Newgate, China Horse Club and partners had good reason for celebration on Saturday with our quality colts Militarize and Don Corleone running the quinella in the $1million Group I ATC Sires Produce Stakes 1400m) at Randwick on the first day of The Championships.

Dundeel colt Militarize was skittled in the Group I ATC Golden Slipper when severely hampered in the incident in which Learning to Fly lost her rider, but he came out of the run unscathed with Chris Waller electing to push on to the Sires with happy results.

Militarize enjoyed a lovely run from gate one under Joao Moreira and was strong to the line winning by three and a half lengths over Extreme Choice colt Don Corleone, who has been super consistent finishing second in the Group I MRC Blue Diamond and fourth in the Golden Slipper.

A $550,000 Magic Millions purchase from Bhima Thoroughbreds, Militarize has two wins and a third from four starts with prizemoney topping $768,000.

“He was a horse we considered just needed a little bit of time, and we haven’t put him under too much pressure to get anywhere,” said Chris Waller.

“His early races have all been very encouraging, even when he got beaten here in the small field, I loved the way, the last 100m. He still got through the line and to me, showed that this was a nice race for him. The Golden Slipper was a step on that path.

“I’m not sure (if he starts in the Champagne). I’ll talk to Mr Teo, Henry Field and all their team. We’ll see what they’ve got to say.”

Militarize comes from an elite European female family being the first winner from Amerindia (GB), a placed daughter of G1 winner Satwa Queen and half-sister by Dubawi to stakes-winner Important Rime, the dam of G1 winner Nation’s Pride.

Amerindia is also a half-sister to the dam of G1 winning two year-old Lucky Vega (IRE) who shuttled to Australia last season, so he lacks for nothing on the score of pedigree or ability and should progress even further at three.