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.
Today, we go around the traps starting at Randwick where a colt has the right profile to star at 1600 metres, at Newcastle a resuming win beckons a well-related filly and at Caulfield we’re expecting a 2-year-old to strike again.
Randwick, Race 1, 11.35am AEST, Cellarbrations Fernhill Mile, $150,000, 1600m
A colt with a pedigree to enhance his chances at this distance is Azaly (Dundeel {NZ}) whose dam In The Clear is an unraced daughter of Redoute’s Choice and the G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas winner Clean Sweep (NZ) (End Sweep {USA}). It’s also the family of the former UAE champion 3YO miler, Group 1 winner and sire Soft Falling Rain (SAF) (National Assembly {Can}).
Azaly as a yearling
A $250,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase by Shadwell Stud Australasia, the Lindsay Park-trained Azaly hasn’t raced since he came from last to run third on debut. He has trialled well in the interim and another positive is the booking of Tom Marquand.
Newcastle, Race 2, 1.04pm AEST, Amalgamated Cash Services Maiden, $35,000, 1200m
Parakeet (Kermadec {NZ}) finished runner-up in her only appearance on New Year’s Day and the form out of that race is solid with the winner Vangelic (Vancouver) and the third placegetter Jemss (Exosphere) are both subsequent stakes performers.
Kermadec (NZ), sire of Parakeet | Standing at Darley
Trained by James Cummings, Parakeet is a half-sister to the G1 Canterbury S. winner and G1 William Reid S. runner-up Holler. Their dam Shouts (Strategic) is a half-sister to the multiple Group 1 winner Yell (Anabaa {USA}) and to the dam of the recently-retired G1 ATC Sires’ Produce S. winner Microphone.
Caulfield, Race 1, 12.25pm AEST, Take It To The Neds Level Limit H., $100,000, 1200m
Bargain buy D’Arbanville (All Too Hard) has already more than doubled her $20,000 purchase price at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale with a last-start victory at Sandown. She was untested there and, with Craig Williams to continue his association with the filly, looks more than capable of making it two wins in succession.
D’Arbanville as a yearling
Prepared by Danny O’Brien, D’Arbanville is the first foal to race for La Renaissance (Fr) (Astronomer Royale {USA}), who is a sister to the G2 Expressway S. winner and three-time Group 1 placegetter Weary (Fr). His sister Stellar Path (Fr) won twice at Group 3 level while a half-sister Nyaleti (Ire) (Arch {USA}) was a European Group 2 winner.
