3 minute read

Astern one of three Golden Rose winners with sons in this year’s race.

Astern retired to stud amid much fanfare, a lot to it to do with his win in the 2016 Golden Rose.

That race has quickly risen to become one of the most important on the calendar for potential stallions and the son of Medaglia d'Oro is one of three past winners in with a chance of carving their own slice of history.

Not since it became a Group 1 race in 2009 has the race been won by a horse sired by a previous winner.

Golden Mile gives Astern the chance to do it.

And become the sixth colt to win the race for Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the owner of the Godolphin/Darley operation.

Denman (Lonhro) won the first Group 1 edition, Epaulette (Commands) edged out stablemate Albrecht (Redoute's Choice) three years later, Exosphere (Lonhro) won the year before Astern, while Bivouac (Exceed And Excel) won in 2019.

Bivouac's progeny are yet to hit the track and Astern's oldest only four, while the other three no longer stand at Darley.

Epaulette is also represented in this year's race by the Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained Daumier to carry the Godolphin blue in the 1400-metre event.

Zoustar is the shining light for the Golden Rose as a 'stallion-maker' with the 2013 winner, who is a son of Northern Meteor, having produced Group 1 winners Sunlight, Zoutori and Mizzy and this year stands for $198,000 at Widden.

Zoustar is the other Golden Rose winner with runners in this year's race, via Peter Moody's Millane and the John O'Shea-trained Zou Tiger.

There is no shortage of anticipation around the recent winners, however, with positive reports around the progeny of 2017 winner Trapeze Artist (Snitzel), some of whom impressed at the Randwick two-year-old trials on Monday.

The Autumn Sun (2018 winner) retired to Arrowfield amid much fanfare being a son of Redoute's Choice, who died shortly before he was retired at the end of his three-year-old season, will also have two-year-olds racing later this season.

Ole Kirk (Written Tycoon, 2020), who is closely-related to Black Caviar and All Too Hard, stands at Vinery, while last year's winner In The Congo (Snitzel) remains active on the track and will stand at Newgate once his racing days are over.