Trainer Gai Waterhouse was very bullish on the prospects of Vancouver after the son of Medaglia D'Oro captured the first official 2yo barrier trial in Sydney.
He did not disappoint putting in a very professional display in winning the Listed ATC Breeders' Plate at Randwick back in October.
Waterhouse put the colt out with an eye on the grand prize, the $3.5 million Group 1 Golden Slipper on March 25 at Rosehill Gardens.
Bred by John Camilleri's Fairway Thoroughbreds, Vancouver was purchased by Gai Waterhouse/James Harron Bloodstock for $185,000 at the 2014 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from the draft of Coolmore Stud.
He is a half-brother to Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes winner Juste Momente (Giant's Causeway) and Listed stakes-winner Captain Coltish (Fusaichi Pegasus).
Vancouver is the tenth named foal of the stakes-placed Danehill mare Skates a half-sister to three stakes-winners including Group III winner and sire Murtajill (Rock of Gibraltar) who won the Breeders' Plate in 2006 and to Bradbury's Luck (Redoute's Choice) who won the Listed Canonbury Stakes in 2004.
A daughter of the Melbourne Cup winner At Talaq (USA), Skating was an outstanding racemare winning the Group I STC Winfield Classic and Group 1AJC Doncaster Handicap in addition to the Group II AJC Surround Stakes and Group III AJC Light Fingers Stakes.
Winning the first stakes race of the season for 2-year-olds proved timely for Medaglia D'Oro.
Darley's son of El Prado covered 148 mares last spring his largest book in his first five years in Australia.
