3 minute read

Son of Teofilo lands Byerly.

The James Cummings-trained Alcyone (2 c Teofilo - Purple by Commands) booked his ticket to the VRC Derby (Gr 1, 2500m) when he landed the Byerley 2YO Handicap (1800m) at Flemington on Saturday. 

The two-year-old colt came into the race off the back of a second place finish behind Cherry Tortoni (Night Of Thunder) in the Taj Rossi Series Final (Listed, 1600m) and he beat Johnny Get Angry (Tavistock) by three-quarters of a length with another quarter of a length back to Shadow Prey (Crackerjack King) in third.

"He's a little bit on the green side still, we saw that late but he was tough enough to get the win, stable representative Sean Keogh said.  

"I think we are dealing with a big, raw colt at the moment.

"He is bred to mature into a nice three-year-old going forward.

"He might be due for a bit of a break now and when we get him back and iron a few things out he will be a nice horse."  

Bred and raced by Godolphin, the colt is the fourth winner, from as many foals to race out, of dual Group 1 winner Purple (Commands), making him a half-brother to Listed-placed gelding Toga Picta (Lonhro). 

The colt's third dam is Scarlet Robin (First Consul), who is the dam of Estimable (Balmerino), while further back this is the family of Fooram (Maroof). 

In 2018 Purple produced a colt by late Cambridge Stud sire Tavistock (Montjeu), while the following season she produced a filly by the same sire and she has most recently been covered by Darley stallion Kermadec (Teofilo) - the resulting foal will be a three-quarter sibling to Alcyone. 

Teofilo, whose progeny are headed by 17 Group 1 winners, including Kermadec, who stands at Darley's Kelvinside base and Sun Stud-based Palentino. 

The son of Galileo (Sadler's Wells) stood at Darley's Kildangan Stud base for a fee of €40,000 in 2020.