Looking to play a major part this spring are the Gai Waterhouse pair Greatwood (GB) and Bonfire (GB) dominated the Premier's Cup.
Both are sons of the Monsun stallion Manduro (GER) (pictured).
Like Monsun's Australian Horse of The Year contender Fiorente, Manduro improved with every preparation.
Undefeated in two starts including a Group III in Germany at two, Manduro enjoyed his best season as a 5yo winning all five starts including the Group 1 Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Ascot defeating Dylan Thomas, the Group 1 Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville and the Group 1 Prix d'Ispahan at Longchamp.
Bonfire comes from his first crop and Greatwood his third.
When trained by Andrew Balding, Bonfire showed a deal of promise early on. He won at the first time of asking at Salisbury before taking the quantum leap to Group 1 company in the Criterium International at Saint-Cloud. He finished third that day but broke thorough for his first stakes win at his 3-year-old debut in the Group II Dante Stakes, the traditional Epsom Derby lead-up.
It saw him start second favourite behind Camelot in the classic but he never struck a blow behind the now Coolmore based stallion.
Bonfire's subsequent form placed him some way below top level. He had his final start in Europe in the Group III Prix Andre Baboin at Bordeaux finishing second to Celtic Rock.
After placing at his first two starts, Greatwood broke his maiden at Kempton. His next start came in the valuable £200,000 Tattersalls Millions 3-Y-O Trophy at Newmarket where he went down by half a head to Windhoek.
He failed at Group level at his next two starts and his European career came to an end when second in a Listed race at Ascot.
Greatwood is out of the winning Galileo mare Gaze a half-sister to the outstanding Fame And Glory (Montjeu) whose 14 wins included the Ascot Gold Cup, Tattersalls Gold Cup, Coronation Cup, Irish Derby and Criterium de Saint-Cloud, all Group Ones.
The impressive winner of the Listed Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock Stakes at Caulfield was the David Hayes and Tom Dabernig-trained Stipulate.
A model of consistency when trained by the late Henry Cecil and later Lady Cecil, the Juddmonte homebred won the Listed Feldon Stakes at Newmarket and placed a further nine times at stakes level. His final European start saw him finish second behind Asfare in the Group II Celebration Mile at Goodwood.
A son of the excellent Dansili, Stipulate is out of the Sadler's Wells mare Indication a three-quarter sister to Pretty Polly Stakes (LR) winner Take The Hint (Montjeu) and a half-sister to Group III winner Stronghold (Danehill).
