The Victoria Racing Club revived the $150,000 Byerley Handicap (1800m) as a means of providing Derby and Oaks pathway for two-year-olds and this year marks the eighth edition of the 1800-metre event.
None of this year’s field of nine have raced beyond 1600m, meaning a look into the family background of each runner could provide clues at their ability to run out the distance.
The winner of the race will also receive ballot exemption for the Melbourne Cup Carnival features, the Group 1 Penfolds Victoria Derby (2500m) for the three-year-old colts and geldings, and the Group 1 VRC Oaks (2500m) for the three-year-old fillies.
1 – STAY SILENT
Deep Field x Paulita (USA) (Scat Daddy (USA))
The $145,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase brings a fascinating pedigree, being out of a Scat Daddy mare who won out to 1800m in America. Paulita is out of Grade 3 Virginia Oaks (1800m) winner Blind Date, a daughter of Not For Love, who is a half-sister to Sales Tax, a Listed winner who also won out to nine furlongs. Deep Field’s best have excelled at shorter trips, but trainers Leon and Troy Corstens would be buoyed with the wet week in Melbourne with Deep Field boasting a 16% strike-rate with his progeny on Heavy tracks, which is one of the best in country.
2 – POLITELY DUN
Dundeel (NZ) x Politeness (Street Sense (USA))
No Byerley Handicap runner comes from a mare as well-performed as the Danny O’Brien-trained gelding, a $150,000 Gold Coast yearling, who is out of Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) winner Politeness. That daughter of Street Sense never raced beyond a mile and is a half-sister to the dam of Kiwi Group 1 winner On The Bubbles, a son of Brazen Beau, while Group 2 Blamey Stakes (1600m) winner Thackeray and Group 2 Surround Stakes (1400m) winner Parables, who is the granddam of Group 1 Blue Diamond (1200m) winner Daumier, feature further down the pedigree page.
3 – RED ACES
Dundeel (NZ) x Cardiac (Encosta de Lago)
The most expensive yearling in the race at $380,000, the Inglis Premier graduate is the second of two Dundeel youngsters in the race, being from a family that knows how to win a Group 1 feature at Flemington. The Nick Ryan-trained colt is out of Cardiac, a half-sister to Arapaho Miss, who won the Group 1 VRC Oaks (2500m) and produced a winner of the same race in Miami Bound. Cardiac has already thrown a handy stayer with first foal Declarationofheart having won the Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes (2000m) in Adelaide and finished second in the Group 2 Alister Clark Stakes (2040m).
4 – WINSTON
Churchill (IRE) x Sonoma (Exceed And Excel)
Two-year-old wins are not new to the family with Golden Slipper winner Kiamichi out of a sister to Winston’s second dam Rio Osa, while 1400m Group 1 winners Denman and Preserve and Group-winning sprinters Soul and Safeguard also appear on the pedigree page. But Kiamichi’s dam Ouchita also produced Cossetot, a son of Epaulette, who won a Listed Tasmanian Derby (2200m) and placed in an Autumn Classic (1800m), Alister Clark Stakes (2040m) and Tulloch Stakes (2000m) all at Group 2 level before going to Hong Kong, where he won out to 2000m under the name of Amazing Beats. Winston, a $25,000 Inglis Classic buy for John McArdle, no doubt gets his name from his sire, Churchill, a son of Galileo who produced last year’s Toorak Handicap winner Attrition but has a proven ability to produce Group 1 performers at 2000m and beyond, namely European Group 1 winners Blue Rose Cen and Vadeni.
5 – EVERGRANDE
Hallowed Crown x Hurry Harriet (Magic Albert)
One stallion who can rival Deep Field for wet-track stats is Hallowed Crown – his progeny bat at 17% on the Heavy – and the Champagne Stakes and Randwick Guineas winner is the sire of this John Moloney-trained gelding, who was a late entry for the race. Passed-in after failing to reach his $8000 reserve at the 2022 Great Southern Weanling Sale, Evergrande is from a daughter of Magic Albert who won out to 1700m and traces back to a Kiwi family that traces back to Group 1 Railway Handicap (1200m) winner Alynda.
6 – SHADEELAA
Shalaa (IRE) x Whatadeel (Dundeel (NZ))
The $80,000 Gold Coast purchase is out of an unraced Dundeel mare who is a descendant of one of the great families in the Australian studbook, albeit one who has had its biggest influence in sprint races. The Matt Cumani-trained colt’s dam Rex Is A Star, a daughter of Encosta De Lago, is out of Sliding Cube, the dam of Rubick. Sliding Cube is out of Shantha’s Choice, who is best known as the dam of Redoute’s Choice, but also produced Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) winner Platinum Scissors, who like Redoute’s Choice is by Danehill. Whatadeel’s only other to race is Itza Charmdeel, a three-year-old Charm Spirit gelding who is a winner of three of nine races, including the Listed Ryder Stakes (1200m) at two.
7 – SUNTORA
Toronado (IRE) x Kansas Sunflower (NZ) (Mastercraftsman (IRE))
The first of three fillies in the race, Nick Ryan’s $150,000 Inglis Premier buy is out of a daughter of Mastercraftsman, the sire of many top stayers including latest boom Cups prospect Berkshire Breeze. Kansas Sunflower, who won up to 1600 metres and was placed at Group 3 level at 1800 metres, is out of the Irish mare Virginia Key who brings a stack of Black Type to the page. Virginia Key is a half-sister to the dam of Call The Wind, who won a Group 1 Prix Du Cadran at 4000m, and other Group 1 winners With You and We Are, while Hong Kong Vase (2400m) winner Dominant and Prix Jean Romanet (2000m) winner Aristia are part of the extended family.
8 – MOANA KOHALA (NZ)
Ocean Park (NZ) x Mawzoona (Fastnet Rock)
A daughter of Cox Plate winner Ocean Park, the $160,000 Karaka yearling is from a family one of her trainers experienced great success with, albeit over trips shorter than Saturday’s race. Moana Kohala’s second dam is McHappy, a winner over 1000 metres who is a half-sister to Scandinavia. That Snippets mare had 13-named foals, including Group 1 winner Magnus, but also Helsinge who, of course, is the dam of unbeaten superstar Black Caviar who was trained by Peter Moody, who prepares Moana Kohala in partnership with Katherine Coleman.
9 – COOL STAR
Stratum Star x Cool Coco (Husson (ARG))
The filly has changed hands twice for a grand total of $2100. Initially bought for $1500 at the 2022 Australian Weanling Sale, she was offered as a yearling via Inglis Digital in April last year where trainer Tetyana Furdetska bought her for $600. She is the first foal from an unraced daughter of Husson whose second and third dams were moderately performed but does boat former champion three-year-old Weekend Hussler as a distant relative.
