daughter of Prized who is a half-sister to Pentathon, a New Zealand Cup winner and Sydney Cup runner-up over 3200m. Pinders Prize is also the dam of Pentathlon (Pentire), who was placed twice at Group level over 3200m in New Zealand and ran ninth in Almandin's Melbourne Cup.
10 – SUIZURO (Real Impact x Sussuro): A $60,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast buy who is by a son of Japanese legend Deep Impact out of a Pivotal mare who was a 1600m winner at Caulfield but is a half-sister to Listed Chantilly winner Kissing The Camera and Love And Laughter, who is the dam of Wigmore Hall (High Chaparral), who was a two-time Group 1 winner over 2400m in North America.
11 – TAPILDOODLEDO (Proisir x Mrs Tappy): The Tulloch Stakes (2000m) winner is a son of a New Zealand-based sire who is taking all before him, thanks to the deeds of the last Saturday's Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) winner Prowess, out of a daughter of the 2001 NZ Oaks winner Tapildo, a daughter of Rhythm. Mrs Tappy's only other to race is Hot Tap, who won twice over 2200m in NZ. Tapildoodledo's stablemate Tappy's Lad, a six-time winner at 2200m and beyond who runs in Saturday's G2 Chairman's Quality (2600m), is also by Proisir out of a half-sister to Mrs Tappy.
12 – VIRTUOUS CIRCLE (Almanzor x She Is Stryking): Third of Almanzor's runners who was a $360,000 at Inglis Classic for trainer Liam Howley. Out of a Stryker mare who won at 1200m and doesn't boast much staying form in the first two dams, but third dam Fashion Victim (Rory's Jester) is a half-sister to Caulfield Cup (2400m) placegetter Celestial Show.
13 – MAJOR BEEL (Savabeel x Gram): First foal from an unraced O'Reilly mare who is a daughter of the Oratorio mare Gold Rocks, who has thrown precious types Gold Fever, Gold Rush and Calaverite. Staying prowess no doubt comes from his father, a son of Zabeel who has thrown Derby winners Sangster and Brambles. Cost $260,000 on the Gold Coast.
14 – HIGH APPROACH (Highland Reel x Encapsulate): Member of the first Australian crop of the Swettenham stallion who was a globe-trotting star and is closely related to Victoria Derby winner Elvstroem. Encapsulate is a daughter of renowned broodmare sire Encosta De Lago who has had seven others to race, six of them winners but 2447m Geelong maiden winner Tailored (Bel Esprit) is the only other to have won beyond 1400m.
15 – STROKE OF LUCK (Fastnet Rock x Defy The Odds): A $200,000 Inglis Easter buy who is a son of a three-time Derby-winning sire from a Galileo mare whose first foal, by Wanted, won the G1 South Australian Derby (2500m) as Leicester before going to Hong Kong, where he raced as Helene Leadingstar.
16 – CHEVAL SAVANT (Savabeel x Passion Cheval): By a proven staying sire but from a female side that is predominantly speed-based. Passion Cheval's lone win came in a 1200m Kembla Grange maiden, her Stakes-performed sister Calming Influence was at her best up to 1400m and their mother, Calming, won eight races but none beyond 1200m.
17 – DOMINGO (Contributer x Falsetto): By an imported son of High Chaparral who was bought out of the New Zealand Ready-To-Run Sale for NZ$115,000 by John O'Shea and Bruce Perry. Out of a daughter of Zabeel who placed in the NZ Oaks and is a three-quarter-sister to the dam of G2 Wellington Cup (3200m) winner Maygrove. Second dam Tempting is a half-sister to VRC Oaks (2500m) winner Tristanagh.
18 – TWIGMAN (Preferment x Diamonds Of Dubawi): Great-granddam Ruffles won a Newmarket Handicap (1200m) and none of Diamonds Of Dubawi's four wins were beyond the Newmarket trip. Half-sister Tejori is a four-time winner up to 1200m, but she is by Hinchinbrook with Twigman a son of Preferment, a son of Zabeel who broke his maiden in the Victoria Derby and also won a Tancred Stakes over 2400m.