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, an Exceed And Excel filly with an Oaks connection steps out at Flemington, where a well-bred daughter of I Am Invincible looks to secure some black type, while at Gawler, Tony and Calvin McEvoy aim for a maiden victory with a filly by Fastnet Rock.
Flemington, Race 2, 1.15pm AEDT, G3 Darley Ottawa S., $200,000, 1000m
Lovin' Feelin' (Exceed And Excel) makes his debut for Ciaron Maher and David Eustace off a solid recent jump-out and has the services of in-form jockey Jamie Kah in the saddle.
Lovin' Feelin' as a yearling
She cost her trainers $320,000 at this year's Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from the draft of Twin Hills and the family on her dam's side has a strong connection to Oaks Day. Her third dam, Bulla Borghese (Belong To Me {USA}) won the 2002 VRC Oaks, and produced the Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed Bound For Earth (Northern Meteor) as well as the stakes-placed Melpomene (Elusive Quality {USA}), who is Lovin' Feelin's grandam. She in turn produced G2 Magic Night S. winner Calliope (Exceed And Excel), a three-quarter sister to this filly.
Gawler, Race 3, 2.46pm AEDT, Kingsford Hotal SABOIS Mdn, $15,800, 1200m
Merva (Fastnet Rock) has only made one previous appearance, where she was well backed but struggled on a wet track, finishing fifth at Mornington last month. The Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained filly gets back on top of the ground and drops in class looking to get her first win.
Fastnet Rock, sire of Merva | Standing at Coolmore
Her dam, Mefnooda (Medaglia D'Oro {USA}), won five races and is a half-sister to Group 3 winner One Last Dance (Encosta De Lago), out of another Group 3 winner in One World (Danehill {USA}). It's a very strong international family featuring the likes of influential stallions Royal Academy (USA) and Storm Cat (USA).
Flemington, Race 9, 5.50pm AEDT, G3 Network 10 Red Roses S., $200,000, 1100m
Chianti (I Am Invincible) returns to stakes company having been well supported when beaten into sixth in the G2 Furious S. two starts back. She bounced off that to finish second behind one of her key rivals here in Written Beauty (Written Tycoon) at Canterbury. Her two wins have come on debut at Warwick Farm back in March and then first-up at Hawkesbury in August.
Chianti as a yearling
She was retained to race by Coolmore having been passed in short of her $500,000 reserve at the 2019 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. Her dam, Sweet Sanette (SAF) (Jaliad {USA}), was a Group 3 winner in South Africa, who was sold for $875,000 back in 2015. She has produced three other winners, including the stakes-placed Sweet Rockette (Fastnet Rock), who fetched $380,000 at this year's Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.
