Dealt a blow when the colt they bred and part-owned Bodyguard was scratched on the eve of the Group 1 Sportsbet Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield, Emirates Park played a vital role in the breeding of the nominal favourite Coleman.
Coleman puts his unbeaten record on the line (image Grant Courtney)
The winner of the Group III MRC Chairman's Stakes (1000m) and Listed MRC Debutant Stakes (1000m), the son of first-season sire Pierata puts his undefeated record on the line in Saturday's $2,000,000 feature.
A $550,000 Magic Millions purchase for trainer Matt Laurie Racing and Justin Bahen, Coleman was bred and sold by Rhys and Chloe Smith of Kulani Park, who had purchased his dam Sboog (Redoute's Choice) from the Emirates Park draft at the 2021 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale for $100,000 when she was carrying the son of Pierata.
A $1,000,000 Easter yearling, Sboog started eight times, and the closest she came to winning was at her first start when second in a 1200m maiden at Wyong.
A half-sister to Group II winner and accomplished sire Rothesay and stakes-winner Sensei, Sboog is leaving her disappointing track career behind.
Her daughter Liwa, by Sepoy's half-brother Mulaaze, was a grand performer for Emirates Park in the west, winning the Listed WATC Supremacy Stakes at two and the Listed Sir E Lee-Steere Classic at three, and was narrowly beaten in the Group III Karrakatta Plate and Listed Placid Ark Stakes and was third in the Group III WA Sires' Produce Stakes.
Liwa foaled a Tassort filly last spring and was bred back to Extreme Choice, while Sboog has a yearling filly by Flying Artie and was covered by Pierata last spring, having missed in 2022.
S'boog is a granddaughter of the iron mare Canny Lass (Bletchingly), who won nine and placed in 15 of 52 starts. Her highlights came in the Group 1 VATC Marlboro Cup, Group 1 MVRC William Reid Stakes and Group 1 VATC Elders Mile.
The daughter of Bletchingly started in just about everything from the 1000m of the Group 1 Lightnings Stakes, where she was third behind Placid Ark and Special, to the 2500m of the Victorian Oaks. She was runner-up in the Group 1 Australasian Oaks and third in the Group 1 ATC Oaks and Group 1 South Australian Oaks.
A handsome son of Pierata, there is a bit riding on Coleman in the Diamond (image Grant Courtney)
Canny Lad, the brother to Canny Lass, was a beaten favourite in the 1990 Blue Diamond. It deprived him of a perfect record in six starts at two, culminating in the Group 1 VRC Sires' Produce Stakes and Group 1 Golden Slipper.
After beginning his career at Aquis Stud, Pierata is now eyeing a bevy of superbly bred and performed mares at Yulong Stud.
Pierro's Group 1 winning son has made a very encouraging start. He has an able back-up in the Blue Diamond in the progressive Fearless, who backed up his debut fourth in the Group III Breeders' Plate with a half-length second in the Group III Canonbury Stakes.
