Cassie Tully looks at the pedigrees of the leading contenders in the Superlative Stakes

The two-year-old pattern races without doubt provide some of the most fascinating events. Untapping streams of potential and unearthing future stars. Who will live up to, or in fact exceed their pedigrees?

This year’s renewal of the Group Two bet365 Superlative Stakes on Saturday is packed with quality pedigrees and burgeoning stars. Ten colts line up in a bid to take their next onto what connections will hope to b greater things.

It was this race that Dubawi won en-route to Group One National Stakes success, completing an unblemished juvenile year before his dual top-flight wins at three.

Horatio Nelson, Olympic Glory and Dubawi’s sadly ill-fated son Quorto are the trio who have since gone on to Group One success after seizing this prize.

At the top of the market this year is the John Gosden trained Seventh Kingdom who comfortably defeated his three rivals by four lengths over this distance at Doncaster a month ago. This horse is a son of Frankel and Italian Group One winner Nayarra, a half-sister to Gustav Klimt, the 2017 winner of this race.

Gustav Klimt went on to place in six Group One races after his success here and he and Nayarra are not only siblings to three other Stakes winners – Wonderfully, Cuff and Blissful - but their dam Massarra is a sister to top sires Invincible Spirit and Kodiac.

Ballydoyle’s sole representative is Hudson River. Also successful in his sole start over this distance two weeks ago at the Curragh, he is the first foal out of dual Nunthorpe Stakes speedster Mecca’s Angel. She and her Group Three winning full-brother Markaz are the sole stars in their family, but Mecca’s Angel’s racetrack performances earned her a rendezvous with Galileo.

Mating sprinting fillies to Galileo has produced some real superstars including Frankel, Churchill and Gleneagles, to mention just a few.

Next, we have a son of Dubawi hoping to follow in his father and paternal half-brother’s footsteps for Godolphin, Master Of The Seas.

Similarly fruitful on his sole outing over this distance to date as his two main market rivals, the homered is a son of French Guineas placed Firth of Lorne and a half-brother to three other Godolphin-raced Stakes winners including St James’s Palace Stakes placed Latharnach.

Bright Devil, winner on debut, also has some Stakes experience under his belt albeit only sixth in the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot. The mount of Oisin Murphy is a son of Dark Angel, out of a half-sister to German Oaks heroine Almerita, which is also the family of dual Group One winner and sire Medicean.

Saint Lawrence, winner on his second start over this distance by four lengths, is a grandson of Dubawi through the four-time Group One winner Al Kazeem.

Al Kazeem has already produced a top-level winner from his original brief stint at stud before proving sub-fertile, returning to the racecourse and winning the Tattersalls Gold Cup. And Saint Lawrence is one of only 17 starters and four winners since his return to the breeding shed.

This horse is a half-brother to last year’s Royal Ascot Albany Stakes and Group Two Rockfel Stakes scorer for the same trainer, Daahyeh. She also placed in the Moyglare Stakes behind Love and in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies’ Turf.

Their dam is a half-sister to Group winners Deportivo and So Beloved, as well as being the family of USA triple Group One scorer Wandesta.

It doesn’t end there. King Zain, a son of Kingman and the mount of Frankie Dettori, won his sole start by nearly three lengths and is out of Group Three winner Shreyas.

Shreyas is a half-sister to dual Group One winning German Champion Youmzain, who placed second in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe three times; as well as Group One Lockinge Stakes scorer Creachadoir. All of whom are relatives to six-time Group One scoring champion, Pilsudski.

Devious Company, a son of Fast Company and sibling to the very useful Circumvent; Miami Joy who is related to dual Group One winner Belardo; and then Ventura Tormenta and Snash, sons of Acclamation and Markaz, who both won over shorter distances so far, complete the field.

It is fair to say that each of these colts are bred to be racing in events such as the Superlative. However, only one will prevail, so who will step forward from their promising debuts and continue their upward trajectory?

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