FABULANTES COULD BE THE DARK HORSE IN THE SIRES

By Graham Potter | Thursday, May 29, 2025

The Robert Heathcote trained Fabulantes, a two-year-old colt by Star Turn out of Funtantes, will be looking to progress the family dynasty when he tackles the Group 2 Sires Produce Stakes over 1400m at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Fabulantes has already shown to good effect, winning on debut at Ipswich over 1100m and then finishing third in the mud at the Gold Coast when stepping up, both in class and distance, to 1200m in the Group 3 Ken Russell Memorial Classic.

That run translated to more like a 1400m trip, which is a box ticked as the Sires will be contested over that distance.

That result also put Fabulantes’ early prowess in perspective as he finished less than two lengths there behind the second placed, very smart Sunrays, albeit that both of these horses were comprehensively beaten by the runaway winner Beadman on the day. Beadman has since gone to the paddock.

Sunrays, the Jewel Prelude winner, had her colours lowered for the first time that day after kicking off her career with three straight wins … and she then went on to easily win the Listed Bill Carter Stakes by a clearcut margin in her next start.

That franked Fabulates form very nicely and, as that third place effort in the Ken Russell was only Fabulantes’s second start it is fair to assume some improvement will follow on the back of that run.

Fabulantes’s dam Funtantes was the horse who gave Heathcote his first Group 2 win (in the Champagne Classic at Doomben) all the way back in 2009 … and since retiring from racing Funtantes has produced four horses to race … Fabulantes, being the focus in the present time, and, before that, most notably, the 2022 Group 1 Tatts Tiara winner Startantes who went on to secure $938 700 in prize-money during her career before being sold to Widden Stud for $1.15 million to take up a career at stud.

Fabulantes is a full brother to Startantes, who was also trained by Heathcote.

It might be a long way to go to emulate the Group 1 win and placed exploits of his sister, but the early prowess Fabulantes has shown has been encouraging.

Jumping from pole position … the number one barrier draw … and with young gun Zac Lloyd in the saddle … Fabulantes is currently quoted at massive odds for this Saturday’s assignment, and he could well emerge as the dark horse in the race.

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