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 Friday, we start out at Goulburn where a Deep Field filly makes her debut, while at Cranbourne a Lindsay Park gelding by Fastnet Rock takes our eye, as does a Godolphin filly by Exceed and Excel.
Goulburn Race 4, 1:43pm AEST, Revolution Print Country Only Mdn, $22,000, 1000m
The progeny of Deep Field are having a terrific season with 15 individual winners and Nick Olive debuts another of the Newgate stallion's first crop The Deepest Secret here against the older horses. She has had one trial leading into this race, showing enough there to suggest she can make an impression here, albeit from a wide barrier.
She was passed in at the 2018 Magic Millions Sale, and is a half-sister to Olive's stakes-placed 2-year-old Bring A Secret (Sebring) as well as four other winners out of Secret Sleeping (NZ) (Viking Ruler). She herself is a half-sister to stakes-placegetter in Moreton Bay (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) from the family of Twiglet (Twig Moss {Fr}) the dam of Group 1 winners Fairy King Prawn (Danehill {USA}) and Easy Rocking {Barathea {Ire}).
The Deepest Secret as a yearling
Cranbourne Race 1, 6:00pm AEST, Designer Coolrooms 2YO Mdn, $35,000, 1200m
Noble Fight (Fastnet Rock) made his debut last month with a sixth at Sandown and the form from that race has held up with the runner-up Taraayef (Lonhro) successful in impressive fashion on Wednesday. He showed speed in his trial win before that and significantly gets blinkers on here having got a little bit lost on debut.
Noble Fight as a yearling
He was retained by Sun Stud after being passed in at last year's Magic Millions Sale. He is the second foal of city-performed mare Fulminate (Encosta De Lago), who is a half-sister to multiple Listed winner Illuminates (Strategic), which is a family that goes back to Noble Fight's third dam, the G1 Queensland Oaks winner Travel Light (NZ) (Belissimo {Fr}). This gelding's half-brother Fiorentino (Fiorente {Ire} is still a maiden but does show promise.
Cranbourne Race 2, 6:30pm AEST, De Bortoli Wines 2YO Fillies Mdn, $35,000, 1000m
Lesage (Exceed and Excel) is the latest of Godolphin's brilliant 2018-19 2-year-old crop to make her debut, having made good progress through a couple of recent trials, the most recent a win at Randwick earlier this month.
She is the second last foal from the Group 1 winning Beaded (Lonhro), who has already produced the Group 3 winner Resin (Exceed And Excel) as well as the five-time winner Bezel (Street Cry {Ire}). It's a classic Woodlands family, with Beaded's dam Subtle (Night Shift {USA}) having also produced the stakes winner Rarified (Commands), while the next generation back features dual Group 1 winning sprinter Undue (Commands) and Listed winner Absurd (Crown Jester).
