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A brief look at the pedigrees of this year’s Victoria Derby field.
Riff Rocket is a hot favourite for Saturday's $2 million Group 1 Victoria Derby at Flemington, but there are no shortage of people pondering whether he can run a strong 2500 metres.
There are no queries over the male side with the gelding a son of American Pharoah, who completed his US Triple Crown win with victory in the 2400m Belmont Stakes, but the female side does not scream stamina.
Riff Rocket's dam Missile Coda is a daughter of sprinter Smart Missile, a son of Fastnet Rock, whose five wins were all between 1000m and 1300m.
She is out of the Lonhro mare Rain Melody, a four-time winner up to 1200m who is a three-quarter-sister to the dam of the dam of multiple Group 2-winning sprinter and T J Smith Stakes runner-up Rain Affair (Commands).
Missile Coda's only other to race is Quintillion, a son of Deep Field, who is also trained by Chris Waller and is yet to win in five starts but owns two third placings in 1550m Canterbury maidens.
Questions around horses tackling 2500m for the first time is a talking point of each Victoria Derby and below is a look at Riff Rocket's rivals and how they stack up from a pedigree perspective.
1 – APULIA (Fiorente x Giannarelli)
By Melbourne Cup winner Fiorente, who came close to winning the Derby when Stars Of Carrum finished second in 2018. Like Stars Of Carrum, Apulia won the Moonee Valley Vase (2040m) last Saturday. He is out of a daughter of High Chaparral, sire of Victoria Derby winners Monaco Consul and Ace High, who only had three starts, the best of them a debut second placing over 1209m at Yarra Valley. Granddam Can't Hackit, a daughter of Fasliyev, was also a sprinter, Group 2-placed in New Zealand but never raced beyond 1200m.
2 – VERDAD (Justify x Whistle Baby)
Sold initially at Inglis Premier, where Tal Nolen paid $65,000 for him before on-selling him to Griffiths-De Kock Racing and Peter Ford for $150,000 at last year Inglis Ready2Run Sale. They probably weren't Derby dreaming at that point, even accounting for the fact he is by US Triple Crown winner and boom stallion Justify. Whistle Baby is a daughter of globe-trotting sprinter Magnus and won seven races, but all between 1000m and 1400m. Her first foal Tycoon Baby is a four-time winner up to 1300m in North Queensland, while Federation Rocks has won one from 12, over 1400m.
3 – AIR ASSAULT (Justify x Elegant Eagle)
Another by Justify, but from the Zabeel mare Elegant Eagle who won up to 2600m in Adelaide and is related to many classy stayers, none better than Caulfield Cup (2400m) winner Southern Speed, who is out of a sister to Elegant Eagle. Air Assault is one of seven winners for Elegant Eagle, who is also the dam of Group 1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) winner Go Indy Go and Group 3 D C McKay Stakes (1100m) winner Essay Raider. Passed in at Premier after not making $100k reserve.
4 – RIFF ROCKET (American Pharoah x Coda Missile)
See above
5 – SUNSETS (Dundeel x Waterloo Sunset)
By Dundeel, a son of High Chaparral who was beaten as favourite in the Victoria Derby but did blow his rivals away in the 2400m Sydney equivalent. The $150,000 Inglis Premier buy is out of a Fastnet Rock mare who was a two-time winner at 1400m and is a daughter of Unearthly (Zabeel), who won a Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) and is a Group 1 producer, having thrown Australasian Oaks (2000m) winner Invest, while AJC Derby winner Innocent King appears further down the page.
6 – MAKE A CALL (Extreme Choice x To Dubawi Go)
The highest-priced yearling ever sold at Inglis Classic, realising $825,000 last year. Newgate was keen to purchase him, a son of one of its star residents in Extreme Choice, who although a star sprinter did produce last year's VRC Oaks winner She's Extreme. To Dubawi Go, a daughter of Dubawi, won up to 2000m and third dam Palmyra Bay won up to 2200m and finished third in a Group 1 Doomben Cup.
7 – GOLD BULLION (Savabeel x Gold Rush)
The $400,000 Magic Millions yearling is by a legendary Kiwi sire, a son of Zabeel, who saw this year's Australian Derby winner Major Beel join Sangster and Brambles as his Derby winners. Gold Rush is by So You Think and was a Group 2 winner in New Zealand but is from a predominantly speed-based family, which includes Gimcrack Stakes (1000m) winner Calaverite (Lonhro) and Gold Fever (Savabeel), who won a Matamata Breeders' Stakes like her half-sister.
8 – GATES (Frankel x Bellwether)
The $950,000 Magic Millions colt's stallion needs no introduction, being a champion galloper who has translated that dominance to the breeding barn, while the dam by Three Valleys is European but a half-sister to a couple of horses Aussie fans know well, Mirage Dancer and Ironclad. Mirage Dancer won a Group 1 The Metropolitan (2400m) and placed in a Caulfield Cup. Second dam Heat Haze was a winner of the Group 1 Beverley D Stakes (1911m) in America and is a half-sister to Dansili.
9 – KOSGEI (The Autumn Sun x Sara Ann)
Trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young know how to win a Derby with a member of the family, having done so with Tavago in Sydney in 2016. Like Kosgei, Tavago is out of the Stravinsky mare Sara Ann who is from a three-quarter-sister to Grosvenor, the 1982 Victoria Derby winner. Kosgei will become the first Derby runner for The Autumn Sun, who won Group 1 races up to 2000m and is a son of Redoute's Choice, sire of Group 1 Derby winners Howard Be Thy Name and Dariana.
10 – BULAWAYO (Fiorente x Sense In The City)
By a Melbourne Cup winner from one of five to race from Green Desert mare Sandy City, whose best racetrack performer was 1200m Moonee Valley winner Mushatta (Zabeel). Sense In The City's brother Oriental Express was a star in Hong Kong, twice winning the Champions & Chater Cup (2400m), plus a Hong Kong Derby (1800m), while she is also a half-sister to US Group 1 winner Fastness. The 2000 Guineas winner and sire Golan and Grand Prix De Saint-Cloud winner Gamut also appear down the page.
11 – SACRED EAGLE (Alpine Eagle x God Bless Us)
A $70,000 graduate from the Magic Millions Tasmanian sale who is from the Flying Spur mare God Bless Us, whose dam Holy Bounty is a half-sister to Group 1 sprinter Ellicorsam, but God Bless Us has already made her mark on the Victoria Derby, having produced Soul Patch to finish third in the 2019 edition won by Warning.
12 – ROGUERY (Into Mischief x Sweet Strike)
By a star American sire who has produced many Group 1 champions, including Kentucky Derby winner Authentic and four-time Group 1 winner Life Is Good. The $100,000 Inglis Classic buy is from the Smart Strike mare who is a half-sister to Group 1 American Oaks (2000m) winner Nareid and Group 1 Belmont Oaks runner-up Sea Queen (2000m).
13 – MERCANTE (Dundeel X Breccia)
Like Sunsets, Damien Oliver's final Derby mount is by Dundeel out of a Fastnet Rock mare. A $300,000 Inglis Easter purchase for his trainer Nigel Blackiston, Mercante is a three-quarter-brother to Group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) winner Tivaci. Second dam Luna Tudor won a Group 2 Perth Cup (3200m) and is also the dam of Group 1 Toorak Handicap winner Allez Wonder (Redoute's Choice), who ran third in a VRC Oaks (2500m).
14 – TO BE FRANK (Almanzor x Veronica Franco)
By the son of Wootton Bassett who produced last year's Derby winner Manzoice out of a daughter of Johar who was a Group 3 winner up to 2000m in New Zealand and is a half-sister to Waterford, who was a Group 1 winner over 1200m and 1600m, also in NZ. Trainer Ciaron Maher paid $130,000 for To Be Frank at last year's Inglis Easter Sale.
15 – WARIALDA WARRIOR (Saxon Warrior x Romance Writer)
By a son of Deep Impact who won a Group 1 over a mile at two an claimed the Group 1 2000 Guineas (1609m) at three, when he also placed in an Irish Champion Stakes (2012m) and Eclipse Stakes (2012m). Warialda Warrior is a cousin to one of his Derby rivals with his dam Romance Writer (One Cool Cat) a half-sister to Sara Ann, the dam of Kosgei.
16 – TOKYO RUN (Staphanos x Press Issue)
A member of the first crop of the Japanese stallion, who is a son of the immortal Deep Impact. Tokyo Run is the first to race from the Your Song mare Press Issue, who is out of the Domesday mare Pressera. She is a sister to Group 1 JJ Atkins (1600m) and Group 2 Sandown Guineas (1600m) winner Pressday and a half-sister to Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) winner Press Statement.
