A look at the background of untapped import, Berkshire Breeze

Berkshire Breeze's effortless Banjo Paterson Series Final win last Saturday did little dampen the enthusiasm of many that he could be one of the stars of this year's Spring Carnival.

The Ciaron Maher-trained five-year-old made it three-straight wins with his second consecutive 4-3/4-length victory and is now joint-second-favourite for the $8m Melbourne Cup (3200m) in some markets.

He is not the first grey son of Mastercraftsman to race towards the head of Melbourne Cup markets during the off-season, coming 12 months after White Marlin did likewise.

Mastercraftsman's best product is four-time Group 1-winning miler Alpha Centauri, but he is a prolific sire of stayers, including Australian Group 2 winners Military Mission and Neufbosc.

Berkshire Breeze, who was purchased by Andrew Balding for £50,000 – or AU$95,000 – at the 2020 Orby Sale at Goffs, is also from a female family that has had an impact in Australia.

He is the first foal of the unraced Camelot mare Bright And Shining, whose dam Beauty Bright (Danehill) won the Group 3 Renaissance Stakes (1207m) in Ireland.

Beauty Bright is out of the Storm Cat mare Dietrich, who is also the dam of Aloft, the Group 1-placed son of Galileo who was once a leading Melbourne Cup fancy after coming to Australia to race for Lloyd Williams and Robert Hickmott.

Dietrich is a half-sister Mambo Light, dam of Dansili gelding Le Juge, who posted the bulk of his 10 wins in Australia, including back-to-back wins in the Group 3 Chairman's Handicap (2000m) at Doomben in 2019/20.

Berkshire Breeze is likely to be kept ticking over by Maher, who will endeavour to earn the gelding a spot in the Melbourne Cup via the Group 3 The Archer (2500m, Sept 14) or the Group 3 The Bart Cummings (2500m, Oct 5), which each carry a Melbourne Cup ballot exemption.