Lauda Sion is not involved in one of the feature races at Caulfield this Saturday, but there are not many more intriguing runners on the Zipping Classic Day card.
The seven-year-old Japanese entire will have his first Australian start for champion trainer Chris Waller and new owners Yulong in the $175,000 Listed Doveton Stakes (1200m).
Lauda Sion is a son of Real Impact and the Songandaprayer mare Antiphona who has had 25 starts for five wins, including Group 1 victory in the NHK Mile Cup (1600m).
That was in May 2020 and his only win since was the Group 2 Spring Cup (1400m) 12 months’ later but he was placed in the Group 2 Hanshin Cup (1400m) on Christmas Eve last year, which was only four starts ago.
Lauda Sion has not started since finishing seventh in the Keio Hai Spring Cup (1400m) on May 13 but preparations for his Australian debut have included three spring jumpouts, including a strong victory at Kyneton on November 21, and no one more interested to see what he does than Waller.
“Interesting horse. (He’s) well-performed in Japan, running in good races consistently over there.,” Waller said.
“He’s taken a while to get fit and I’d say he’ll be improved by Saturday’s run.
“I’d love to see him run a cheeky race – anywhere near his best, he’d blow this field away – but he’s likely to need a run or two.”
Real Impact is a horse who proved his talent in Australia with the son of Deep Impact a winner of the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m) before a second placing to Kermadec in the Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) in 2015.
He stood three seasons at Arrowfield Stud, 2016 to 2018, counting Group 2 Victory Stakes (1200m) winner Count De Rupee and Group 1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) runner-up Sky Lab among his Australian progeny.
