Busuttin and Young chase more exemptions

The Cranbourne training partners have two runners in Sunday’s Penfolds Victoria Derby Preview (1800m), which offers a free pass through to the $2 million Group 1 Penfolds Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington on November 4.

One of them is Sunsource, who already has a spot in the 2500-metre Derby thanks to his win in the Byerley Handicap (1800m) in July, but they also have Sunsets engaged.

Young is grateful to the VRC for the 1800m ballot-exempt races, not only for the guaranteed berth but also the pathways they provide to the three-year-old staying features.

“This is just a nice little lead up into it, stepping up to that 1800 metres heading towards the 2500 metres come November,” the Cranbourne trainer said.

This is the seventh year that the VRC has offered ballot exemptions via its Spring Previews, which were initially held at a Wednesday meeting but now have a home the Sunday before the AFL Grand Final.

The Busuttin/Young stable also has Everlasting Kiss engaged in the Kennedy Oaks Preview (1800m), which is also a race carrying $75,000 in stakes.

Young said the race comes at the right stage of the preparation for both Sunsource and Sunsets, who have been companions on the training track.

“Both of them have been doing their work together of late, they worked on Tuesday and Sunsource had the drop on Sunsets and but then Sunsets came back on the line, so I think there’s not much between them,” she said.

Sunsource, who is by Zoustar, was a $370,000 Magic Millions purchase who Magic Millions Ballarat 2YO Classic (1000m) on debut but has demonstrated a liking for extra ground as his career has progressed.

Sunsets, a son of Group 1 ATC Australian Derby (2500m) winner Dundeel who cost $150,000 at last year’s Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, on the other hand has always shaped as a stayer.

He is out of the Fastnet Rock mare Waterloo Sunset, a daughter of Group 1 winner Unearthly, who is also the dam of Group 1 Australasian Oaks (2000m) winner Invest.

It was only at Sunsets’ most recent start, his fifth racetrack appearance, that he broke his maiden in a 1624m event at Donald.

“Sunsets is a really nice horse going forward, we took him quite a way out to Donald just to get the win with him and gave him his confidence, but he’s really come on since,” Young said.

“I think he just needed a bit of headgear and it just took a little bit of time for the penny to drop with him, being a Dundeel.”

Both horses carry the colours of Ozzie Kheir, who experienced the joy of Derby success two years ago when Hitotsu scored a jaw-dropping win in the Classic.

He, too, broke his maiden at the early-September meeting at Donald, a fact not lost on Young.

“It would be nice to go that path as well,” she said.

“They’re still colts, our two, so it would be nice if we could make stallions out of them.”