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.
We start at Albury with a homebred Fighting Sun gelding who blew away his trial competitors recently, before heading to the twilight racing at Pakenham to a pair of fillies, one by Hellbent looking to follow on some good trial form and the next the granddaughter of Group 1 star Redoute's Choice mare Miss Finland.
Albury, Race 3, 2.45pm AEDT, The Essential Utensil Mdn Plate, $24,000, 900m
Sparring, 3-year-old gelding (Fighting Sun x Lakemba Rose {Bel Esprit})
Ron Stubbs hopes his homebred debutant can repeat his recent trial form where he won untouched by 11l in the clear fastest trial at this track just two weeks ago at a time of 53.51s over 900 metres.
He jumps from barrier seven with Nick Heywood aboard and the clean set of heels shown in the trial suggests they’ll look to go straight to the front, with Penny Stocks (Capitalist) the one to potentially go with him.
Full brother Lionel has found success in Darwin, with half-sister Grafted (Reward For Effort) a winner as a 2-year-old. It takes a look back to the fourth dam, Penny Draw (Idomeneo {GB}) for any black-type winners, with her the mother of Drawn (Star Shower) a Group 1 winner as a 3-year-old.
Fighting Sun
Pakenham, Race 1, 5.45pm AEDT, Iron Jack Australian Lagers 2YO Fillies Mdn Plate, $35,000, 1200m
Hell Hath No Fury, 2-year-old filly (Hellbent x Diamond Cove {Octagonal {NZ}})
Good at her recent Geelong trial for a win after a respectable fourth on debut at Flemington in December, the Danny O’Brien-trained Hellbent filly has the draw and the rider in Jamie Kah in this one to get the job done.
She was a $160,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase and all nine of her half-siblings have been winners, the most notable being Group 3 winner Montauk (More Than Ready {USA}) and Bright Diamond (I Am Invincible) who had her first Group level start in the La Trice Classic on New Year’s Day.
Dam Diamond Cove was just out of the placings at Group 3 level and won a Listed race.
Diamond Cove as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Pakenham, Race 4, 7.15pm AEDT, Tyreright Pakenham Fillies and Mares Mdn Plate, $35,000, 1400m
Always On My Mind, 3-year-old filly (Deep Impact {Jpn} x Stay With Me {Street Cry {Ire}})
In a race with six debutantes, the Ben and JD Hayes-trained Deep Impact (Jpn) filly that will go from barrier 12 with Mark Zahra in the saddle gets the tip of the hat here.
The granddaughter of Group 1 star Miss Finland (Redoute’s Choice), success at the highest level runs in the family, with Stay With Me a Group 1 winner too.
Always On My Mind’s half-sister Waltz On By (I Am Invincible) ran fourth in the G3 Blue Diamond Preview on Australia Day.
Deep Impact (Jpn)
Looking Back
On Wednesday, Kahawaty (Pride Of Dubai) ran third at Kensington, while Himalaism (I Am Invincible) ran fourth at the same venue. Touch Of Navy (Merchant Navy) was also fourth at Sandown.
