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 Saturday, we check out a well-bred resuming 2-year-old at Rosehill, a full brother to a stakes winner in action at Eagle Farm and a Tony McEvoy youngster on debut at Morphettville.
Rosehill Race 1, 11:40am AEST, ASX Refinitiv Charity Foundation Hcp, $125,000, 1200m
Honey Go Lightly (Wandjina) hasn't started since her debut in the G3 Gimcrack S. back in September, when she was well supported off a good trial but finished down the track. She has had a couple of trials headed into this run, winning the first and running third in the second and could be set to make an impression at huge odds in this race.
She was a $250,000 buy for her trainer Anthony Cummings at last year's Gold Coast Magic Millions Sale, the third most expensive first season yearling for her Newgate-based sire. She is out of the Group 3 winning mare Maslins Beach (Flying Spur), who has already left the stakes-placed Salmanazar (Encosta de Lago) and is a sister to the Group 1 winning 2-year-old Knowledge (Last Tycoon).
Honey Go Lightly as a yearling
Eagle Farm Race 2, 12:23pm AEST, Ascot Green QTIS Two-Years-Old Hcp, $75,000, 1200m
Nuclear Summit (Spirit Of Boom) has failed to show his best in his three starts to date, but looks to have put things together this campaign judging by his most recent trial, where he finished second. He heads north to Brisbane for trainer Gary Moore.
Nuclear Summit as a yearling
Moore's son James paid $150,000 for him at the 2018 Magic Millions. He is the full brother to the stakes-winning Ef Troop and a half brother to the two-time winner Muchas Coronas (Onemorenomore). That's the extended family of American stakes winners Topicount (USA) (Private Account {USA}), Winning Season (USA) (Lemon Drop Kid {USA}), Laguna Seca (USA) (Seattle Slew (USA)) and Joffe's Run (USA) (Giant's Causeway {USA}).
Morphettville Race 3, 1:51pm AEST, W H Benson Memorial Hcp, $30,000, 1050m
Tony McEvoy has had a huge week, including a haul of six winners at Murray Bridge on Wednesday and he looks well-poised to continue that at Morphettville this Saturday with his first starter Deep Force (Deep Field).
Deep Force as a yearling
Deep Force was a four-length winner over Free Of Debt (Unencumbered) at a recent Murray Bridge trial and he looks ready to give his trainer his 25th 2-year-old winner of the season.
He was a $80,000 Classic Sale buy for his trainer out of Kapala (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), who has produced four winners already including the stakes-placed Kapset (Reset) and the handy Kapajack (Lonhro). Kapala is a half-sister to G1 Cox Plate winner Pinker Pinker (Reset).
