Golden Slipper Backgrounder

No.1 - Yes Yes Yes (Rubick x Sin Sin Sin (Fantastic Light {USA}))

Trainer: Chris Waller

Jockey: Blake Shinn

Bred by Arlington Park and offered for sale at the 2018 Gold Coast Magic Millions by Kitchwin Hills, Yes Yes Yes fetched $200,000 in the ring. The colt, from the first crop of Rubick, is raced by a large syndicate of owners and transferred to Chris Waller's stable ahead of his recent win in the G2 Todman S.

His dam, Sin Sin Sin, is a half-sister to a trio of stakes-winners, Hot As Hell (County), Flaming Hot (County) and Craig's Dragon (Catbird) as well as the dam of Group 1 winning sprinter In Her Time (Time Thief), Hell It's Hot (Zeditave). The family was bred by the Cobcroft family's Parraweena Pastoral and goes back to Vista Anna (Caranna),

That includes Sin Sin Sin, the last foal from Steam Heat (Salieri {USA}), who was sold as a weanling for $32,000 and won the Wellington Boot on debut. Since Yes Yes Yes, she has foaled colts by Press Statement and Sebring and visited Not A Single Doubt last season.

No.2 - Microphone (Exceed and Excel x Sung (Anabaa {USA}))

Trainer: James Cummings

Jockey: Hugh Bowman

Microphone is a homebred who is a fine example of the value Darley/Godolphin continues to get from its takeover of Woodlands Stud in 2008. Exceed And Excel was a Darley purchase, who has proven a terrific success in both Hemispheres. Microphone's dam Sung (Anabaa {USA}), Woodlands bred, raced in both the Woodlands' cerise and the Darley maroon and white in her career.

She had left a couple of winners before Microphone, but none of his ability and has since visited Teofilo (Ire), producing a now yearling colt called Choir. She was then sold to Boomer Bloodstock at the 2018 Gold Coast Broodmare Sale for $70,000 and went to Spirit Of Boom last spring.

Sung is a full sister to the triple Group 1 winner Yell, while her half-sister Shouts (Strategic) produced another Group 1 winner in Holler (Commands). Their dam Vocalist (Bluebird {USA}) was a Listed winner and a half-sister to Group 1 winner Anthems (Palace Music {USA}).

No.3 - Time To Reign (Time For War x Courgette (Charge Forward))

Trainer: Gary Portelli

Jockey: Jason Collett

There is certainly a familiar Golden Slipper ring to the family of this colt, being a half-brother to She Will Reign (Manhattan Rain), who won this race two years ago. He is by the ill-fated Time For War, who served two seasons at Kitchwin Hills before a colic attack claimed his life in late 2016.

Darby Racing, who bought this colt for $325,000 at the 2018 Gold Coast Magic Million Sale, syndicated Time For War and She Will Reign, so there is a strong connection there. Breeder Garry Bachell remains in the ownership of Time for War.

The dam Courgette was a $25,000 yearling purchase, and after initially being trained by Gerald Ryan, was purchased by Darby Racing as a tried horse before being sent to Bachell to breed from. She was sold for $2.1m at last year's Magic Millions Broodmare Sale in foal to I Am Invincible, producing a colt last spring before heading to Snitzel.

She is out of Our Farm Girl (Marscay), an unraced sister to L. Gimcrack S winner Millie. Their dam Sunshine Sally (Cheraw) won a G2 Riesling Slipper Trial and was second in an G1 AJC Oaks.

No.4 - Free Of Debt (Unencumbered x Stagerush (Giant's Causeway {USA}))

Trainer: Chris Bieg

Jockey: Dwayne Dunn

There wouldn't be a runner this year that has come from further back than this colt in terms of getting a shot at the Golden Slipper. The original connections didn’t even nominate him for the Slipper, but after a win on debut in Adelaide and a subsequent victory at Flemington, Aquis Farm bought a controlling share of him and opted to pay up for this race after he ran third in the recent Blue Diamond S.

He was a $30,000 buy out of last year's Adelaide Magic Millions Sale, with his dam a city winner who had produced a couple of winners. Stagerush (Giant's Causeway {USA}) was a $150,000 yearling buy back in 2005 who was sold to her current owners at Greta West Stud for $22,000 ten years ago. She has a yearling filly by Keep The Faith and foaled a filly to Master Of Design in November.

There's a bit of black type further back in the pedigree, with the third dam a half-sister to successful stallion Scenic (Ire), a family which also includes G1 Prix l'Arc De Triomphe winner Rainbow Quest {USA}).

No.5 - Cosmic Force (Deep Field x Little Zeta (Commands))

Trainer: Peter and Paul Snowden

Jockey: Mark Zahra

Cosmic Force's participation in Saturday's race is a huge fillip for Newgate, who not only stand his sire, Deep Field, but also share in ownership of the colt with China Horse Club, Horse Ventures, Winstar Farm, G1G Racing and Breeding and breeder Bob Hannon from Ascot Park.

Cosmic Force was a $180,000 Classic Sale buy, with his half-sister, Onemorezeta (Onemorenomore) a Group 3 winner, and another three from Little Zeta also winners.

Hannon bred Little Zeta and her dam Catherine Zeta (Quest For Fame), along with Catherine Zeta's stakes-winning half-brother More Than Great having acquired their dam Great Temptation (Luskin Star) from the Lenehan family.

Little Zeta foaled a filly by Vancouver last spring and returned to Deep Field.

No.6 - Dubious (Not a Single Doubt x Suspicieuse (Fr} (Elusive City {USA})

Trainer: Ciaron Maher and David Eustace

Jockey: Michael Walker

From the very first 2-year-old trials it was clear that Aquis Farm and Ciaron Maher/David Eustace had an ultra-precocious juvenile on their hands in Dubious. He won the G3 Breeders' Plate and returned to win his second race at Eagle Farm in December before finishing a narrow second in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic. He has since been third in the G2 Todman S.

He was a $350,000 buy from Kitchwin Hills at the 2018 Magic Millions as the first foal of a stakes-placed French mare in Suspicieuse (Fr). She is a half-sister to French Group 3 winner Sediciosa (Ire) (Rail Link {GB}), while the third dam is a sister to star Japanese colt Neo Universe (Jpn) (Sunday Silence {USA}).

Suspicieuse was bought out of the Arqana sales for 55,000 euros at the 2013 December Breeding Sale and raced in Australia without success. She has a weanling colt by Foxwedge and went to Russian Revolution last season.

No.7 - Lyre (Lonhro x Erato (Street Cry {Ire}))

Trainer: Anthony Freedman

Jockey: Luke Currie

Another Darley homebred, Lyre is a product of Woodlands phenomenally successful period in the early 2000s. By the champion Lonhro, she is the first winner from Erato (Street Cry {Ire}), who is a daughter of the two-time Group 1 winner Mnemosyne (Encosta de Lago). She was purchased for $400,000 as a yearling by Woodlands, being out of stakes-winner My Juliet (Canny Lad).

Mnemosyne produced three stakes winners for Godolphin, Listed winner Epidemic (Lonhro), Group 3 winner Forget (Exceed and Excel) and the two-time Group 1 winner Impending (Lonhro). Darley sold Erato at the 2017 Gold Coast Broodmare Sale to Australian Bloodstock for $120,000 and she has since produced a Helmet yearling colt called Azan and is in foal to Russian Revolution.

No.8 - Lankan Star (Nicconi x Clearwater Bay (Stratum))

Trainer: David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig

Jockey: Damien Oliver

Lankan Star, the runner-up in the G1 Blue Diamond S. is the second foal from Clearwater Bay, and was retained and raced by her breeders, Monsoon Bay. Her younger full sister sold for $300,000 at the recent Melbourne Premier Sale, while her older half-brother Lucky Dozen (All American) is, as yet, unraced.

Monsoon Bay also raced Clearwater Bay, who most recently visited Magnus, having purchased her from the Widden draft at the 2011 Gold Coast Magic Millions for $90,000. She was bred by Bylong Park from the imported mare Ranchera (Ire) (Sadler's Wells {USA}), who was a half-sister to two stakes winners.

The third dam, Katiyfa (Ire) (Auction Ring {USA}) was a stakes-winner in France, who produced seven winners.

No.9 - Tenley (Medaglia D'Oro {USA}) x Fratianne (Lonhro))

Trainer: James Cummings

Jockey: James McDonald

Tenley is a Darley/Godolphin homebred filly from the third-last Australian crop of Medaglia D'Oro. Her Darley bred dam Fratianne (Lonhro) won one race herself and has had two previous foals to the track, but neither of them has won. Shortly after foaling Tenley, Fratianne was sold to Widden Stud for $185,000 at the 2017 Inglis Broodmare Sale where she has since produced two more fillies by Shooting To Win and Sebring, while she visited Zoustar last spring.

Darley bought into the family when it purchased Fratianne's dam Dubai Ice (Danehill {USA}) as a yearling in 2001. She is out of dual Group 1 winner Skating and a full sister to Skates, the dam of 2015 Golden Slipper S. winner Vancouver (Medaglia D'Oro {USA}).

No.10 - Pin Sec (Lonhro x Moderate {Commands))

Trainer: James Cummings

Jockey: Tommy Berry

Another of Lonhro's progeny to show up as a 2-year-old, Pin Sec vaulted herself into the race with an impressive win in the recent G3 Black Opal S, joining Encryption (Lonhro) and Epaulette (Commands) as winners for Godolphin/Darley in that race.

She is a product of three generations of Woodlands/Darley mares harking back to Bambola (Balmerino), a 12-time winner who produced the stakes-placed Gradual (Strategic). Gradual had some success as a broodmare through the 10-time winner Steep, but her final filly Moderate (Commands) proved the best of the family, winning four of her five races, including the Listed VRC Lexus Hybrid S. on Melbourne Cup Day 2013.

Moderate has a hitherto unblemished record as a broodmare with her first foal by Lonhro, Restrained, a winner of three from three, while Pin Sec is two from two. She produced a Street Boss (USA) filly last September but missed to Lonhro last season.

No.11 - Anaheed (Fastnet Rock x Rostova (Testa Rossa))

Trainer: Peter and Paul Snowden

Jockey: Tim Clark

A homebred for Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa, Anaheed is the fifth foal from the Group 1 winning mare Rostova, who was purchased for $850,000 by the Sheikh's agent Tim Stakemire in foal to Frankel (GB) at the 2015 Gold Coast Broodmare Sale. The resultant foal, called, Farooq, has been stakes-placed, while the next season she visited Fastnet Rock, with Anaheed the result.

She has since produced a yearling colt by Medaglia D'Oro (USA) and went back to Fastnet Rock last spring.

Rostova was an $80,000 Melbourne Premier Sale buy for trainer Steve Richards and she would go on to win nearly $750,000, including the G1 Robert Sangster S. Rostova was bred by the Wilson family, who bought her dam Space Talk (Anabaa {USA}) as a yearling for $87,500 and raced her without success.

Space Talk was a three-quarter sister to Group 1 winner Imananabaa (Anabaa {USA}) and is also the granddam of Singapore stakes-winner Mystic Master (Snippetson).

No.12 - Kiamichi (Sidestep x Ouachita (Canny Lad))

Trainer: James Cummings

Jockey: Damien Lane

Of all the Godolphin representatives, Kiamichi represents a bit of a left-field take, being from the first crop of Sidestep, who stood for just $11,000 that year. Sidestep spent three years at Darley before an agreement saw him move to Queensland to stand with Telemon Thoroughbreds last season. Kiamichi is one of two winners he has had in his first crop to date.

Kiamichi's dam's side is very strong and steeped in Darley/Woodlands quality. Her older half-brother by Epaulette, Cossetot is a recent stakes winner, with their dam Ouachita (Canny Lad), producing six winners from seven to the track.

Ouachita, who has a weanling filly by Animal Kingdom (USA), is from the mighty producer Peach (Vain), the dam of Group 1 winners Denman (Lonhro) and Preserve (Canny Lad), herself the dam of two stakes winners. Listed winner Rio Osa is another full sister to Ouachita. Woodlands raced Peach, who was bred by the Bain family.

No.13 - Catch Me (I Am Invincible x Captivating Claire (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}))

Trainer: Peter and Paul Snowden

Jockey: Corey Brown

The progeny of Captivating Claire have been keenly sought at the sales and 12 months after her older full brother, now named Valiant, went for $1.6m to James Harron at the 2017 Easter Yearling Sale, this filly was sold to Yulong for $625,000 at the same sale last year. The next full brother is in the catalogue for Easter this year, while Captivating Claire had another I Am Invincible filly last year before visiting Zoustar. Valiant broke his maiden in November, six weeks after his little sister won the G3 Gimcrack S. on debut.

Captivating Claire herself was bought by Segenhoe as a yearling for $420,000 at Karaka in 2012 and was unraced. Her half-sister Ocean Jewel (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) was a Listed winner in WA, but she didn’t want for black type on the pedigree page, being out of Markisa (NZ) (Danehill {USA}), a stakes-placed three quarter sister to Commands and Danewin. Catch Me's third dam is Marquise (NZ) (Gold And Ivory {USA}) is the Group 1 winning half-sister to Octagonal, Diamond Lover, Kaapstad and Mouawad.

Malcolm Glenn and Matthew Oram bought Marquise for $130,000 as a yearling, won the G1 Captain Cook S with her and then bred both her daughter Markisa and her grand daughter Captivating Claire.

No.14 - Vincere Volare (I Am Invincible x Elimbari (Fastnet Rock))

Trainer: Tony Gollan

Jockey: Sam Clipperton

Aquis Farm combined with Tony Gollan Racing to secure Vincere Volare (I Am Invincible) for $300,000 at last year's Easter Sale. Bred by Bob Hannon, she is out of Elimbari, who was stakes-placed as a 2-year-old and is a half-sister to G2 Silver Slipper winner Amelia's Dream (Redoute's Choice), who looked like a superstar before going amiss ahead of the 2008 Golden Slipper.

They are both out of Shalt Not (St Covet), who was also a stakes-winning 2-year-old and a half-sister to the dam of Group 1 winner Grand Zulu (Grand Lodge {USA}).

Elimbari's second filly, Conscious (So You Think {NZ}), was stakes-placed on debut, while she has also produced the winners Amanito (Pierro) and Riapinka (Bel Esprit). She has a yearling colt by Vancouver listed for sale at Easter and visited Spirit of Boom last spring.

Hannon was part of a syndicate that bought Shalt Not as a yearling for $55,000 and raced her before selling her as a broodmare for over $1m the year after she foaled Elimbari.

No.15 - Exhilarates (Snitzel x Samaready (More Than Ready {USA}))

Trainer: James Cummings

Jockey: Kerrin McEvoy

Exhilarates was one of the first fillies bought by Godolphin when it re-entered the yearling sale market at the 2018 Magic Millions, paying $600,000 for the filly by Snitzel, who was offered by Vinery Stud on behalf of her syndicate of breeders which included Greg Perry.

She was a good candidate for Godolphin as both a race filly and a potential broodmare, being out of a G1 Blue Diamond S. winning daughter of More Than Ready in Samaready. Dual-G1 winning Samaready was a star in her own right, but also a half-sister to a stakes-winning juvenile in Night War (General Nediym) out of the Secret Savings (USA) mare Samar, who is the half-sister to multiple Group 1 winning stayer County Tyrone (Danewin).

Samaready was sold as a yearling for $150,000 by Vinery but raced in their colours during a 13-start career which resulted in six wins and over $1.6m in prizemoney. Exhilarates has a yearling colt half-brother by All Too Hard, while Samaready visited I Am Invincible last spring.

No.16 - Loving Gaby (I Am Invincible x Maastricht (NZ) (Mastercraftsman {Ire})

Trainer: Ciaron Maher and David Eustace

Jockey: Oisin Murphy

Loving Gaby doesn’t look or read like your typical Golden Slipper horse. She is a big filly, who no doubt has some filling out to do in the coming months and years, but she has shown enough ability as a 2-year-old to win the G2 Chaiman's S. on debut last month. Her dam Maastricht was also a 2-year-old winner on debut, who was stakes-placed four times in races from 1600m-2000m.

Loving Gaby was bred in partnership by Kia Ora Stud and Alan Bell and has a weanling half-sister by Sebring, while, Maastricht, who Bell paid $220,000 as a yearling for at Karaka, revisited I Am Invincible last spring.

Loving Gaby herself sold for $500,000 at last year's Easter Sale to UAE-based Phoenix Thoroughbreds, which has its first-ever runner in the Golden Slipper.

Further back, Maastricht is out of the stakes-placed Cat Shmea (NZ) (Felix The Cat {USA}) and is a half-sister to the Group 1 winner Velocitea (Volksraad {GB}). That trio of mares were all bred by Christchurch-based breeders Shelley Frost and Raewyn Ramage.