Cover Image courtesy of Dominic Sutton Racing
There is plenty of optimism around the Sutton stable heading into spring, with several of last season’s promising 2-year-olds now stepping into their 3-year-old campaigns. With the next phase of their development ahead, Sutton spoke to The Thoroughbred Report about a team he believes can make its presence felt.
Promising 3-year-olds such as Shooting Brake (Home Affairs) look to have the profile of a genuine Group prospect this spring, while Salamanca Six (So You Think {NZ}) and Chapados (Hellbent) will take their place in black-type events this weekend, with their performances potentially setting the platform for bigger targets in the spring.
Feroce (NZ) (Super Seth) also looks on target for a strong campaign this spring, while staying 4-year-old mares After Summer (The Autumn Sun) and Classic Gem (Maurice {Jpn}) could make their mark once they step up in distance.
Sutton took an early punt on Home Affairs at the sales earlier this year off the back of his promising early 2-year-olds, he purchased four of the stallion’s progeny to help build the next wave, it could prove a shrewd move as the young sire continues to trend upwards at a very quick rate.
3-year-olds
Shooting Brake, 3-year-old colt (Home Affairs x Carmen Lucia {Fastnet Rock})
“Shooting Brake was great on Saturday behind Blind Raise, and he was probably unlucky to have not broke his maiden last time around. He was very good first-up over 1000 metres and he ran terrific behind two horses that look great chances in the Guineas coming up.
“We have got a couple of options for him, whether we go and just try and break his maiden or we've got races like a Blue Sapphire that we may target him at.
“There is a lot of water to go under the bridge but if he was to win one of those types of races, then we may have a throw at the stumps in the big one for 3-year-olds down the straight at Flemington in the Coolmore, but he has to show he is potentially up to that class beforehand.”
Glide (NZ), 3-year-old colt (Proisir x Respect (NZ) {Savabeel})
“I think Glide is a nice horse in the making, he ran third on the weekend, but he didnt quite finish off like I think he can, I have tipped him out and am giving him a break.
“He kicked very hard at the top of the straight and looked like he was actually going to really contest the finish. I think he just ran out of carrots so he has probably come to the end of it a bit.
“I really do think he is a nice horse in the making.”
Salamanca Six, 3-year-old gelding (So You Think (NZ) x Appian Way {Exceed And Excel})
“I really like him, he is getting thrown in the deep end a bit this weekend in the Poseidon Stakes but they are only 3-year-olds once and I think he can cope.
“Hopefully he can be competitive and we can make further ambitois plans post-race.”
Chapados, 3-year-old filly (Hellbent x Sugar Mummy (NZ) {Charge Forward})
“She runs in the Cap D’Antibes this weekend, so she is another one we are throwing in the deep end a little bit, likewise, we will see how she measures up and go from there.
“I think she will get seven furlongs, maybe a touch further this time around, and she has a good future.”
Dispatches, 3-year-old colt (Gun Runner (USA) x Grantland (Arg) {Violence {USA}})
“He makes his debut on Wednesday and looks a really nice horse, he is by Gun Runner who is doing such a good job in America and he is out of an Argentinian mare, so it’s a pedigree that is all a bit different.
“He has shown he has nice ability, but I do think he will be a horse that's going to be better when we stretch him out over a bit further over a mile, he is not a natural sharp horse, is still learning and is still a touch on the immature side, So he's probably going to be a better horse in the autumn.”
Lucky Skies, 3-year-old filly (Lucky Vega (Ire) x Intricately {Fastnet Rock})
“She is a lovely filly by Lucky Vega, who has jumped out very nicely, She's not an overly big filly so we tipped her out to put a bit of condition on her and to give her a bit of time.
“She's back in work now and she will be back at the jump-outs in a couple of weeks, but I think she could be contesting some nice races later in the spring.
Gallery: Dominic Sutton's 3-year-olds
Older horses
Feroce (NZ), 5-year-old gelding (Super Seth x Corinthia (NZ) {O'Reilly {NZ}})
“He was probably a little bit unlucky not to finish a little bit closer behind Cosmic Crusader last time out, he just got squeezed out a bit in the last 50 metres, but he was going good again going past the line.
Initially we were meant to run last weekend in the So You Think, but he just had a slight elevation on his bloods, so we decided to err on the side of caution and not run. So he's jumping out on Friday and then he'll go into the Sir Rupert Clarke second up with a big space in between runs, which is a good thing for him, we like to keep him fresh.
“After that we will head to the Toorak Handicap third-up.”
Classic Gem, 4-year-old mare (Maurice (Jpn) x Lankan Gold {Dundeel {NZ}})
“Classic Gem was well-performed in good races as a 3-year-old filly, but she still is a maiden, one of the better ones going around.
“We are going to try and knock a maiden off, I know that sounds easier said than done, but she will kick off either this Sunday at Sale in a 4-year-old maiden or she will kick off the following weekend in a mares maiden at Bendigo.
“After that we will have ambitions to get her back to Group racing, so if she can knock a maiden off then that's the plan with her.”
After Summer, 4-year-old mare (The Autumn Sun x Al Jasrah (Ire) {Shirocco {Ger}})
“After Summer is going to have a third jump-out and then she will look towards the Stock Stakes.
“We will then look at races like the Ladie’s Vase second-up, then a Tesio Stakes, with her main target being the Queen Elizabeth Stakes on the last day of the carnival at Flemington."
Sulek (NZ), 4-year-old gelding (Super Seth x Tiff And Co (NZ) {O'Reilly {NZ}})
“We tipped Sulek out during the winter as he really doesn’t like the wet tracks, he has come back very well and he trialled very sharp the other day when he was supposed to be there having a quiet first trial.
“He is probably going as good as I've seen him ever go. I think we will get him through his second trials and pick a nice kick-off point for him and then if we can get him back to town in a nice race.
“We don’t have any real set plans with him, but he is definitely a Saturday grade horse.”
Strong Box, 4-year-old gelding (Farnan x Just One Moment {More Than Ready {USA}})
“Strong Box is a bit similar to Sulek in terms of not liking the wet ground so we did the same thing and tipped him out during winter, he will hopefully be a horse I can step out over a little further and I think he will keep improving.”
Gallery: Dominic Sutton's older horses
2-year-olds
“We have some lovely 2-year-old’s in the stable, while they haven’t been under any real pressure at all, from what I have seen they are the nicest bunch of young horses hat I have had in the stable.
“They look to have a lot of quality and are by some nice stallions.
“We did strategically buy some Home Affairs at the sales before Guest House won the Slipper, we really rated the stallion highly from early days, so we were able to get them at somewhat a reduced price, so we have four 2-year-old’s by Home Affairs in the stable.
“They now look well-bought of what we were able to get them for."
Unnamed, 2-year-old colt (Home Affairs x Limerock {Charge Forward})
Purchased by Sutton Racing and McKeever Bloodstock for $180,000 from the Rosemont Stud draft at the 2026 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
Unnamed, 2-year-old filly (Home Affairs x Grisaille {Not A Single Doubt})
Purchased by Sutton Racing and McKeever Bloodstock for $260,000 from the Coolmore Stud draft at the 2026 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Unnamed, 2-year-old filly (Home Affairs x Mywayorthehighway (NZ) {Swiss Ace})
Purchased by Sutton Racing and McKeever Bloodstock for $360,000 from the Northmore Thoroughbreds draft at the 2026 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
Public Affairs, 2-year-old colt (Home Affairs x Word On The Street {Street Boss {USA}})
Purchased by Sutton Racing, McKeever Bloodstock and Byron Rogers Bloodstock for $100,000 from the Tyreel Stud draft at the 2026 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
Home Affairs | Standing at Coolmore Stud
Gallery: Dominic Sutton's 2-year-old horses
