By Neil Evans
Breeding buffs and punters alike will be in raptures before one horse has even left the stalls at Monday’s holiday Canterbury meeting.
Fittingly on the King’s Birthday weekend, some of the most royally bred youngsters in the country step out for the first time in a two-year-old opener for the boys at set weights over 1250m.
Chris Waller and James McDonald.Credit: Getty Images
Heading the lineup is the debutant colt Central Coast for the all-conquering Chris Waller and James McDonald combination.
An early favourite with bookmakers, Central Coast is beautifully bred, being by UK-reared global sprint sire Wootton Bassett, and out of dual group 1-winning mare Sunlight, who won the Newmarket Hcp and William Reid Stakes in the same season.
Given two impressive trials on rain-affected ground, Central Coast looks primed for a big debut for what is a steeped and well-established group of owners.
He drew to get a lovely trail on what should be a gradually improving Soft 7 surface or even firmer, with the track drying out through Sunday and into Monday.
But there’s no shortage of impressively bred rivals, starting with Cabriole, a powerful-looking colt by superstar Lonhro from the high-class Group 1-winning mare Flit.
Starting his career also behind two progressive trials, winning the latest comfortably at Warwick Farm on a Heavy 9, Cabriole was on the clear second line of early betting.
Further out in the market is another exciting first starter Perfect Apple, a son of Per Incanto in the John O’Shea and Tom Charlton stable.
The Waller yard also debuts two other runners in the race, both by the multiple group 1-winning star The Autumn Sun – Delicious Derek and Autumn Boy.
The two-year-old fillies division follows straight after, and another Waller-trained runner is primed to upset the early favourite at only her second start.
The Pearls is a well-bred daughter of group 3 staying winner Proisir, out of the smart Volksraad New Zealand mare The Pearler.
She returns 19 days after an impressive debut at Warwick Farm, surging home from the back to miss by a length in a Super Maiden run on a Heavy 10.
On better going this time, and with an extra 150m to suit, The Pearls looms as one of the better value bets behind early favourite Sequista who was unplaced at Randwick in Saturday company 16 days ago.
Supplied by Racing NSW
Full form and race replays available at racingnsw.com.au
