Who is bred to win the Derby?

The field for Saturday's Group 1 Victoria Derby includes homebreds, yearling sale-toppers and young stayers closely related to previous Derby winners.

James Tzaferis takes a look at the pedigree and bloodstock background of the 16 three-year-olds tackling the time-honoured staying classic.

Apulia

3YO Colt - Fiorente x Giannarelli

A homebred for Revelstone Stud, the Group 2 winner of the MV Vase (2040m) is a son of the late Melbourne Cup hero Fiorente, whose best performer to date is the recently-retired stayer Lunar Flare. Apulia is the first foal of a High Chaparral mare that retired as a three-start maiden. AJC Oaks and Turnbull Stakes winner Just Now appears further down the page. The Fiorente - High Chaparral cross has produced three winners from five runners, with Apulia the best-performed of those.

Verdad

3YO Gelding - Justify x Whistle Baby

Initially a $65,000 purchase by Nolen Racing at the 2022 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, Verdad was a graduate of the Inglis Ready2Race Sale that same year, joining the stable of Robbie Griffiths and Matt de Kock off a $150,000 bid by bloodstock agent Peter Ford. He is from the first crop of Coolmore's US Triple Crown hero Justify, who was crowned Champion First Season Sire in Australia last season and has sired five Group 1 winners in the Northern Hemisphere. Verdad is the third winner from three foals to race from Stakes-placed Magnus mare Whistle Baby, who was a winner out to 1400m.

Air Assault

3YO Gelding - Justify x Elegant Eagle

Another son of Justify, Air Assault was bred by veteran South Australian breeder Harry Perks and passed in with a $100,000 reserve at the 2022 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale. Out of Zabeel mare Elegant Eagle, the gelding is a half-brother to six individual winners, including Group 1 Champagne Stakes winner Go Indy Go and D.C. Mackay Stakes winner Essay Raider. Zabeel's deeds as a broodmare sire need little introduction and, in the last decade alone, his daughters have produced three-year-old classic winners Pinarello, Johnny Get Angry, Pinot, Bonneval and Tarzino.

Riff Rocket

3YO Gelding - American Pharoah x Missile Coda

A homebred for Debbie Kepitis' Woppitt Bloodstock, Riff Rocket is the first winner from two to race for Stakes-placed Smart Missile mare Missile Coda, who won out to 1300m. He is by US Triple Crown champion American Pharoah, who won Group 1 races from 1400m to 2400m. To date, American Pharoah has sired seven Group 1 winners in the Northern Hemisphere but is looking to break through at the elite level for the first time in Australia.

Sunsets

3YO Colt - Dundeel x Waterloo Sunset

A $150,000 purchase for Group 1 Bloodstock and Busuttin Racing from the Newhaven Park draft at the 2022 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, Sunsets had earlier gone through the ring at the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale, where he was bought by DJM Bloodstock for $34,000. He's by the Derby winner Dundeel, who has already produced Derby winner Dunkel, as well as Group 1-winning three-year-olds Militarize, Castelvecchio and Super Seth. Stakes-placed over 1600m, Fastnet Rock mare Waterloo Sunset is a half-sister to the Group 1 Australasian Oaks winner Invest. The cross with Fastnet Rock mares have proven Dundeel's most successful with 19 individual winners from 30 runners, including two Stakes winners.

Make A Call

3YO Colt - Extreme Choice x To Dubawi Go

The sale-topper at the 2022 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, Cina Horse Club, Newgate Bloodstock and Trilogy Racing paid $825,000 for the colt from the draft of Mane Lodge. Mane Lodge's Neil Osborne paid $20,000 for To Dubawi Go as a yearling and trained her to win six races out to 2000m. The daughter of Dubawi has produced two other winners, including Smart Missile gelding Smartawi who ran unplaced in this year's Queensland Derby. Make A Call is by wonder sire Extreme Choice, who has produced three individual Group 1 winners from limited runners, including last year's VRC Oaks winner She's Extreme.

What a story ��

13 years after he paid $20k for To Dubawi Go as a yearling, trainer Neil Osborne sells her fifth foal by Extreme Choice for $825k – a new #InglisClassic record! pic.twitter.com/Bj0QyXHM2K

— Racing.com (@Racing) February 7, 2022

Gold Bullion

3YO - Gelding - Savabeel x Gold Rush

Another expensive yearling purchase for China Horse Club, Newgate Bloodstock and Trilogy Racing who teamed up to pay $400,000 for the then-colt at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. He's by champion NZ sire Savabeel, who has produced three-year-old staying classic winners Sangster, Scarlett Lady, Major Beel and Amarelinha among other Group 1 winners. Gold Bullion is the second winner out of the Group 2-winning So You Think mare Gold Rush, who is herself a daughter of Karrakatta Plate winner Gold Rocks.

Gates

3YO Colt - Frankel x Bellwether

The most expensive horse lining up in Saturday's Derby, Gates was purchased for $950,000 by Moody Racing and Dalziel Bloodstock out of the Rosemont Stud draft at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. The colt is by Frankel, who needs little introduction as a racehorse or sire. His offspring include three-year-old classic winners Adayar, Hurricane Lane, Anapurna and Soul Stirring, as well as ATC Oake heroine Hungry Heart. He's out of the Three Valleys mare Bellwether, who is a half-sister to Group 1 winner Mirage Dancer, himself by Frankel. Gates' third dam is the outstanding broodmare Hasili, who has left five individual Group 1 winners.

— Racing.com (@Racing) January 14, 2022

Kosgei

3YO Gelding - The Autumn Sun x Sara Ann

Kosgei was overlooked by buyers several times as a young horse and he was passed in at both the 2022 NZB Karaka Sale and the 2022 NZB Ready To Run Sale. The gelding is fron the first crop of Arrowfield's young stallion The Autumn Sun, who sired last week's Group 3 Ethereal Stakes (2000m) winner Autumn Angel. He's ninth named foal out of unraced Stravinsky mare Sara Ann, who has already produced an ATC Derby winner in Tavago. It's the same family as 1982 VRC Derby winner Grosvenor, 1984 WA Derby winner National Gallery and, more recently, champion sprinter Lankan Rupee.

Bulawayo

3YO Colt - Fiorente x Sense In The City

A homebred for Wyadup Valley Farm's Trevor Dalroy, the colt is a son of the late Melbourne Cup hero Fiorente, who is looking to posthumously sire his first Group 1 winner. Bulawayo is the second to race and first winner out of the Street Sense mare Sense In The City, who never won beyond 1200m.

Sacred Eagle

3YO Colt - Alpine Eagle x God Bless Us

Purchased by trainer Symon Wilde for $70,000 from the Armidale Stud 2022 Magic Millions Tasmanian, the colt is a son of Armidale's resident stallion Alpine Eagle, who is yet to sire a Stakes winner outside of Tasmania. He's out of the Flying Spur mare God Bless Us, who has already thrown Group 2 MV Vase (2040m) winner Soul Patch, who ran third in the 2019 VRC Derby.

Roguery

3YO Gelding - Into Mischief x Sweet Strike

Offered in the Yarraman Park draft at the 2022 Inglis Classic Yearling, the then-colt was secured for $100,000 by a collective that included Kennewell Racing, Group 1 Bloodstock and H & H Bloodstock. He is by the champion US stallion Into Mischief, who is the sire of Kentucky Derby winner Authentic, Florida Derby winner Audible and Santa Anita Derby winner Goldencents, among other Group 1 winners. Only three Australian-based mares foaled down to Into Mischief in 2020, including Roguery's dam Sweet Strike. A daughter of Smart Strike, she is a half-sister to Group 1 Hollywood Park American Oaks winner Nereid.

Mercante

3YO Gelding - Dundeel x Breccia

Trainer Nigel Blackiston teamed up with Astute Bloodstock to pay $300,000 for the then-colt from the Bhima Thoroughbreds draft at the 2022 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. He's by Arrowfield Stud's Dundeel who, as noted earlier, has curated a brilliant record with his male three-year-olds, including the likes of Dunkel, Militarize, Castelvecchio and Super Seth. Mercante is out of the Fastnet Rock mare Breccia, who has already produced Group 1 All Aged Stakes winner Tivaci. As mentioned above when examining Sunsets' pedigree, the Dundeel - Fastnet Rock cross is extremely potent.

To Be Frank

3YO Colt - Almanzor x Veronica Franco

Also part of the Bhima draft at the 2022 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale was this colt, who was purchased by Ciaron Maher Bloodstock for $130,000. He's by French Derby winner Almanzor, whose credentials as the sire of staying classic winners was on show in the VRC Derby 12 months ago via his star son Manzoice. To Be Frank is the fourth foal and third winner out of the Stakes-winning Johar mare Veronica Franco, who produced the talented but injury-plagued Merchant of Venice.

Warialda Warrior

3YO Gelding - Saxon Warrior x Romance Writer

Bred by his trainer John Ramsey, the youngster was retained to race after he was passed in at the 2022 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale. He is from the first Australian crop of Coolmore's 2000 Guineas winner Saxon Warrior, who is the sire of Group 1 winner Victoria Road. Warailda Warrior is out of the One Cool Cat mare Romance Writer, who won over 1000m. He shares a second dam with his Derby rival Kosgei so he's from the same family as Derby winners Tavago and Grosvenor.

Tokyo Run

3YO Gelding - Staphanos x Press Issue

A homebred for Tony Muollo, the gelding is from the first crop of his young sire Staphanos, who is a Group 1-winning son of champion Japanese stallion Deep Impact. A Group 1 winner in Hong Kong over 2000m and Group 1 placed in Japan over the same distance, Staphanos has already sired a Group 1 winner in the form of star 2YO Pignan. Tokyo Run is the first foal out of the Your Song mare Press Issue, who retired as a two-start maiden. She descends from a family that includes Group 1 winners Press Statement and Pressday.