Resurgence looming for local talent

INGLIS general manager Simon Vivian believes today’s Victoria Derby is proof that there is going to be a resurgence in the Australian staying ranks which will flow on to the Melbourne Cup down the track.

As it stands there will only be two Australian-bred horses in the Melbourne Cup which are Vow And Declare and Youngstar.

Also there will be only two New Zealand-breds which are Surprise Baby and The Chosen One with the rest of the field bred in the northern hemisphere.

Vivian said the make-up of today’s Derby field with horses by the likes of Pierro, Dundeel and So You Think was a positive sign for the future.

“That trio are all colonialbred and I think there’s a greater appetite for those local staying horses among breeders,” Vivian said.

Vivian said the purchase of Castelvecchio, who is by Dundeel, to Arrowfield Stud was proof of this during the week.

“I think it’s going to be a natural evolution and it’s going to swing back around to the locally bred horses.”

Vivian predicted a stallion such as Puissance De Lune, whose oldest progeny are three-year-olds in 10 years’ time could be known as a renowned sire of stayers.

Puissance De Lune will be represented in today’s Victoria Derby with Southern Moon and on Thursday he will also have an Oaks runner with Moonlight Maid. Both are trained by Mitch Freedman and are owned by Gerry Ryan.

Adam Sangster, who stands Puissance De Lune at Swettenham Stud, said he also sensed a change in the attitude to breeding staying horses with breeders giving staying bred sires greater opportunity.