With the Blue Diamond and Golden Slipper fast approaching there are some exciting two-year-olds beginning their campaigns on Saturday.
At Randwick, two sons of I Am Invincible, the $1,150,000 Zambesi River and the $460,000 Emperor, second and third respectively in the Group III Breeders’ Plate last October, begin their campaign over 1000m.
They will have plenty of opposition. The David Payne-trained Density, a t $500,000 the second most expensive yearling by Spirit Of Boom kick starts his career.
Another first starter Sir Artie, a $140,000 son of Flying Artie, has impressed at the trials.
The Annabel Neasham-trained Wild Calm, a $350,000 daughter of American Pharoah (USA), resumes after finishing a promising fourth in the Group III Gimcrack Stakes in October won by the 2yo benchmark, Coolangatta.
Moonee Valley hosts a 2yo handicap over 1200m that will see the first runner by Winx’s unraced half-brother Boulder City (Snitzel). He is the Gary Fennessy homebred Bill Boulder who is trained by Ben and JD Hayes.
Bookies don’t hold him in the same regard of another three debutants in the $800,000 I Am Invincible colt Counttheheadlights, the $160,000 Choisir colt Reservoir Dog and the royally bred Godolphin filly Sumatra, a daughter of Lonhro and the Blue Diamond stakes winner Earthquake (Exceed And Excel).
The favourite for the race is the Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained colt Eros. The $340,000 son of Capitalist was backed as if unbeatable at his debut at Geelong on January 6 where he was edged out by Xtravagant Star.
We will take a punt on Counttheheadlights continuing the run of two-year-old success for Ciaron Maher and David Eustace.
The Merson Cooper Stakes winner Ebhaar is the lone two-year-old winner for I Am Invincible so far this season. The Yarraman Park Stud champion is set to unleash some big guns in the coming weeks.
Purchased by his trainers for $800,000 from the Rosemont Stud draft at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Counttheheadlights is the third foal of the very talented mare Tahni Dancer.
The daughter of Sebring separated Eloping and Tawteen in the Group III Champagne Stakes at Moonee Valley and Lumosty and Berimbau in the Group II Moonee valley Fillies Classic.
Bred by Dean Fleming, Tahni Dancer was a $300,000 purchase by McDonald Racing / Ferrari Racing from the Tyreel Stud draft at the 2013 Easter Yearling Sale.
At the conclusion of her career on the track she was sold to Rosemont Stud/Blue Sky Bloodstock (FBAA) for $600,000 from the Edinburgh Stud draft at the 2015 National Broodmare Sale.
The daughter of Sebring is a half-sister to successful stallion Maschino, a Group III winning son of Encosta De Lago, and the Listed winner Kentucky Breeze (Pierro) and the stakes-placed Dee Bee Nine (Red Ransom).
They are out of the Redoute’s Choice mare Tahni Girl whose three stakes wins were highlighted by the Group III McNeil Stakes at Caulfield.
Among the best two-year-olds of her era, Tahni Girl was in exalted company when separating Alizes, the dam of blue hen Essaouira, and the multimillion-dollar baby making factory, Monsoon Wedding, in the Group II Magic Night Stakes.
She then finished fifth behind Dance Hero in the 2003 Golden Slipper.
Tahni Girl was a three-quarter sister to the top Hong Kong performer and subsequent useful stallion Hidden Dragon, and a half-sister to Group II Furious Stakes winner Just Dancing (Fusaichi Pegasus) who was third in the Group 1 STC Arrowfield Stud Stakes.
The stakes connection went back one more generation with Tahni Girl’s dam Ballroom Babe.
The daughter of Citidancer (IRE) was honoured as the Champion 2YO Filly in NZ in 1994-95.
Her eight wins were highlighted by the Group 1 ARC Ellerslie Sires' Produce Stakes, Group 1 WRC Captain Cook Stakes and Group 1 Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes.
Ballroom Babe’s three-quarter sister Citrium is the dam of the 2013 Group 1 VRC Derby winner Polanski.
Rosemont Stud has retained an interest in Counttheheadlights and there are exciting times ahead. Tahni Dancer has a yearling colt by Lonhro and a filly foal by Capitalist. She was covered by Merchant Navy last spring.
