Underrated Gem aims for early Autumn upset

by Michael Cox

With his exquisite breeding, high profile trainer and a multimillion dollar stud deal already gained through three G1s in his first six starts – a record matched only by his sire in recent years – The Autumn Sun (Redoute's Choice) enters what will be a defining preparation carrying an aura that screams "the chosen one."

Yet if there is a horse that can challenge the king-in-waiting in Saturday's G2 Hobartville Stakes at Rosehill, and perhaps provide a worthy adversary in the 3-year-old features throughout the autumn, it is the Newcastle-trained colt Gem Song (Your Song).

The Autumn Sun is set to resume as start short-priced despite a couple of unconvincing trials but Gem Song heads into the 1400m showdown rock-hard fit and ready to roll after a strong first-up victory in the G3 Eskimo Prince Stakes at Warwick Farm two weeks ago .

"He has had that run under his belt, it was impressive, and going in with that race fitness certainly helps," Gem Song's always understated trainer Kris Lees said of his chances of an upset. "And if there is some more rain about, he will handle soft ground, so there are a few things to like about him."

While the Autumn Sun boasts an incredible page, from a carefully crafted Aga Khan family, Gem Song has a lineage boasting Australian speed and durability.

"He is a fourth-generation homebred," Gooree Park's stud manager Andrew Baddock said.

Gem Song's grand dam Just Blooming (Yeats {USA}), another homebred, had enough speed and precocity to win the G3 Black Opal Stakes and flash home for second behind Bounding Away (Biscay) in the 1986 Golden Slipper, and his dam Beautiful Gem (Peintre Celebre {USA}) is by a G1 Arc de Triomphe winner and was a G2 winner at 4 over 1500m.

"A lot of the family are six furlong to a mile, but there is some stamina there to go with the speed. The dam side of Your Song is pretty stout too," Baddock said.

That pinch of stamina could come in handy as the autumn progress and the features stretch to a mile and beyond, with Gem Song holding entries for a wide range of 3-year-old features, from the Guineas races in both Sydney and Melbourne, to the G1 Australian Derby and G1 Arrowfield 3YO Sprint during The Championships.

"I think he will get a mile and 2000m for sure," Baddock said. "I think he is crying out for a bit of ground, he gets back and hits the line hard. Indications are that he won't just be suited by 1400m on Saturday, but a mile and further later on."

Gooree and Lees a good match

Gooree started sending horses to Lees after James Cummings signed with Godolphin in May 2017 and Baddock credits the Broadmeadow-based handler's patience as the reason Gem Song is hitting the second half of his 3-year-old season with upside.

Gem Song was two-from-two as a 2-year-old and was progressing nicely through the first part of his 3-year-old year before he was struck down with a virus on the eve of the spring features.

"We've had some great success with Kris and we are really pleased with the way he has handled this colt, he is a progressive horse," Baddock said, with the colt's record now four wins from six starts. "We were in Melbourne during the spring and things were looking promising but when he got that virus Kris spelled him straight away. That might have been the making of him, because he has come back a much better horse. He probably wasn't quite there physically before and he is just starting to mature into himself now."

"He has a lot of horses, but he treats each horse on its merits and individually, he really thinks about their placement. You can see with this colt that he hasn't thrown him into the deep end too soon, he was conservative with him during the spring and that will give him longevity going forward."