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.
Wednesday at Warwick Farm, we pay attention to an Exosphere gelding from the family of Sky Cuddle (Snippets) and a filly from the family of five-time Group winner Sweet Idea (Snitzel). At Sandown, we look at a Hermitage gelding that comes from the family of the brilliant Grosvenor (NZ).
Warwick Farm, Race 1, 2.20pm AEDT, Harry Angel First Yearlings Plate, $50,000, 1200m
Cyber Attack, 3-year-old gelding (Exosphere x Lonely Hour {Fastnet Rock})
This gelding is a homebred for breeder Stuart Ramsey of Turangga Farm, and it’s a family he knows well. Cyber Attack is the third foal from the Fastnet Rock mare Lonely Hour, who is a daughter of the wonderful Ramsey-bred mare Sky Cuddle.
Sky Cuddle won the G1 Emirates S. before producing the G2 Breeders’ Classic winner Champagne Cuddles (Not A Single Doubt), who herself sold as a broodmare prospect to Coolmore for $2 million in 2020.
Exosphere | Standing at Oaklands Stud
Cyber Attack is unraced, and will head into this race for trainer John O’Shea with a useful trial win at Canterbury in mid-December. He has drawn the inside barrier with jockey Chad Schofield.
Warwick Farm, Race 2, 2.55pm AEDT, Keeneland Plate, $50,000, 1200m
Vintage, 3-year-old filly (Snitzel x Surf Poet {Charge Forward})
This filly was unplaced in her only race to date, a maiden in February at Gosford on the heaviest of tracks. Since then she has had a decent break for the Waterhouse-Bott operation and she returned with two winning trials this preparation, the most recent in late November.
Vintage as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Vintage was a $120,000 yearling purchase for Waterhouse and Bott, sold by Aquis Farm at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. Her dam, Surf Poet, is a half-sister to the superb five-time Group-winner Sweet Idea (Snitzel) and her full sister, the equally excellent Showtime.
This is a very notable stakes-producing family that goes back to Electronic (NZ) (First Norman {USA}), who was the joint top filly on the 1995/1996 Australian 4YO+ Classification.
Sandown, Race 2, 4.15pm AEDT, Ladbroke It! Plate, $50,000, 1400m
Straight Arron, 3-year-old gelding (Fastnet Rock x Imperial Lass {NZ} {Tavistock {NZ}})
Straight Arron will debut in this race in the well-known colours of Hermitage. Trained at Flemington by Chris Waller, the gelding had two trials last year and has returned this prep for a second to Cyber Attack (Exosphere) in a Canterbury trial in late December.
He has drawn barrier four in this event and will have the valuable experience of Damien Oliver.
Straight Arron as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Straight Arron was a $270,000 purchase for Waller at the 2020 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. He was bred and sold by Torryburn Stud, and he comes from the family of the stakes producer Tricia Ann (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}), who was a three-quarter sister to five stakes winners, including the three-time Group 1 winner Grosvenor (NZ).
Looking Back
Our Looking Ahead selections fared well on Tuesday. At Muswellbrook, Angelical (Real Impact {Jpn}) was a winner while Rockbarton Pat (Sooboog) was fifth. At Stony Creek, Sweet Alyssum (Starcraft {NZ}) was second.
