Viridine announced himself as a colt with a future when he maintained his unbeaten record in the Listed Heritage Stakes at Randwick on September 16.
Already the winner of two city races, Viridine became the second Australian Stakes winner for his sire Poet’s Voice and the stallion’s ninth individual Black Type winner.
Given a perfect ride by Brenton Avdulla, Viridine camped on the pace set by his Godolphin stablemate Malahat and when asked for his effort with 300m to run he accelerated smoothly and surely to easily hold his opposition at bay.
Viridine’s previous wins had come in restricted class, but he handled the step up to Stakes company in a style that prompted trainer James Cummings to suggest the transition to Group racing was well within his abilities.
Poet’s Voice, himself a winner of the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, has had 146 individual winners from his three northern and two southern hemisphere crops. His highlights this season are German Classic winner Poetic Dream and last weekend's close Irish Champion Stakes second Poet's Word.
