Sunlight Sibling Lone Silver Slipper Debutant

A strong historical pointer to future racetrack success, the winner of Saturday's Gr2 Silver Slipper Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens will join an illustrious list of previous winners including Pierro (Lonhro), Sweet Idea (Snitzel), Mossfun (Mossman), Astern (Medaglia d'Oro), Sunlight (Zoustar) and last year's Gr1 Golden Slipper winner Farnan (Not A Single Doubt). Of the field of 10 acceptances, all have raced except Hawkes Racing's $1.1m Magic Millions yearling graduate Dio (Zoustar-Solar Charged, by Charge Forward), a full-brother to previous Silver Slipper heroine and triple Group 1 winner Sunlight. Purchased by Orbis Bloodstock from the draft of Widden Stud, the colt has had two trials in readiness for his debut and with Brenton Avdulla set to take the ride after Tommy Berry failed in his appeal request, the colt is surely one to watch. Current favourite Four Moves Ahead (Snitzel-Doulmera, by Mr Greeley) for trainer John Sargent, a winner on debut back in early January, has had the benefit of winning a recent Rosehill barrier trial, but with four other last start winners engaged, it doesn't look a one-horse race on paper.

Sunlight has a full-brother engaged in the Silver Slipper (pic: Mark Gatt)