Trainer Neville Parnham is confident Musket gelding Sporting Image will mature into a Saturday horse for his wife Carol and Yarradale Stud owner Ron Sayers.

Parnham made that prediction after Sporting Image scored a front-running victory in a Belmont midweek sprint last Wednesday.  “He’s a nice horse in the making.  There’s not much of him at the moment but he’s getting better with every run.”

Sporting Image is by Yarradale sire Musket and his dam Flying Angel (Flying Spur) cost Parnham $50,000 at the 2007 Inglis Melbourne Premier yearling sale.  She won at Belmont on debut but only recouped $16,000 towards her purchase price at the races.

Flying Angel began paying her way at stud when her first foal Miss Santa Fe won the first of three races at Belmont as a late-season two year-old.  The mare’s value increased again when Sporting Image broke through like a horse with a future.

There are more of her foals by Yarradale sires waiting in the wings.  Flying Angel has a 2yo colt by Discorsi, a yearling filly by Frost Giant and she was covered by City Place last October.

Musket (Redoute's Choice) has relocated to Royston Stud in Queensland after covering six books at Gidgegannup.  He leaves on the back of a rising ride of winners headed by first-crop stakes winner Dark Musket (LR Belmont Classic).

Yarradale also reports Frost Giant has not returned for a southern book this year.  The Group 1 winning son of Giant's Causeway endured a bout of colic while in quarantine in Kentucky and vets weren’t prepared to risk him suffering another setback on the flight to Australia.

SPORTING IMAGE