2000 Guineas: A Lot at Stake

These days a decent stallion prospect from the NH fetches more than a developing nations GDP, so more than ever it's to within their own ranks that local studmasters are looking for that next special colt. While potential suspects for the mantle of the next Darci Brahma or Alamosa need good form at two, it's Classic success at three and below 2000m that really gets the calculators out.

The increased significance of the breeding consideration has seen the Group One NZ 2000 Guineas grow in statue as a race and it's little co-incidence that four of the leading chances for this afternoon's 1600m Classic have been spared the cruelest cut of all. A win later today by either of Jimmy Choux, Cellarmaster, Maradona or He's Remarkable will be worth considerably more to connections than the $600,000 first prize-money.

Jimmy Choux is easily the best male product to date of Thorn Park, a group one winning son of Spinning World, from an unraced daughter of Champion Broodmare Stallion Centaine - sire in that capacity of 20 group one winners including budding stallion Alamosa.

The Centaine factor is probably going to be the most important selling point of the colt s female line with the 1998 Avondale Guineas and Wellington Stakes winner Mr Danamite - from a half sister to Jimmy Choux's second dam - easily the best representative of a family somewhat light on black-type.

Line-breeding purists will enjoy the presence of four crosses of Star Kingdom within Jimmy Choux's pedigree.

Not necessarily the type to bowl you over with his looks in the birdcage, Jimmy Choux is nonetheless an extremely well balanced colt, of medium size with a game, genuine head and eye. And while his breeding does not suggest as much, he may well get over 2000m and further, such is his relaxed disposition.

Cellarmaster has a comparatively similar pedigree profile to Jimmy Choux although his sire Dubawi has made a superior start to his stud career than Thorn Park, largely on the back of his NH stock which have left him in the highly enviable position for a sire with only three crops of racing age in Europe of sitting in sixth-place on stakemoney won and 2nd to Oasis Dream in the number of Pattern winners.

Withdrawn from the 2009 Karaka Premier Sale and retained by his breeder, Cellarmaster is the 7th foal of the unraced Sound Reason mare Oneology, dam also of the useful Australian performer Our Bahare, a winner of nearly $250,000 and third in the VRC Derby of his year to Elvstroem. Further back it's a family responsible for the high class stayer Second Coming and the Breeders Cup Turf winner and leading sire In The Wings.

Like his two-year-old sparring partner, Cellarmaster is not an overly tall or long horse but he's well balanced and very strongly made - especially through the girth and shoulder.

Maradona's immediate pedigree has been detailed in a 14 September posting. While the presence of disappointing stallions Anziyan and St Hilarion as sires of his first two dams is not going to do wonders for the Mr Nancho colts stud appeal, both mares have shown a real affinity to out perform their pedigrees and Cashcade in particular looks capable of taking her branch of a solid old family to a another level.

A taller and longer horse than Cellarmaster and Jimmy Choux, Maradona is a heavier, slightly showier version of his half sister Ekstreme, rangy and workman like rather than necessarily attractive.

He's Remarkable's pedigree has been detailed in a 13 September posting. By a well and truly proven stallion in Pentire and from a Zabeel mare whose dam is a Centaine full sister to the 2007 NZ Broodmare of the Year, He s Remarkable has the most fashionable pedigree of the four colts.

Given the tough examination that is a stallions pedigree, Jimmy Choux, Cellarmaster and Maradona regardless of todays result are probably going to have to win another group one contest, and preferably this autumn in Australia in a race like the Randwick, Rosehill or Australian Guineas - never an easy ask against the local foe - whereas a win by He's Remarkable this afternoon may well tempt a profile farm to at least take a majority position in the Roger James trained colt.

With the current almost unprecedented demand for staying types not expected to abate anytime soon and being by a proven middle distance sire in his twilight years and without a son at stud, plus having the presence of two of the most significant names in post war NZ breeding in his female line, all lends itself to He's Remarkable having the most at stake today.