1/ Lean Mean Machine (Zoustar) $250,000 Magic Millions – He's already a Group II winning two year-old and added another Group II win to his resume with a first up win in the ATC Run to the Rose at 1200m. Being by champion first season sire Zoustar, Lean Mean Machine has already done enough to be considered stallion material and has a female pedigree with a lot of positives. It's all outcross blood and his stakes-winning dam She's Meaner is a half-sister to $1.3 million earner and sire Love Conquers All from Group I She's a Meanie.
With Aquis Farm in the ownership there's no guessing where he will be headed to stud.
2/ The Autumn Sun (Redoute's Choice) $700,000 Inglis Easter – Unbeaten in three starts at two including the Group I BRC JJ Atkins Stakes at 1600m and third when resuming over 1500m in the Group II ATC Stan Fox Stakes. By champion sire Redoute's Choice, who is peerless as a sire of sires and has a top class European female pedigree, his dam being a half-sister by Galileo to Group I winner and successful sire Azamour.
From a stallion perspective this is a pivotal race for him as if he can win or place it will show him as possessing elite sprinting type speed which is something a commercial stallion in this country needs to show. Owned by HK based Hermitage Thoroughbreds and managed by Anton Koolman, The Autumn Sun is a horse that would be on the radar for most stud farms.
3/ Zousain (Zoustar) $400,000 Magic Millions – Already a Group II winner at two at 1200m and was second to The Autumn Sun in the G1 JJ Atkins. The second runner for champion first season sire Zoustar and is from an imported Group III winner Pasar Silbano (IRE), a sibling to two other stakes-winners.
Widden Stud have already moved to secure him with looks, pedigree and performance in place to earn him a slot on their roster alongside his sire.
4/ Graff (Star Witness) $200,000 Magic Millions - Lost his unbeaten record last start when an unlucky second to Lean Mean Machine in the G2 Run to the Rose, but from a better gate could easily turn the tables. His form coming into this race is identical to his owner Alan Bell's previous good Star Witness colt Star Turn, who went south to Melbourne and won the Group II MRC Schillaci Stakes (1100m) against older sprinters in preference to running in the Golden Rose.
Obviously Graff is seen as having a better chance to run out the 1400m, although it should be noted his dam Dinkum Diamond and grand-dam Rajah Lane were both Group III winners that never won beyond 1200 metres.
Win lose or draw, there are loads of options for him going forward and he's an appealing colt by a very good stallion in Star Witness. Star Turn is now standing at Vinery Stud despite never quite winning a Group I race.
5/ Sandbar (Snitzel) $600,000 Magic Millions - A Listed winner last season at two over 1100m and again first up in the Listed ATC Rosebud Stakes (1100m). By the champion sire Snitzel from a Group III winning Street Cry (IRE) mare in Tallow, so has pedigree, type and ability.
Reality is colts like him are a dime a dozen and to become a really premium sire prospect he's going to have find the form to elevate himself above the ruck.
6/ Santos (I Am Invincible) $180,000 Inglis Classi c – Group II ATC Skyline Stakes winner last season at two over 1200m and went to the line untested last Saturday in the Listed ATC Heritage Stakes over 1100m. Half-brother to an Aussie bred Japanese Group III winner in Melagrano from an old and very successful Emirates Park family that Gai Waterhouse knows inside out having trained Group I winner Fat Al and Group II winner Mutawaajid.
Given the hype surrounding his sire, Santos is definitely stallion material and with Emirates Park in the ownership, Aquis Farm would have to be in the box seat to stand him.
7/ Jonker (Spirit of Boom) $45,000 Magic Millions – Won his first two starts in brilliant fashion including the Wyong MM 2YO Classic which gave him a Black Type win and then got smashed out of contention at the Gold Coast in the MM 2YO Classic. To his credit he's come back well with a fourth (G3 San Domenico) and third (G2 Run to the Rose) showing good enough form to rate him a chance in this from a good gate.
There will be a race on to stands sons of Spirit of Boom given his phenomenal early success and Jonker will be one of them. He's from a half-brother to Group III winner Fair Trade and traces in tail female line to Eight Carat's noted daughter Cotehele House (GB), whose branch of the family has given us leading sires Commands and Danewin as well as rising stars Deep Field and Shooting to Win.
8/ Long Leaf (Fastnet Rock) $750,000 NZB Premier - Two time stakes-winner last season at two and contested every leg of the Sydney 2YO Triple Crown finishing sixth, fourth and ninth, albeit luckless on each occasion. First up second in Group III MRC Vain Stakes was really good, then failed on the heavy in the G2 Run to the Rose.
By champion sire Fastnet Rock, a proven sire of sires and has quite a spectacular pedigree given his dam is a daughter of legendary producer Parfore, who has left Group I winners Terravista, Tiger Tees and Group II winner Ball of Muscle, all of them millionaires.
He still needs a lot more on his race resume to earn a slot on the roster at Coolmore, whose colours he carries as the bar is set very high there!
9/ Danawi (Exceed and Excel) $400,000 Inglis Easter – His trainer Tim Martin moulded his sire Exceed and Excel from a talented 2YO into a champion 3YO sprinter, who was ultimately bought by Darley, so he will be hoping for a similar outcome with this colt. Danawi was second to The Autumn Sun at Randwick in his lone start at two and won the Group III ATC Ming Dynasty Stakes (1400m) at his third run back from a spell before unplaced last start on the heavy.
By champion sire and proven sire of sires from a dual Group I winner by Dubawi, so has the pedigree side of it covered and comes into this with a significant fitness edge over many of his rivals.
10/ Tchaikovsky (Redoute's Choice ) $1.3million Magic Millions – The only runner to have not won a stakes race, his lone success came in a Gosford maiden over 1200 m last season although he did show talent with a third in the Group II ATC Todman Stakes. By the champion sire Redoute's Choice from a fast Black Type female family packed with sprinters.
Was bought by James Harron Bloodstock and is raced by a big syndicate of his clients, who will be hoping this colt can step up and win some serious races this season or he'll be looking down the barrel of life as a gelding.
