3 minute read
Flying Spur is the only horse to complete the double Southport Tycoon is chasing this weekend.
Southport Tycoon has already emulated one of Australia's great stallions once this campaign and he will be looking to do again in this Saturday's $1.5 million All Aged Stakes.
The Ciaron Maher-trained colt will be looking to join Flying Spur as the only horse to have won the Australian Guineas and All Aged Stakes in the same year when he resumes his campaign in the 1400-metre Group 1 at Randwick.
Southport Tycoon, a son of champion stallion Written Tycoon, cemented his place as one of the country's most valuable stud prospects with his Guineas win and Maher has been buoyed by the way the form has worked out from that event.
"His form is huge and the horse is in a great spot," Maher said.
The March 2 Australian Guineas saw Southport Tycoon defeat Veight, who on the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes at his next start, with subsequent Rosehill Guineas and ATC Australian Derby winner Riff Rocket in third spot.
Southport Tycoon has not started since the Guineas, having been scratched from the Group 1 Doncaster Mile on April 6 owing to the Heavy track.
He has been kept up to mark with two Sydney trials, including a third placing over 1207m at Warwick Farm last Friday.
Flying Spur one of only two Australian Guineas winners to have run in the All Aged, the other being Wandjina, who finished second in the 2015 edition won by subsequent Australian Horse Of The Year winner Dissident.
Hurricane Sky, who won the All Aged the year before Flying Spur, is the only other horse to use the Australian Guineas as a stepping stone to All Aged victory, having finished second to Baryshnikov in the 1995 Guineas.
The All Aged Stakes was the second-last start for Flying Spur, who was retired to stud at the end of his three-year-old season and went on to construct a stunning stallion career that was headlined by the 2006/07 Australian Champion Stallion award.
The son of Danehill is responsible for 13 individual Group 1 winners, including Forensics, Mentality and Boom Time, plus Magnus and Casino Prince, who have gone on to successful stud careers of their own.
