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.
On Sunday, we start off in a maiden at Werribee, which features a Group 1 placegetter who has done most of her racing in much higher grades than this. We then head to Hawkesbury, where a well-bred colt makes his debut, while a last-start winner from the Mark Newnham stable looks like another one to follow at the same venue.
Werribee, Race 1, 1.20pm AEDT, Spendthrift Australia Employee of the Year – Warwick Defoe Mdn Plate, $35,000, 2000m
Salto Angel (NZ), 4-year-old mare (Sacred Falls {NZ} x Jacilo {NZ} {Entrepreneur {GB}})
Sunday’s maiden event appears to be a much easier task than the Danny O’Brien-trained Salto Angel has been used to in her 13-start career to date. She has previously contested seven black-type races, finishing second in the G3 Ethereal S., fifth in the G2 Wakeful S., second in the G1 VRC Oaks, eighth in the G3 Vanity S., 14th in the G3 Adrian Knox S., second in the Listed VRC St Leger and ninth in the Listed Andrew Ramsden.
In her only 4-year-old start to date, Salto Angel ran sixth over 1600 metres at Ballarat on October 21. She should appreciate the extra distance of this Sunday’s assignment.
Salto Angel was bought by O’Brien Thoroughbreds for NZ$130,000 from Waikato Stud’s draft at the 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale, and she has already earned back more than double that on the racetrack.
She is one of three winners from eight foals to race out of the Entrepreneur (GB) mare Jacilo (NZ), and all of that trio have performed at black-type level. Miss Keepsake (NZ) (Keeper) won the G1 Queensland Oaks and placed in the G1 Queen of the Turf S. and Queensland Derby, while Villifye (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}) won the G2 Japan-New Zealand International Trophy. Villifye is herself now the dam of three winners, including the Group 3-placed Traduce (NZ) (Savabeel).
This is also the family of multiple Group 1 winner and successful sire Grosvenor (NZ).
Salto Angel (NZ) as a yearling | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
Hawkesbury, Race 2, 2.25pm AEDT, ALS Solar Maiden Plate, $35,000, 1300m
Tea Or Coffee, 3-year-old colt (Snitzel x Kylikwong {Red Ransom {USA}})
After recording a third and two fourths from his three preparatory trials, the Bjorn Baker-trained Tea Or Coffee will get his racing career underway at Hawkesbury on Sunday with Brandon Lerena in the saddle.
The colt was a $420,000 purchase by Viribright Racing from Westbury Stud’s draft at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. He is by Champion Sire Snitzel out of the classy and well-bred Kylikwong (Red Ransom {USA}), who herself placed in the G1 VRC Oaks, G1 Australasian Oaks, G1 VRC Sires’ Produce S., G2 Kewney S., G2 Edward Manifold S. and G2 South Australian Oaks.
Kylikwong is the dam of six winners from nine foals to race, including Listed Christmas Cup winner Cantonese (Redoute’s Choice) and Group 3 placegetters Chateau Margaux (Redoute’s Choice) and Monteux (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}). Another of her progeny, the unraced Lake Superior (Encosta De Lago), is the dam of Australian Guineas winner Alligator Blood (All Too Hard).
Kylikwong is a full sister to six-time Group 1 winner and Australian Horse of the Year Typhoon Tracy (Red Ransom {USA}), along with the stakes winner and sire Red Element.
Hawkesbury, Race 3, 3pm AEDT, Jack Heasman Memorial Class 1 H., $35,000, 1500m
Aramis (NZ), 3-year-old gelding (Contributer {Ire} x Bella Carolina {NZ} {O’Reilly {NZ}})
The Mark Newnham-trained Aramis will line up here for the third start of his career, having finished fifth on debut at Canterbury on November 12 before scoring an impressive maiden win at Newcastle two weeks later. Racing in the Mystery Downs colours of Francis and Christine Cook, he will be ridden by stable apprentice Tom Sherry.
Passed in at the 2020 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale, Aramis returned to Karaka later that year for the Ready to Run Sale, where Mark Newnham Bloodstock paid NZ$150,000 to secure him from the draft of breeders Mapperley Stud.
By Contributer (Ire), who was New Zealand’s leading second-season sire in 2020/21, Aramis is a half-brother to the stakes winner and Group 1-performed Tennessee (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}). The family also features Dress Circle (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}), whose seven wins included the G1 Metropolitan H., G2 Hill S., G3 Colin Stephen H., G3 Kingston Town S. and Listed Tattersall’s Plate. He also placed in the G1 Ranvet S., Metropolitan H., All Aged S. and Chipping Norton S.
Aramis (NZ) as a yearling | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
Looking Back
Capital Tower (Capitalist) won impressively at Doomben on Saturday, and Black On Beauty (Zoustar) kicked off her career with a 2l victory at Newcastle. The debut of Andalus (NZ) (Almanzor {Fr}) will have to wait for another day, with Saturday's Trentham races called off due to unsafe track conditions.
