The Blue Sapphire has run in its current format for 3yo sprinters since 2012 when won by the filly Snitzerland. Other winners are Lion Of Belfort, Eloping, Keen Aray and Flying Artie.

The race was originally for 2yo’s in late April or early May – with Black Caviar and Smokin’ Joey among the winning names.

This year, the field consists of seven colts, two fillies and one gelding…

1. SUMMER PASSAGE (SNITZEL x Subsequent [ENCOSTA DE LAGO])

*G1 Diamond Stakes winner in New Zealand and also a winner of the LR Matamata Slipper, ran 2nd in G1 Sires’ Produce and G3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude

*An $800,000 yearling, having been purchased by Wexford Stables from the Highgrove Stud draft at the 2016 Inglis Easter Sale

*Dam is a full sister to LR St Leger winner ORDER OF THE SUN, 3/4 sister RISK AVERSION, 1/2 sister GET TO WORK and Sequential (dam of EXCITABLE BOY)

*SUMMER PASSAGE is the second foal for his dam, who has since had a 2015 colt by SEBRING, a yearling filly by SNITZEL and she again foaled a filly by SNITZEL on 24/08/17

*2nd dam Sequin is a 1/2 to SHANIA DANE, RISK AVERSION, SCINTILLATION

*Family of NORTHWEST PASSAGE and MAN FROM UNCLE

(Summer Passage as a yearling)

2. JUKEBOX (SNITZEL x JESTATUNE [RORY’S JESTER])

*G3 Vain Stakes and RL Inglis 2yo Premier winner

*Offered by Blue Gum Farm at Inglis Premier – bought by Ciaron Maher for $200,000

*Dam JESTATUNE won LR WATC Gimcrack Stakes and is a 1/2 sister to G1 Kingston Town Classic winner IHTSAHYM

*2nd dam UMATUNE won LR WATC Crystal Slipper

*Family of CATAPULTED

*JESTATUNE has a yearling filly by NOT A SINGLE DOUBT but wasn’t served last season

(Jukebox as a yearling)

3. MURAAQEB (SNITZEL x Tafseel [STARCRAFT])

*Stakes placed with a 3rd in the G3 Black Opal and LR MVRC Valley Pearl

*Bred and raced by Shadwell Australasia

*Tafseel foaled a colt by EPAULETTE on 20/08/17 and also has an EXCEED AND EXCEL filly named Buthayna

*2nd dam Rapture is a 1/2 sister to G2 winner and multiple G1 placed BRAVE PRINCE & VALOURINA (dam of MEDIA, TIMBOURINA, CARDINAL VIRTUE)

*3rd dam BRAVERY dual G1 winner of QLD Derby and QLD Oaks

*Family of TASHBEEH, STAR ENCOUNTER, STAR EXHIBIT, SPRING WARRIOR, ARMED FOR ACTION

(Muraaqeb winning as a 2yo)

4. INDIAN THUNDER (MANHATTAN RAIN x Whisper Bay [ROYAL ACADEMY (USA)])

*Won LR SAJC Queen Adelaide Stakes

*Darren Weir paid $140,000 for INDIAN THUNDER at the Inglis Easter Sale from the Tyreel Stud draft

*Dam WHISPER BAY won LR MRC Chairman’s Stakes, she recently foaled a TEOFILO filly on 15/09/17, has a yearling filly by HINCHINBROOK and a 2yo colt by ZOUSTAR called ZOU ZOU

*2nd dam Winds of Peace by BLETCHINGLY is a full sister to Golden Slipper winner STAR WATCH, 1/2 sister to APOLLO’S FLAME

*Family of G1 Myer Classic winner HURTLE MYRTLE, FORCE APOLLO, GRACEFUL ANNA, SHE CAN SKATE, PRINCE RUBITON, NEWS ALERT

*INDIAN THUNDER carries a 4x4 cross NORTHERN DANCER, 4x3 cross NIJINSKY and BLETCHINGLY

(Indian Thunder as a yearling)

5. Lone Eagle (ZOFFANY x Green Mirage [GREEN DESERT (USA)])

*Sire ZOFFANY was leading First Season Sire in GB/IRE in 2015

*First sold as a weanling through MM for $55,00 to Glenvale Stud, was then offered by Coolmore at the MM Yearling Sale where Damion Flower’s JadeSkye Racing and Gerald Ryan bought him for $300,000

*Dam Green Mirage was a winner at 1200m – she’s had 6 named foals, all winners including Lone Eagle

*Her unraced progeny include a 2yo filly by ALERT (ARG) and a colt by WANDJINA born 19/08/17

*3rd dam LOVING CLAIM was the Champion 2yo Filly in France in 1997

*Family of SOFT SAND

(Lone Eagle as a yearling)

6. I Did It Again (NICCONI x Not That Innocent [FOXGREEN DESERT (USA)])

*Full brother to dual G3 winner I LOVE IT (ARTIE SCHILLER) who is also twice G1 placed

*Bred, owned and trained by Greg Eurell

*Dam has had six named foals – five to race – three winners

*Dam died 25/09/17, six days after foaling a colt by RESET, she also has a yearling colt by GLASS HARMONIUM

*3rd dam BITTER SPRING won G3 Launceston Cup and G3 Tasmanian Oaks plus 4 LR races

*3x3 cross Danzig and 4x4 cross BLETCHINGLY

*NICCONI is now the sire of 13 stakes winners and more than 200 winners overall

(I Did It Again)

7. Choisborder (CHOISIR x Borderline [ROYAL ACADEMY (USA)])

- SCRATCHED -

8. Over Exposure (ROTHESAY x Show a Princess [SHOW A HEART)

*Sold for $75,000 to McEvoy Mitchell Racing at the MM Book 2 Sale from the Glenlogan Park draft

*Dam is an unraced sister to LR placed Show a Prince

*Over Exposure is 2nd foal for the dam, followed by a colt by SMART MISSILE and another colt by ROTHESAY in 2016, she wasn’t covered last season

2nd dam PRINCESS MARGARET won LR Silk Stocking at the Gold Coast and is a 1/2 sister to the dam of Stakes placed Bold Circle

(Over Exposure as a yearling)

9. FORMALITY (FASTNET ROCK x JOLIE’S SHINJU (JPN) [JOLIE’S HALO (USA)]

*Won the Silver Shadow and Furious before running 11th of 14 in the G1 Golden Rose

*Bred by Dr K Tain and “raised and grazed” at Coolmore Stud – was a $120,000 purchase by Inglis as agent at 2016 Inglis Easter, races for Coolmore and partners

*FORMALITY was FASTNET ROCK’S 106th stakes winner in G3 Chairman’s Stakes at Caulfield, also 3rd G1 Blue Diamond Stakes

*Dam was the 2009 Singapore Horse of the Year, 2009 Champion Older Female Sprinter & Miler and 2010 Champion Older Female Stayer – won 9 races from 1200-2000m, including LR Singapore Derby

*Dam has had four named foals – all winners

*Family of Grade 1 winner QUALIFY who also ran 2nd in Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, plus MY NEW LADY, NOTORIETY and DUBAI DISTINCTION

*One of two fillies in the race

*Dam had a filly by CHOISIR born 16/09/17

(Formality as a yearling)

10. CROWN WITNESS (STAR WITNESS x NOBLE HEIR (SAF) [KAHAL (GB)])

*Winner of G3 Quezette Stakes

*Bought for $50,000 by Aquanita Racing from the Golden Grove draft at Inglis Premier Session 2

*Dam NOBLE HEIR won Grade 1 Turffontein Computaform Sprint Handicap in South African plus G3 Tommy Hotspur Hcp

*2nd dam Irish Honour is a 1/2 sister to Secret Honour (dam of HONOUR AND GLORY)

*NOBLE HEIR is at Golden Grove Stud Farm – she’s expecting a foal by SHAMUS AWARD, having foaled a filly by that sire last season and a filly in 2015 called Rizzoli  

(Crown Witness as a yearling)