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 Thursday, we are following at trio of very well-bred debutants, Chris Waller debuts a three-quarter brother to a pair of NZ Group 1 winners at Echuca, while at Kembla Grange, Peter and Paul Snowden present a filly from the family of the great Redoute's Choice and James Cummings has a son of a Group 1 winning mare ready for the racetrack.
Echuca Race 1, 11:55am AEST, Two Tarts Catering 2YO Mdn, $35,000, 1200m
Relucent (NZ) (Savabeel) debuts as a late 2-year-old for Chris Waller off the back of a trio of recent Flemington jumpouts, the latest of which saw him finish on the heels of the winner on July 12, which was an improvement on his previous two trials when he was slowly away.
Relucent as a yearling
A $300,000 NZB Karaka purchase for Guy Mulcaster and the Kaha Syndicate, he hails from a very well performed New Zealand family. He is a three-quarter brother to a pair of Group 1 winners in Diademe (NZ) (Savabeel) and Embellish (NZ) (Savabeel) as well as stakes-placed Deadly Shadow (NZ) (Savabeel). It's also the extended family of multiple Group 1 winner Sacred Star (Flying Spur). His full sister Lucetta (NZ) is also stakes placed.
Kembla Grange Race 4, 2:20pm AEST, Figtree Mdn, $35,000, 1000m
In what looks a very competitive winter maiden, Peter and Paul Snowden have four runners including three debutants. Among them is the $650,000 filly Sangria (I Am invincible), who races in the Fairway Thoroughbreds colours and has performed with some credit at a couple of recent trials. She does hold an entry for the G1 Golden Rose, so obviously shows some talent.
Sangria as a yearling
She certainly hails from a very strong family being out of stakes-placed Quench For Thirst (Encosta de Lago), the full-sister to stakes-winners Precious Lorraine and Lucky Raquie and the three-quarter sister to Group 1 winner Manhattan Rain (Encosta de Lago) as well as Rubick (Encosta de Lago). That, of course is the Shantha's Choice (Canny Lad) family which has produced the likes of the great Redoute's Choice (Danehill {USA}) and recent triple Group 1 winning filly Shoals (Fastnet Rock).
Kembla Grange Race 5, Farmborough Heights Mdn, $35,000, 1300m
The James Cummings' trained Subedar (Sepoy) has been given plenty of education ahead of his debut, having had five trials in his 2-year-old season, including a recent fifth at Randwick where he closed off very nicely from the back of the field, a performance which indicates this 1300m debut should be right up his alley.
He is out of the Group 1 winning mare Virage De Fortune (Anabaa {USA}), who Darley purchased for $3.4 million back in 2007. She has produced three winners, including Barbados, who has stood at Ducatoon Park for the past few seasons. Virage De Fortune is a granddaughter of champion mare Emancipation (Bletchingly), from which she and this gelding derive their distinctive grey colouring.
