Tony Akkari has been trying to breed another horse as good as his first attempt, but it’s a tough assignment as that horse is the sensational triple crown winner Dance Hero, winner of the 2004 Golden Slipper.

Brisbane-based Akkari has since sold Dance Hero’s mother Gypsy Dancer (in foal to Redoute’s Choice), a mare that cost him only $15,000, to Coolmore Stud for a cool $1.5m, but he has retained three fillies out of the mare to continue his breeding dream.

The fillies are Arzetna, a daughter of Fuji Kiseki (JPN), and two sisters to Dance Hero (by Danzero), Aleesar and Batroun.

Batroun is the only one of those fillies to race and win, and she did so under duress after suffering an injury before she raced when trained by Bart Cummings.

Under the careful guidance of trainer Peter Morgan and his renowned rehabilitation facility, Batroun, who is named after Akkari’s home town in Lebanon, won twice from nine starts and was placed third at Caulfield.

Morgan believes Batroun, but for her unsoundness, was a filly that could easily have made it to Stakes class on her natural ability.

Akkari retired Batroun last month after Morgan felt that the filly would break down if she kept in full training. “I didn’t want something to happen to her, so I retired her to Vinery to be with her sisters,” Akkari said.

He received a boost this week when the unraced Aleesar gave birth to a cracking filly by More Than Ready (USA). The filly is pictured at Vinery with her mother.

“Peter Orton said she is the best More Than Ready born at Vinery so far this year. She’s beautiful,” Akkari said.

Arzetna is due soon to foal to Encosta De Lago. “Her colt by Flying Spur is an outstanding yearling, who will be sold at Easter next year,” Akkari said.

All three daughters of Gypsy Dancer will be mated this season to Vinery’s exciting Red Ransom son, Onemorenomore.

Footnote: Both Arzetna and Aleesar are for sale. Their profiles are on Brett Howard’s Randwick Bloodstock website.

Australian breeders had every reason to be wary of Machiavellian as a sire of sires after his first imported son Vettori, despite some good management at Baramul Stud, proved a disappointing stallion.

Vettori, winner of the 1995 Group 1 French 2000 Guineas, stood five seasons in Australia between 1996 and 2000, covering 466 mares and leaving only six Stakes winners.

Incredibly, one of those Stakes winners, the ageless Mustard, now 13 and from Vettori’s \first crop, continues to win races in Sydney.

It was a long time before another Machiavellian son made it to Australia, but that stallion, Street Cry, has erased the Vettori experience. Street Cry is something of a phenomenon and is now regarded as the best stallion in the world. He certainly gets my tick.

Street Cry is the best-performed son of Machiavellian, having won the 2002 Group 1 Dubai World Cup at Nad Al Sheba, a feat achieved in 1999 by another Machiavellian son, Almuwakatel, who stood at stud in New Zealand for very ordinary results.

Last Saturday, Machiavellian had a significant impact on racing in Sydney and Melbourne.

Street Cry’s sensational 2009 Melbourne Cup winning son Shocking showed he is more than just a stayer by winning the Group 2 Makybe Diva Stakes (wfa, 1600m) at Flemington.

In Sydney, Lion Tamer (pictured winning in New Zealand) overcame difficulties to win the Listed Ming Dynasty Quality (1400m) at Randwick for New Zealand trainers Murray and Bjorn Baker.

Lion Tamer is a neat son of Storming Home, who came from Street Cry’s Machiavellian crop foaled in 1998. Storming Home, a three-time Group 1 winner, stood for one season in New Zealand at Stoney Bridge, near Auckland, after shuttling from England where he stands at the Nunnery.

Storming Home began racing in England, winning the Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot at three, before training on to win the Group 1 Champion Stakes at Newmarket.

In North America, Storming Home won the Group 1 Charles Whittingham Memorial at Hollywood Park and the Group 1 Turf Championship at Oak Tree.

Storming Home covered 52 mares at Stoney Bridge, who delivered only 34 foals.

Lion Tamer is from the Generous mare Lioness, a granddaughter of the great staying mare My Blue Denim, who finished second behind Beldale Ball in the 1980 Group 1 Melbourne Cup.

Machiavellian, by Mr. Prospector from the in-bred mare Coup De Folie (by Halo), is closely related to Danehill from the family of the great Northern Dancer – Coup De Folie boasts the half-sisters Cosmah  and Natalma (dam of Northern Dancer and granddam of Danehill) as her grandams.

This is a family that has bred well to itself to not only produce Danehill but also many other champions and leading stallions. Shocking is from a Danehill mare.

Machiavellian’s other successful son “down under” is the Waikato Stud-based No Excuse Needed, the sire of the 2009 Group 1 AJC Oaks winner Daffodil. It’s interesting that No Excuse Needed also came from Machiavellian’s 1998 crop.

While the Group 2 Makybe Diva Stakes (wfa, 1600m) at Flemington has been a graveyard for winners in recent years, the race is, according to one Hall of Fame trainer, the first important contest of the spring.

Lee Freedman has always contended that it is imperative for his spring contenders to start to show form at the Makybe Diva Stakes (nee Craiglee Stakes) meeting.

“I don’t take a lot of notice of what goes on in August, few of the horses are fit, but I like to see my horses showing some form at the (Craiglee Stakes) meeting, especially the Cup horses in the weight-for-age race,” he has proclaimed.

In the past 24 years, thanks to some research by Racing And Sports, only four winners of the Makybe Diva have won another race during the spring – they are: Weekend Hussler (2008), Northerly (2002), Sky Heights (1999) and Marble Halls (1997).

Last year Vigor beat Typhoon Tracy and Master O’Reilly (C’Est La Guerre 4^th and Heart Of Dreams 5^th) on a good3 track. This year Vigor will be in the race again, but this time the track surface – with a deluge predicted overnight and tomorrow – is likely to be heavy. It’s worth noting that Vigor, who ran well first up – fourth behind Shoot Out – in the Group 2 Liston Stakes (wfa, 1400m, Caulfield), is a winner at his only start on heavy ground.

The proven wet trackers in this field are: Danleigh, C’Est La Guerre, Rebel Raider, Alandi, Vigor, Speed Gifted, Monaco Consul and Ghostmilk.

Danleigh is yet to win at 1600m or further, but he hasn’t raced badly in his five tries – he also is a winner at weight-for-age over 1500m in this year’s Group 1 George Ryder Stakes at Rosehill, when he charged late from 10^th on the turn. Before that he rattled home late from 18^th on the turn to finish fifth behind Rangirangdoo in the Group 1 Doncaster Handicap (1600m) at Randwick – I doubt the extra 100 metres will be an issue.

Danleigh and the Mick Price-trained Heart Of Dreams are the two “class sprinters” in this race, capable of winning at Group 1 level at distances shorter than the 1600m. That brilliance makes them tough to beat in a race full of stayers on a Cup campaign.

Heart Of Dreams won the Group 1 Australian Guineas over this track and trip in the 2009 autumn, and he was good finishing third behind Shoot Out and Predatory Pricer in the Liston, when he looked as soft as butter in the parade.

Trainer Lee Freedman is predicting Speed Gifted will run well after a disappointing autumn campaign. The gelding will wear blinkers for the first time, indicating that Freedman thinks the horse is ready for a forward first-up run. Speed Gifted won the Group 1 The Metropolitan (2400m) on a bog track at Randwick last spring, but a back complaint has hindered him since, although he ran third behind Theseo and Rangirangdoo in the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (wfa, 2000m, Rosehill) in the autumn.

Melbourne Cup equal top weight Alandi resumes for owner Lloyd Williams and trainer Robert Hickmott. The former Aga Khan-owned entire has a fine record of four runs on slow/heavy for four wins, but he usually doesn’t get warm until he gets beyond 2400 metres.

Reigning Melbourne Cup champ Shocking (pictured) will go around on an unsuitable surface, but on his favourite course where he is not only trained but also unbeaten in three starts.

The tips: Danleigh 1; Heart Of Dreams 2; Vigor 3; Speed Gifted 4; Rebel Raider 5.