The news that one of the world’s top gallopers, Gloria De Campeao, has been set for this October’s $3 million Group 1 Cox Plate (wfa, 2040m, Moonee Valley) is not only a terrific boost for the race, but also a wonderful opportunity for Australian racing fans to see a genuine international superstar.

Gloria de Campeao won the 2010 Group 1 Dubai World Cup (wfa, 2000m) at Meydan in Dubai in March – he will be the first World Cup winner to come to Australia to race. Of course, Street Cry, winner of the 2002 World Cup, and Singspiel (1997) have shuttled to Australia as a stallion.

Only 10 days ago, Gloria de Campeao was brave when nudged out by Lizard’s Desire, who was second (beaten a nose) in Dubai, in the Group 1 Singapore Airlines International Cup (wfa, 2000m) at Kranji.

It has been a while since an internationally-trained horse has competed in the Cox Plate. The most recent was in 2005 when three horses – Super Kid (7^th, trained by John Moore in Hong Kong), Greys Inn (10^th, Mike de Kock, South Africa) and Tosen Dandy (11^th, Hideyoki Mori, Japan) – were unplaced behind Makybe Diva in a memorable race.

Of course, Makybe Diva was bred in Great Britain, but she didn’t race there.

It could be said that the Irish Derby winner Grey Swallow, who was 12^th behind Fields Of Omagh in 2006, was an international – he won his Irish Derby under the guidance of Dermot Weld in Ireland, but Weld sold the grey to Wadham Park’s Peter Rowsthorn, who entrusted his private trainer Dale Sutton with preparing Grey Swallow for the Cox Plate. Unfortunately, the exercise failed when Grey Swallow dwelt at the start before trailing the field home. He pulled up lame and was retired to Rowsthorn’s Woodside Park Stud – his oldest progeny are yearlings.

Going back to the fly in-fly out visitors, Godolphin went close to winning the Cox Plate in 2002 when the handsome chestnut Grandera, a horse with a similar Group 1 winning record to Grey Swallow, rattled home for third behind Northerly and Defier after wobbling around the home bend. Grandera (by Grand Lodge (USA)) shuttled to Australia as a stallion between 2003 and 2007.

Only two former international racehorses have won the Cox Plate: the most recent was Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Almaarad, who won for trainer Colin Hayes in 1989; and the first Cox Plate winner, Violoncello in 1922, was promising galloper in England when he was spotted by Sydney’s Sir Samuel Horden on one of his travels. Horden paid £4000 for Violoncello, who also won the Caulfield Cup in 1921.

What appeals to me about Gloria De Campeao is his running style, which is perfect for Moonee Valley. He will set the pace and keep the pressure on; he rarely gives up without a fight. Watching him run in the Cox Plate will be a highlight for a race that has starting to lag behind the Melbourne Cup for publicity in recent years.

Gloria De Campeao was bred and originally raced in Brazil. He is trained in France by Pascal Bary, a horseman of high international standing, who has trained the winners of Group 1 races in six countries, including three Breeders’ Cups in North America.

Gloria De Campeoa has a strong South American pedigree, but that goes back to Great Britain from a family that has significance influence in Australia and New Zealand.  His sire Impression (ARG), has an American pedigree, being by Fappiano’s son Rubiano (USA) from Improbable Lady (USA), a daughter of the French-bred Liloy. Audacity (BRZ), the dam of Gloria De Campeao, is a direct descendant of a mare that appears in the Stud Book as the West Australian mare (GB), born in 1857, who is best known as the dam of the breed-shaping stallion Musket (GB), the sire of Carbine.

Interestingly, I wrote recently about Lee Freedman’s promising 2YO, Smokin’ Joey (b c 2007, Encosta De Lago–Dalzing, by Blazing Sword) also tracing back to Musket’s dam.

Molson’s win in the opening race, the Star Shower 2YO Handicap (1400m), at Sandown Hillside today is testimony to the lengths Nathan Tinkler’s Patinack Farm racing operation will go to get a win.

In a similar manner to the  “travel to win” policy adopted by trainer John Hawkes when he was at Woodlands Stud, and fostered other trainers such as Peter Moody and Mick Price, the Patinack team is travelling eastern and southern Australia in search of a winner.

Molson, a filly by Fusaichi Pegasus (USA) from Canada (by Canny Lad), started her career with a 740-metre trial win at Randwick on March 26 – she made her debut 15 days later, finishing sixth behind Cyndiana Star over 900 metres at Newcastle.

Two weeks later, trainer John Thompson shipped the filly to Adelaide for a 1000-metre 2YO race at Morphettville. She filly raced in a good position, but was very one-pace before finishing seventh behind Tropical Thunder.

Thompson sent Molson back to his Melbourne base. An increase in distance saw an immediate result, with the filly running on powerfully to beat all but Female Agent (by Commands) in 1200-metre 2YO Maiden at Ballarat on May 13. It was a promising performance from a filly, indicating she would relish a further increase in distance.

That came today at Sandown, where Molson proved a shade too strong for Lee Freedman’s Population (by Shamardal (USA)), with Female Agent franking the form line by finishing third.

Starspangledbanner’s debut run last night in England for new trainer Aidan O’Brien was far from inglorious – the colt came in a competitive fifth behind Prime Defender in the Group 2 Duke Of York Stakes (wfa 1200m) at York.

Starspangledbanner, ridden by Johnny Murtagh, showed his customary speed, which saw him match strides in clear air with the leaders, including Prime Defender (by Bertolini), who raced on his inside. The Australian colt held his ground as the pressure came on at the 500m, only to weaken in the last 200m when his lack of race fitness, and the hefty 62.5kg on his back, took its toll.

Last year’s Group 2 Gimcrack Stakes winner, Showcasing (by Oasis Dream), made a late run to snatch second from stablemate Main Aim (by Oasis Dream), who ran on strongly along the inside rail to beat Doncaster Rover (by War Chant) by a head. Starspangledbanner was 1.25 lengths further back.

The best guide on the strength of the form line of this race is the fact that Showcasing is the pre-post favourite ($11) for the Group 1 Golden Jubilee Stakes (1200m) at Royal Ascot next month.

It is interesting that the winner had backed up from a soft Class 2 win at Haydock only four days earlier, so fitness was on his side.

The time for the 1200m was 1 min 11.19 secs on a good surface – according to racingpost.com, a time slower than the benchmark by 0.59 secs.

Starspangledbanner, winner of the 2009 Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m, Caulfield) and the 2010 Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m, Caulfield), is being advertised to stand at Coolmore Australia in the spring at a fee of $33,000 (inc. GST). Coolmore reports that the flashy chestnut already had 75 mares booked to him.

He will run in either the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes (wfa 1000m) at Royal Ascot, a race previously won by the Australian-trained sprinters Choisir (Starspangledbanner’s sire), Miss Andretti, Takeover Target and Scenic Blast in the past seven years, or in the Golden Jubilee, run four days later.

O’Brien has indicated it is unlikely Starspangledbanner will attempt to emulate his sire, who won the double in 2003, but the temptation will be there if the colt wins the King’s Stand.

The David Hayes-trained Nicconi (by Bianconi), winner of the 2010 Group 1 Lightning Stakes (wfa 1000m, Flemington) will run in the King’s Stand, while trainer Paul Messara has set his Group 1-winning mare Alverta (by Flying Spur) for the Golden Jubilee.

Picture: Starspangledbanner (Danny Nikolic) parading at Caulfield.

The beautifully-named and exquisitely-bred Ringstrasse has a bright future as a racehorse if her debut win today in the Lady Pirouette Handicap (1000m) at Sandown is any guide.

Ringstrasse, by Redoute’s Choice, is the first foal of Wiener (br m 2003, More Than Ready (USA)–Snippets’ Lass, by Snippets), a half-sister to Group 1 winner and promising sire Snitzel – a son of Redoute’s Choice.

Ringstrasse, who is trained by Lee Freedman, cost owner Darley $900,000 at the 2009 Inglis Easter Yearling Sales. Darley and Freedman had Stakes success last season with Snitzel’s sister Viennese (Group 3 The Jansz (1200m, Morphettville)), who has since been retired to stud. Another half-brother to Wiener is the talented Hinchinbrook (b c 2007, Fastnet Rock), who won this season’s Group 3 Skyline Stakes (1200m, Randwick) before finishing fourth behind Crystal Lily in the Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m, Rosehill) and third behind Yosei in the G1 Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m, Randwick).

Viennese was mated last spring to Darley’s champion shuttle stallion Street Cry (USA).

Ringstrasse was foaled, raised and offered by Kitchwin Hills after the Scone-based stud paid $1.25 million for her (in foal to Redoute’s Choice) at the 2007 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale on behalf of client Neil Werrett.

Ringstrasse, like most of the family is only small, but she has inherited the family speed.

She gets her name from the famous ring-shaped boulevard that circles the old district of Vienna (Wiener).

The bay filly, ridden by Dwayne Dunn, settled just behind the speed on a heavy track before producing a good sprint to beat stablemate She Likes To Rock (b f 2007, Fastnet Rock–Hampton Rover (USA), by Miswaki (USA), a filly that cost only $40,000 – to the bid of Damon Gabbedy – at last year’s Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale. She Likes To Rock also was having her first outing.

Wiener has a 2008 filly by Redoute’s Choice that has been retained, but she slipped to Encosta De Lago from her 2008 mating. Wiener is currently safely in foal to that champion stallion to a mid-September cover.

Freedman’s bloodstock manager Sam Pritchard-Gordon said Ringstrasse had improved dramatically in recent weeks after trialling impressively at Balnarring. “It was great to get a city win on debut and going forward we would like to get some black type for Darley,” he said.

Pictured: Ringtrasse at Lee Freedman’s Markdel stables.

Owner Lloyd Williams’ high-priced imports, Alandi (IRE) and Mourayan (IRE), have been entered for Saturday’s Listed Straight Six (1200m) at Flemington.

Williams bought both horses late last year from the Aga Khan. They were trained in Ireland by John Oxx.

Alandi (b h 2005, Galileo (IRE)-Aliya (IRE), by Darshaan (IRE)) has won five of his eight starts, including Group 1 wins at his two most recent outings – the Irish St. Leger (2800m, The Curragh) on September 12, and the Prix du Cardran (4000m, Longchamp) on Ocober 4.

Mourayan (b h 2006, Alhaarth (IRE)-Mouramara (IRE), by Kahyasi (IRE)) has won two of his nine starts, both as a 2YO, over 1600m and 1800m. In August, he finished second behind Profound Beauty in the Group 3 Ballyroan Stakes (2000m, Leopardstown) before finishing fifth behind Mastery in the Group 1 English St. Leger (2900m, Doncaster) on September 12.

Indications from the stable are that Mourayan is the likely starter of the pair. Alandi isn’t expected to race until the spring.

Williams’ locally-bred horses continue their good form. Yesterday at Seymour, the promising Base (b g 3, Zabeel (NZ)-Tall Story (NZ), by Carnegie (IRE)), made a winning debut over 1400m.

The gelding cost Williams $250,000 at the 2008 NZ Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale – it is worth noting that Base’s brother (view pedigree) was bought by Graeme Rogerson (probably for Williams) at this year’s Inglis Easter Yearling Sale for $150,000. Tall Story, the dam of Base, is a half-sister to the triple Group 1 winning mare Tall Poppy (by Kaapstad (NZ)).

Pictured: Alandi winning the Prix du Cadran at Longchamp.

I was watching Bred To Win on Sky Channel – can’t remember if it was on 1, 2 or World – on Sunday night when the imposing image of Yarraman Park’s new stallion I Am Invincible filled the wide screen.

It’s not hard to see what impressed Yarraman Park’s owners, the brothers Harry and Arthur Mitchell, about this horse when they flew to Melbourne in late February to inspect him at Peter Morgan’s Whittlesea stables.

I Am Invincible (b h 2004, Invincible Spirit (IRE)-Cannarelle, by Canny Lad) will stand at Yarraman Park, Scone, for a fee of $11, 000 (inc. GST). I Am Invincible retired the winner of five races from only 13 starts from a career that started impressively as a 2YO, faltered when he was injured as a 3YO, but emerged under Morgan’s care to be one of the top sprinters in Australia in the past 12 months.

I Am Invincible showed blistering speed to win the Group 3 McKay Stakes (1100m, Morphettville) in March 2009. Two weeks later, he produced a career-best second behind the champion Takeover Target in the Group 1 The Goodwood (1200m, Morphettville), after kicking clear on the bend and putting the champ under pressure.

I Am Invincible returned to Melbourne in July to beat Gran Sasso and Orange County in the Listed Sir John Monash Stakes (wfa, 1100m, Caulfield), but injuries restricted him to only two more unplaced spring starts before Morgan was forced to abandon plans to race the horse on. You can only wonder how good this horse could have been had he been sound. Even Morgan still scratches his head at what he may have achieved.

Harry Mitchell told me at the Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale in March that he and his brother were taken by the horse when Morgan paraded him.

“We had heard he was a good looking horse, but I didn’t expect him to be such an impressive animal,” he said.

“He is a handsome horse with plenty of leg (the horse stands 16.1hh), bone and style. He’s the type of horse that will throw the ideal foals to sell through the ring.”

The Mitchells are not big gamblers when it comes to the breeding game. They are calculating and clever, and highly respected – they also know their place in the scheme of things, which is why they are happy to back their judgment on a horse like I Am Invincible and leave the higher profile, more expensive stallions to the likes of Arrowfield, Coolmore and Darley.

The Mitchells also have had a strong relationship with I Am Invincible’s owner/breeder Ron Gall, so it was a good fit all round.

Yarraman Park’s strong client base, especially of broodmare owners in the $10,000- $20,000 stallion fee price bracket, will ensure that I Am Invincible will get a positive start to his career.

The Mitchells have been very successful with a similar type of stallion in Magic Albert (ch h 1998, Zeditave-Sally Lou, by Salieri (USA)), who last year covered 125 mares at a fee of $13,250 (inc. GST). Magic Albert has sired eight stakes winners from his first five crops, and he has four big crops (oldest 2YOs) that will race for him.

I Am Invincible’s sire Invincible Spirit, a son of Danzig’s champion sire-son Green Desert (USA), has been something of a revelation in Europe where he is regarded as a top-tier stallion. He stood in Australia at Chatswood Stud, Seymour, from 2003, delivering crops of only 31, 56 and 48 foals before the success of his progeny saw his support grow dramatically for him to cover 153 mares in 2006 – he hasn’t been back since due to his demand in Europe, where his winners include the 2007 Group 1 French Derby winner Lawman, the 2009 Group 1 July Cup winner Fleeting Spirit and the 2009 Group 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Vale Of York.

Invincible Spirit’s final Australian crop has already produced the Group 1 AJC Sires’ Produce Stakes winner Yosei (b f 2007, ex-Fuji Fairy, by Fuji Kiseki (JPN)).

Interestingly, I Am Invincible comes from a Danzig-Canny Lad cross that also has produced the champion sire Redoute’s Choice (b h 1996, Danehill (USA)-Shantha’s Choice, by Canny Lad), albeit reaching Danzig one remove further back and through a different sire line.

\Mares by Danzero, Catbird and Elvstroem, offer a similar Danzig-Star Kingdom cross that can be replicated by mating with I Am Invincible. But the shrewd Yarraman boys have done their home work, as there is hardly a mare in Australia that wouldn’t be a good match with this handsome young horse.

Lee Freedman’s impressive prospect, Smokin’ Joey, comes from a much-travelled international family, but one with its roots firmly entrenched in Australian racing history.

Smokin’ Joey, a big, leggy colt by Encosta De Lago from the Blazing Sword mare Dalzing, came with big strides to win last Saturday’s Listed Blue Sapphire Classic (1200m) at Caulfield – the same race that last year launched the career of the still unbeaten filly Black Caviar (by Bel Esprit).

The Hall of Fame trainer is now aiming Smokin’ Joey for a Brisbane campaign that will include a run in the Group 1 The T J Smith (1600m, Eagle Farm), a race he has previously won with another late-maturing juvenile, the exceptional Mahogany (by Last Tycoon (IRE)), who won the race in 1993.

Smokin’ Joey has a most intriguing pedigree, but you need to follow the female trail back a century or more to get to the crux of it. His dam Dalzing (m 1991, ex-Dalaal, by Taj Rossi) has also produced Smokin’ Joey’s brother, the top-class Our Smoking Joe (b g 2000), whose only Stakes win, when trained by Freedman, is the Group 2 2006 St. George Stakes (wfa 1800m, Caulfield), but he is many times Group 1 placed.

Dalzing, who died last December without producing a foal since Smokin’ Joey, also is the dam of Freedman’s promising 3YO filly, Gallant Lady (ch f 2005, by Galileo (IRE)), who recently has finished runner-up behind Danaupair Starlet in the G3 SA Classic (2500m, Morphettville) and beat all but Exceptionally in the Listed VRC St Leger (2800m, Flemington) – all Dalzing’s progeny are raced by Victorian breeders Joe and Anna Lanteri – the Mildura-based Lanteri family is one of Australia’s leading producers of table grapes.

Dalzing’s second dam is the imported mare Mira Mila Milica (USA), who from another mating to Taj Rossi produced the classy sprinter Taj Quillo, winner of the 1986 Group 1 Gadsden Stakes (1200m, Flemington). Mira Mila Milica also is the dam of the multiple Listed winner Magical Storm (by Magical Wonder (USA)).

This is an American family that has its origins in Argentina in the 1950s – there is a line of Argentinean mares in this family tracing back to the turn of the 20^th century when the mare Sleeping Sickness was imported to South America from Great Britain.

Sleeping Sickness was a well-named daughter of the mare Malaria (GB), herself an equally cleverly-named daughter of the mare Mosquito (GB), who was born in 1874. This is where the connection to insects and associated diseases ends and the link to Australian racing history begins.

Mosquito, by Toxophilite (GB), is a daughter of an unnamed mare – a daughter of the 1853 Epsom Derby winner West Australian – simply known as the West Australian mare. Mosquito is the 13th dam of Smokin’ Joey.

While the West Australian mare may not have earned herself an official name, she has etched a place in racing history as the dam of the champion stallion Musket (GB) – a brother to Mosquito – who is best known as the sire of the legendary Carbine (NZ), a champion international sire and winner of the 1890 Melbourne Cup.

Musket, from his New Zealand base, also sired the 1883 Cup winner Martini Henry (NZ) and the champion sire Trenton (NZ), runner-up in the 1886 Cup and the sire of the Cup winners Auraria (1895) and Revenue (1901) and the wonderful champion mare Wakeful.

This is a family that in the last 100 years has been influential in England, Argentina, North America, New Zealand and Australia. Smokin’ Joey, if Freedman’s predictions are on the money, has a big future on the racetrack and as a sire prospect, especially if he can win his Group 1 as a 2YO in Brisbane.

For Freedman, the ultimate aim is to win the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m, Caulfield) in October, a race he also won with Mahogany.

Footnote: The Group 1 South Australian Derby Kidnapped (b c 2005, Viscount–Youthful Presence, by Dehere (USA)) also comes from a world-famous family. His seventh, eighth and ninth dams are Hall of Fame mares – starting with his ninth dam, the freakish racemare and broodmare gem Mumtaz Mahal (by The Tetrarch).

Mumtaz Mahal’s daughter, Mumtaz Begum (by Blenheim (GB)), is the dam of the incomparable sire Nasrullah (GB) and his half-sister Sun Princess (by Solario (GB)) – Kidnapped’s seventh dam – who is the dam of another breed-shaping sire-influence, Royal Charger (GB), the sire of the great Turn-To (IRE), who founded the sire-line that produce Sir Ivor (USA), his son Sir Tristram (IRE)) and his son Zabeel (NZ).

Photo: Smokin’ Joey, winning at Caulfield, courtesy Freedman Racing.

Anteros, from a pedigree point of view, is the most interesting winner of the weekend. The German-bred gelding comes from a European royal family, as we noted in a story we filed on The Thoroughbred website in February 2009, which we reproduce below following Anteros’ win at Caulfield on Saturday. The picture is of Anteros as a yearling in Germany.

How does a member of Germany’s thoroughbred royalty find his way to the western district of Victoria? The story starts in Port Lincoln when tuna fishing magnate-cum-racehorse owner Tony Santic asked his bloodstock agent, John Foote, to find a horse at the Baden-Baden Yearling Sales in Germany in 2005.

Foote, who bought the broodmare Tugela (in foal with Makybe Diva) for Santic at a Tattersall’s Sale in England, paid 100,000 euros (on current value: AU$193,650) for an athletic colt by leading sire Big Shuffle (USA) (h 1984, Super Concorde (USA)-Raise Your Skirts (USA), by Elevation (USA)) from the outstanding producing mare Aerleona (IRE) (m 1988, Caerleon (USA)-Alata (IRE), by Le Levanstall (IRE)).

Aerleona is the dam of five Stakes winners (eight winners from eight starters), including the outstanding multiple Group winner and promising sire Areion (by Big Shuffle). Germany is known for its preference for breeding stayers, but the Aerleona offspring, particularly Areion, are at their best over sprint distances.

Santic imported his German colt to Australia in October 2005 with the aim was to win a Group 1 and then stand the import at stud. The youngster was initially trained by Danny O’Brien, who didn’t give Anteros his first run until a 1200m maiden at Moonee Valley in December 2007, and the expectations were high as Anteros – despite being a northern hemisphere 3YO against local 4YOs and over – stepped out a $3.60 favourite, only to finish sixth. After a series of niggling problems, O’Brien was forced to spell the colt without another run.

Anteros returned in July 2008 to win a maiden first-up at Echuca, but the promise of better things didn’t eventuate, although Anteros was placed in his next three runs around the provincials. It was decided that Anteros wasn’t going to make a Group horse, or a stallion prospect, and he was offered for sale. The first interest came from Queensland but that fell through after Anteros pulled a hamstring finishing third at Cranbourne (1400m) on September 14.

In stepped former media man Anthony Mithen, whose new life in racing includes running the family property Rosemount Stud at Ceres, not far from Santic’s showplace farm, Makybe, just outside Geelong. Mithen, with encouragement from Colac trainer Mark Young, syndicated Anteros with a group of friends.

Young said he would only take the 5YO if the horse was gelded. The operation was completed and Anteros debuted for his new stable with a terrific late-finishing second behind Tis Folly, in a fast 57.86 secs for the 1000m, at Warrnambool on January 11.

Mithen has no visions of grandeur with his purchase. “We are expecting he will make Saturday city class,” he said. “Importantly, three or four of the blokes who took a share have raced four or five horses over the last 10 years and never had a winner until Anteros won at Terang.”

Mithen paid tribute to Young, who also trains the Newmarket Handicap contender Secret Flyer in which Mithen also has a share. “Mark was keen on Anteros as soon as he saw him. He wanted him gelded, and when the horse came to the stables, he made it a sackable offence if any member of the staff patted the horse,” Mithen said.

“Mark felt that a horse with his pedigree and history, had probably been pampered all his life, so it was a bit of tough love.”