Night Raid, the sire of the legendary Melbourne Cup winners Nightmarch and Phar Lap, might be the influence behind Bellotto gelding Littorio winning the Sydney Cup over 3200m at Randwick on April 24.

The last start winner of the BMW over 2400m at Rosehill on April 3 will be having his second 3200m start in the Sydney Cup after a struggling first attempt at the trip in the 2008 Melbourne Cup.

The Nigel Blackiston trained stayer was one of the favourites in that race but was trounced 10.8 lengths when 13th behind Viewed after striking trouble in the run.

Littorio's BMW win underlined that when the injury restricted five-year-old is right he is one of the best horses up to 2400m in Australia.

His 23 start career has included wins in the BMW and Turnbull Stakes a second in the Victoria Derby, thirds in the AJC Derby, Rosehill Guineas and Underwood Stakes and a fifth in the Caulfield Cup.

So far he has returned just under $2.3 million in prize money, a mighty big dividend on the $15,000 he cost his trainer when he was offered at the 2006 Inglis Melbourne yearling sale.

Littorio is the only black type money earner among the 10 living foals produced by the modest Centaine winner Our Centasea, a sister New Zealand Group winner Centainette and half-sister to Seascay, a Maizcay colt who won two G1 races and finished second in another five.

The stamina sources in Littorio's maternal breeding are Kurdistan, winner of races up to two miles and sire of 1970 Melbourne Cup winner Baghdad Note, and Night Raid.

Kurdistan is the source of his third dam Kurdrille, and Night Raid his fifth dam Sea Raid. She was in the same foal crop as Night March.

Littorio is also the swansong star for the long serving imported Mr. Prospector sire Belllotto, who was retired from active stud duty last season at the age of 26.

Bellotto has supplied about 1000 foals, 737 starters, 512 winners of just under 1800 races and earners of over $37 million.

He has sired 43 stakes winners, six of them successful at G1 level, and 34 others stakes placed.

Bellotto is doing well as a broodmare sire, his daughters so far having over 350 winners of 1000 races and $34 million.

Bellotto mares have produced Coniston Bluebird (by Scenic), Miss Danehill (Danehill), Pentastic (Pentire), Vormista (Testa Rossa) and Gold Lottey (Encosta de Lago).

Bellotto only had seven starts but they included wins in his two juvenile outings and at three a neck second in the Two Thousand Guineas and a third in the English Derby.

Written By Brian Russell

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