2YO colt Byzantine (Savabeel-Baradevi by Volksraad) followed-up an encouraging debut second placing to win his second start on Wednesday at Matamata.
Purchased by David Ellis from LA’s 2017 Karaka Premier draft, the colt quickened-up impressively to land the Paul Jones 1200, with co-trainer Jamie Richards disclosing post race the stables regard for the Jim Barlow bred and LA reared colt.
“He’s a lovely colt who went through some growing pains and was shin sore in the summer. He might be a 2000 Guineas colt,” Richards said.
Byzantine’s emergence and that of his close relation Semari (Sebring-Kumari by Zabeel), who chases a hat trick of victories when she lines-up in the Group 1 Vinery Stakes at Randwick on Saturday, underline the strength of the family that descend from Jim Barlow’s wonderful sprinting mare Vedodara.
