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 will aim to give you something to follow.
Friday, we pay attention to a gelding from the Waller yard that boasts a G1 Auckland Cup winner in his pedigree, plus a grey filly at Moonee Valley who has an accomplished female page and another filly that already has a stakes resumé behind her.
Canterbury, Race 3, 7pm AEDT, Hunter Valley Wildlife Park H., $50,000, 1250m
Three-year-old gelding Sacrimony (Per Incanto {USA}) was a NZ$150,000 purchase via Mulcaster Bloodstock for owner Carl Holt, in whose colours he races. The horse was bought as a 2-year-old at the New Zealand Ready to Run Sale in 2020, sold by Little Avondale Stud through the draft of Riversley Park.
Sacrimony clocked a slick breeze up of 10.31s for that Sale, and he’s the sixth foal from the Exceed And Excel mare Royal Excess, who was a winner in town. The Savabeel half-sister to this gelding is Excessabeel (NZ), who is Listed-placed in South Australia, and it’s the family of the brilliant Royal Tiara (NZ) (Blanco {USA}), who won the G1 Auckland Cup.
Sacrimony is trained by Chris Waller and this race will be just his second start. He was runner-up on debut at Kembla Grange late last month on a Heavy 9, which may stand him in good stead on Sydney’s current rain-affected surfaces.
He has drawn wide in barrier 12 but has Hugh Bowman aboard.
Sacrimony as a 2-year-old | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
Moonee Valley, Race 3, 7.15pm AEDT, Shop Union Road Plate, $60,000, 1200m
Everyone loves a grey, and the 3-year-old filly Seacole is a promising daughter of Not A Single Doubt from an imported American mare, Registered Nurse (USA) (Unbridled’s Song {USA}). The family is decorated with international stakes success, including second dam Moon Queen (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells {USA}), who was a Group winner in France.
Moon Queen herself was the dam of two stakes winners, namely Beauty Parlor (USA) (Elusive Quality {USA}) in America and The Brothers War (USA) (War Front {USA}) in France.
Seacole is raced by a Glentree Racing syndicate and trained at Ballarat by the Maher-Eustace partnership. She was sixth on debut to Arcaded (Street Boss {USA}) in January and then second last-time out at Sandown as far back as February. This is her first run in 10 months, but she was third in a recent jump-out at Mortlake.
The filly was picked up Ciaron Maher Racing at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, sold from the Bhima draft for $400,000.
Seacole as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Moonee Valley, Race 4, 7.45pm AEDT, Ladbrokes 55 Second Challenge Heat 4, $60,000, 955m
Yet again from the stable of Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, 3-year-old filly Fake Love (I Am Invincible) was third last-time out on this track in late October. She’s already a stakes winner, having won the Listed Debutant S. at Caulfield as a juvenile last year, and she was also runner-up in the Listed Calaway Gal S. at Eagle Farm through the winter carnival.
This filly has an attractive pedigree. She’s by I Am Invincible, but she’s the third foal from the Listed-winning mare Anatina (Fastnet Rock). Anatina is a half-sister to the stakes winner Pricked (NZ) (Thorn Park), while further down, the page features the G3 Gimcrack S. winner Mother Duck (Luskin Star).
Fake Love was passed in for $425,000 at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, while Anatina was sold through the Inglis Chairman’s Sale this year for $460,000. She was presented through the draft of Segenhoe Stud and she went to Newgate Bloodstock.
Fake Love as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Looking Back
Two of our three selections were scratched on Thursday, but the one that did run, Reigate (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}), won impressively for Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young at Pakenham.
