Bernardini colt Solemn produced an eye-catching Victoria Derby trial when he swept down the outside to win the Listed Geelong Classic (2200m) by over on Wednesday.  He led home a Darley sired quinella from Malabar Man (Any Given Saturday).  Escado (Casino Prince) was third home.

Solemn (3c Bernardini – Mead by Galileo) is bred to appreciate the classic trip being out of a half-sister to G1 Australasian Oaks winner La Volta.  Mead has a two-year-old Commands filly named Sima, a yearling filly by Bernardini and is due to foal to Exceed And Excel this season.

“We’ve always had a nice opinion of him and the team have had the Derby as his target for a while,” jockey Kerrin McEvoy said.  “He’s a nice staying type for the future.”

Bernardini (A P Indy) has sired 9 winners from 50 runners in his first southern crop.  The Geelong Classic is his second at black-type level after Boban claimed the LR The Phoenix at Doomben in May.

Bernardini is standing at Darley Kelvinside at a fee of $55,000 (inc gst).