Barnsley Lad can catapult Korilya Stud sire Balestrini into the Top 10 of the Sunspeed premiership during the Goldfields carnival next week.

Barnsley Lad (5g Balestrini – Caveldo by Metal Storm) posted a record-breaking victory in the $100,000 Coolgardie Cup (1600m) on September 1 and there’s $110,000 on the line in the Boulder Cup (1760m) this Sunday.

“He’s a pretty special horse,” trainer Stephen Rowe said.  “We will wait and see how he pulls up after the Boulder Cup before making a decision on a start in the Kalgoorlie Cup.”

The $150,000 Kalgoorlie Cup (2300m) is run on Sunday week, September 21 and there’s another $100,000 bonus for sweeping the Coolgardie, Boulder and Kalgoorlie Cups.  “It would be hard to ignore that sort of money,” Rowe added.  “Another option is to ease up and get him ready for the Railway Stakes at Ascot.”

Barnsley Lad is a homebred for Dave Copley – he bought the dam Caveldo for $4,500 at the 1999 Perth Magic Millions and won a maiden with her in Kal.

Balestrini (Danehill) carried Coolmore’s colours to a G3 victory in the 2003 Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown.  His older half-brothers Second Empire (Fairy King) and Ihtiram (Royal Academy) have also seen service in Western Australia.

Korilya Stud’s Ellie Giles stands Balestrini (Ire) for a $2,750 (inc gst) service fee.