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Newmarket’s Two-year-old day may not feature any Listed or Group races, but the fixture has seen future stars such as Irish Derby winner Hurricane Lane and Group 1 winning miler Lady Bowthorpe test their credentials on the Rowley Mile ahead of successful future campaigns.
This year, it was Andrew Balding's Anzac Day who caught the eye when recording an easy five-length victory in the 1m2f Class 3 Visit racingtv.com Maiden Stakes. It was only ten days since the colt had made his debut in a Goodwood nine-furlong contest, where he had made steady progress to finish a well-beaten fourth, yet it appeared the son of Australia had taken significant steps forward.
Ridden by James Doyle, Anzac Day sat prominently from the outset before being asked to produce an effort with a furlong to run. He accelerated clear with ease, pulling five lengths ahead of the well-strung out field with little urging required. Tribal Star stayed on to finish second and joint favourite Sea The Thunder was a further two-and-a-half lengths back in third.
Sue Johnson, part of owners Brook Farm Bloodstock, made no secret of their lofty ambitions for Anzac Day in a post-race interview, saying: "He was slow away at Goodwood, but he was just learning on the job. Jason [Watson] said once he clicked at Goodwood he really went and he finished encouragingly.
"We are dreaming of the Derby next year but we need to talk to Andrew first. We are the dreamers and he is the realist, but you buy into racing for the dream."
Anzac Day was purchased for 200,000 guineas at Book 1 of the 2022 Tattersalls Yearling Sale, consigned by breeders Kildaragh Stud. The colt is out of two-time winner Merville (Montjeu) and the pedigree is laden with Black Type stamina. Merville's 2018 foal Merveillo (Archipenko) was a winner of the Listed Derby du Languedoc at Toulouse and has since transferred to Jonjo O'Neill, placing twice over hurdles.
The second dam Tonnara (Linamix) is responsible for multiple Black Type performers, including dual Group/Grade 1 winner Ectot (Hurricane Run) who took the Group 1 Criterium International over ten furlongs as a juvenile before winning the Grade 1 Turf Classic Stakes at Belmont Park. She also produced Most Improved (Lawman), who demonstrated enough speed to placed in the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes and scored in the Group 1 St James's Palace Stakes as a three-year-old.
Further back in the pedigree, third dam Mahalia will be nearing blue hen status as her daughters continue to produce Group winners, no matter what they have achieved on the track. Aside from Tonnara, Mahalia produced Tecla (dam of Lismore and Testa, Group 3 and Listed winners), Malsapina (dam of 1000 Guineas third Daban) and Pembina, who is the dam of Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine Meditate.