Impressive barrier trial winner Xanthus takes the first step towards bigger things when he makes his debut at Doomben.
Xanthus will tackle a smart field of youngsters in Saturday’s $125,000 Two-Year-Old Handicap (1110m) and his performance will determine whether he heads to Sydney or stays in Queensland for a $250,000 race.
The colt is by boom first season sire Better Than Ready out of Vis A Tergo who is by a noted sire of broodmares, Bradbury’s Luck.
Trainer Matt Dunn and his bloodstock agent Neil Jenkinson paid $44,000 for him at the Magic Millions March Sale.
Dunn trained Vis A Tergo who won a Doomben maiden on debut and showed enough in her first preparation to run in a stakes race.
While she was well beaten in the Listed race she returned to win four races in a row before injury forced her retirement.
“Time flies but while Vis A Tergo had knee problems she had plenty of ability. Hopefully Xanthus has inherited some,” Dunn said.
Dunn has a high opinion of Xanthus who is entered for some of the feature two-year-old races in the Sydney autumn.
“I liked his trial win at Deagon against older horses recently,” he said.
“If he runs well on Saturday we will certainly thinks about going south. But the Aquis Jewel at the Gold Coast is worth $250,000 and is restricted to QTIS horses.”
Dunn did not accept at Doomben with another of his promising youngsters, Cinco Star, who instead won at Lismore on Tuesday.
“I like him as well but we are going to spell him and geld him,” he said.
Xanthus isn’t the only interesting runner out of a Bradbury’s Luck mare in the Doomben juvenile race.
Tony Sears has accepted with Devil’s Temptation who is a son of former smart mare Bradbury Chocolate who is by Bradbury’s Luck.
Bradbury Chocolate had a cult following in Queensland about 10 years ago after winning her first seven races in a row and finishing her career with 11 victories.