Three year-old colt Alpha was a hot favourite for the Group III Withers Stakes at Aqueduct last weekend and lived up to his hype with a dominant victory in the 1700m contest.
On January 7 Alpha won his first black-type event in the Listed Count Fleet
Stakes at Aqueduct, and improved again to take this harder assignment.The son of Bernardini was bred by Darley and is a half-brother to 10 winners including stakes-winner Mystic Melody being from the top producing Nijinsky mare Munnaya.
Darley will be cheering Alpha along as Munnaya has a yearling fullbrother to Alpha to follow.
Bernardini (pictured) has had a hot run of late with unbeaten colt Algorithms winning the Group III Holy Bull Stakes, while three year-old filly Gamilati was too good UAE 1000 Guineas.
Bernardini is the sire of 11 stakes-winners to date and had his fee doubled in the US for this year to $150,000.
His oldest Australian progeny are two year-olds and he has strong representation at the Australasian yearling sales this year with seven youngsters to be offered at the upcoming 2012 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale including a half-brother to multiple Group I winner Divine Madonna.
