Best On Breeding

A fascinating renewal of the $750,000 Group I Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) at Flemington on Saturday with the star three-year-olds Flying Artie and Star Turn shaping as the ones to beat.

The stud careers of Flying Artie and Star Turn have already been settled. The same cannot be said for the admirably consistent five-year-old entire Supido who will be making his seasonal debut.

It's a tough spot for the son of Sebring to register his first stakes win. He has not raced since finishing third in Black Heart Bart's Group I Goodwood Handicap back in May.
His overall record is outstanding with 6 wins, 1 second a 1 third from 9 starts.

There is also plenty to like about Supido's pedigree.

He is a direct descendent of Northern Dancer's unraced half-sister Raise The Standard (Hoist The Flag) who is also a half-sister to Spring Adieu (Buckpasser) the granddam of Danehill.

Raise The Standard only produced one stakes winner but what a jewel she was.

Coup de Folie (Halo) was owned by Stavros Niarchos, who purchased her for US$825,000 from the 1983 Keeneland July yearling sale.

She won the Group III Prix d'Aumale at Longchamp and placed in Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac at two.

But it was at stud where she excelled leaving five stakes winners including three Group I winners for the Niarchos family's Flaxman Holdings.

In 1987 she produced the two-year-old champion and later influential sire Machiavellian, in 1988 she left the dual Group I winner Coup De Genie, in 1989 she produced the Group II winner and Group I Poule d'Essai des Pouliches runner-up Hydro Calido and in 1991 left the Group I Prix Morny and Prix de la Salamandre winner Coup De Genie.

In 1997 Raise The Standard produced her final stakes winner, the Group III winner and Group I placed Ocean of Wisdom

Hydro Calido is a daughter of Nureyev.  She left 8 winners from 9 to race including the stakes winners Shinko Calido and Esperero who was moderately supported at his time at stud in Australia.

Hydro Calido is also the dam of Lady Succeed (JPN) a 2-time winner in Japan.

A daughter of the hugely successful Brian's Time, Lady Succeed (JPN) resides at Rick Jamieson's Gilgai Farm.

Her first three foals to race are all winners led by Supido who was a $190,000 purchase by his trainer Michael Kent from the Three Bridges draft at the 2013 Inglis Premier Yearling sale.

The son of Sebring faces his moment of truth at Flemington on Saturday.