While thrilled with the first Melbourne stakes race success for Ali-Royal, the win also emphasised the tragic loss of a promising sire.

Ali-Royal had stood three seasons in Victoria at Lynden Park and he was a popular stallion with local breeders.

But it's been the way his youngsters have begun to make their mark on the tracks around the country, and in fact world, that is making the good judges sit up and take notice.

Magic Bird is the only the second two-year-old from Ali-Royal's first Australian crop to contest a stakes race.

The first was a promising youngster in Tasmania named Fracas. The John Blacker trained filly has won five of her seven starts and is unbeaten in two races at stakes level.

That means that Ali-Royal's three stakes race runners to date have all got the chocolate's a feat that has impressed Julie Nairn.

"You couldn't really have wished for a better start," Nairn beamed after Magic Bird's win at Flemington.

"We had a lot of faith in Ali-Royal and he is starting to show everyone exactly how good he is."

"His youngsters in the Northern Hemisphere have already shown great ability and his early runners in Australia are also showing great promise," she added.

Nairn said the loss of Ali-Royal from a severe case of travel sickness while in quarantine, was a great shame but the opportunity to race a youngster by the sire is not lost.

"There will be a handful of his present weanlings which will be sold over the next year, either as weanlings or yearlings."

"We have some lovely types here at Lynden Park and there will be a select group going under the hammer at sales in the future," Nairn added.

A son of the hot siring sensation Royal Academy, Ali-Royal was himself a star on the track. His best win came in the Group One Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.

He is from a great female family. His dam Alidiva has also produced the stakes winners Sleepytime (a Group One winning full brother) and Taipan.

Ali-Royal will have one yearling for sale at next week's Adelaide Mixed Thoroughbred Sale at Morphettville. Catalogued as lot 116, the youngster from Mill Park is a bay colt half brother to recent city winner Stretta.

Magic Bird, who showed great fighting qualities to narrowly hold out the back to back winner Fraar Side, could be sent for a break according to his trainer Dean Lawson.

"He's pretty coltish," Lawson, the man who also put the polish on former Group One winning juvenile Testa Rossa, said. "I'd like to be able to geld him and then turn him out for a break."

"I'm sure there's plenty more wins in store for him in the future," Lawson predicted.

PICS - Quentin Lang.

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