Looking Ahead puts the spotlight on runners of interest across Australia and New Zealand. Whether they are a particularly well-bred or high-priced runner having their first or second start, a promising galloper returning to the track or a horse which has trialled particularly well, we’ll aim to give you something to follow.
On Monday, we have a half-brother to a Group 1 winner debuting at Ballina, while at Kilmore, there are a couple of mares looking to break their maidens;
Ballina Race 2, XXXX Golf Mdn, $22,000, 1255m, 1:50pm AEDT
Bay of Plenty, a one-time $400,000 yearling purchase, makes his debut for local trainer Peter Williams as a 4-year-old. China Horse Club paid big money for him at the 2016 Easter Sale but after a few trials with Peter and Paul Snowden, he went through an online sale for just $7000 in May 2017.
Williams sent him around at a recent Gold Coast trial where he ran fifth. He is out of So Tempted (Jeune {GB}), who has produced South African Group 1 winner Happy Archer as well as Listed winner Femina Fashion. The dam is a sister to G2 Wakeful S. winner Lolita Star.
Bay Of Plenty as a yearling
Kilmore Race 3, Eric Kirkman Mdn, $23,000, 1212m, 2:30pm AEDT
Sparkling Flyer was the first-ever All Too Hard yearling sold at the Premier Sale back in 2016, for $80,000 to Team Hawkes. She is a half-sister to Macau stakes-winner Brave Rhino, out of a daughter of Mam'selle Giselle, who is a sister to Baryshnikov and half-sister to champion sire Zabeel (NZ).
Sparkling Flyer had one run as a 3-year-old, finishing just over a length off the winner in a Geelong maiden back in May. She had a quiet recent jumpout at Flemington and will no doubt improve off her first-up run.
Sparkling Flyer
Kilmore Race 4, Beraldo Coffee Mdn, $23,000, 1462m, 3:00pm AEDT
She might still be a maiden after six starts, but Plum Pudding (Sebring) should be breaking through soon based on her strong finishing third behind a decent horse in Phoneme (Choisir) in a Yarra Valley maiden last time out.
That was her first run from a spell, but she was given a good hit out in a Caufield jumpout before that. She was a $110,000 yearling buy at the 2016 Easter sales out of Christmas (Exceed And Excel), the half-sister to Group 1 winner Mission Critical and Group 2 winner Brilliant Light.
Plum Pudding as a yearling
