Mungrup Stud sire Due Sasso will vie with Flying Pegasus for first-season sire honours at the 2010 Perth Magic Millions.
Due Sasso has 47 yearlings entered for the Belmont Sale next week and they look early comers according to Mungrup’s Gray Williamson.
“Due Sasso is a readymade 2YO sire,” Williamson claimed. “He’s by Scenic and there’s heaps of speed in his damline going back to Rancher.”
Due Sasso is from the unraced Rubiton mare Scarlet Bird and sold for $240,000 at the 2005 Adelaide Magic Millions. He was syndicated by David Goldfinch for a group including his breeder Des Pope and then placed with Brian Mayfield-Smith.
Mayfield-Smith had Due Sasso up-and-running as a New Year 2YO and news of the colt’s ability soon filtered through from Flemington. He started an odds-on favourite on debut at Ballarat and was never in danger after Nash Rawiller released the brakes.
Mayfield-Smith entered Due Sasso for the G3 Blue Diamond Prelude at Caulfield three weeks later and the colt showed blinding pace to overcame a wide barrier to beat Wonderful World by two lengths.
He firmed in betting for the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes and the heavy track didn’t stop punters sending him out a $5 favourite for the big one.
Due Sasso looked home for all money at the furlong but was swamped when he shifted to the fence and the worst part of the track. He was a sitting shot for Lindsay Park pair Nadeem and Miss Finland.
Mayfield-Smith was adamant that Due Sasso should have won. “If Nash had steered a more patient and wider course in the straight he would have won it,” Mayfield-Smith said at the time. “That’s my opinion and I’m not changing it.”
When Due Sasso returned as a spring three year-old he was plagued by bad barriers. He was beaten a neck by long-shot Mondano in the Mitchell McKenzie Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley and then finished third to Miss Finland and Haradasun in the McNeil Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield.
“He never got a good marble in his life,” Mayfield-Smith lamented. “The barrier essentially got him beaten in the Mitchell McKenzie.”
Due Sasso’s spring goal was the 2006 Caulfield Guineas and he began working up to a mile when fourth home in the G3 Guineas Prelude (1400m) won by Wonderful World.
“He’s a gross sort of colt who does everything fairly easily,” Mayfield-Smith said after the Prelude. “He’s by Scenic so I think he will get the trip.”
In his final lead-up for the Group 1, Due Sasso sat midfield in the Concept Sports Stakes (LR) at Flemington but went amiss and Dan Nikolic eased him out of the race.
He returned for the autumn carnivals and things started promisingly enough when he split Group 1 winners Dance Hero and Testafiable in a Cranbourne trial.
Mayfield-Smith hoped it would be a launching pad to more prestigious races but the colt aggravated a leg injury and the trainer was forced to call a halt to his career after just 8 starts.