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.
Friday night racing sits us with two Chris Waller-trained runners, first at Moonee Valley with a $1.8 million yearling purchase hoped to start to get some of that spend back, and then to Canterbury with hopes of some better luck for an I Am Invincible.
Then it’s back to The Valley where a mare called Francine (Kuroshio) tries to make a more fancied name for herself with a third-straight win.
Moonee Valley, Race 1, 6.15pm AEDT, Schweppes Plate, $60,000, 1200m
Plagiarized, 3-year-old gelding (Exceed And Excel x Platelet {Strategic})
It is hard to look past the $1.8 million-bought Plagiarized on debut at Moonee Valley for Chris Waller and jockey Damien Oliver as one to get your interest.
He has trialled well at Geelong, within a length of the already Listed winner in that.
Dam Platelet is the standout in the family as a dual Group 1 winner and no less than 15 black-type placings in total.
Plagiarized as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Plagiarized was bought at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale by Hawkes Racing and is owned by Orbis Racing. Interestingly, another Exceed And Excel colt, Stromboli, is in the race and trained by Team Hawkes. That colt was passed in at the Inglis Easter Sale and retained by Corumbene Stud to race. Stromboli was well-performed from bad gates at his last two starts and should be around the mark here in barrier one with red-hot Jye McNeil riding on the eve of his wedding.
Canterbury Park, Race 1, 6.30pm AEDT, Stud And Stable Staff Awards H., $50,000, 1550m
Aton Of Delight, 3-year-old gelding (I Am Invincible x Zurella {NZ} {Zabeel {NZ}})
The Chris Waller-trained Aton Of Delight finished well on debut at Warwick Farm on Australia Day after missing the start and finding himself well back and having to work through some traffic, which he seemed to relish in.
He has the wider barrier seven this time with Hugh Bowman on the ride again. He was a $250,000 Inglis Easter Sale purchase from Bhima Thoroughbreds, and his dam, Zurella (NZ), an $800,000 Magic Millions National Broodmare purchase for Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock.
Aton Of Delight as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Zurella was a Group 2 winner both in her home of New Zealand and in Australia in the Let’s Elope S. and she ran second in the G1 New Zealand Oaks.
Aton Of Delight’s half-sister Designs (Vancouver) was a Wangaratta winner in December and ran second in the Maffra Cup at Sale last month. His grandam Miss Trump (Last Tycoon {Ire}) is a half-sister to the track and sire star Lonhro.
Moonee Valley, Race 4, 7.45pm AEDT, Solo No Sugar H., $60,000, 955m
Francine, 4-year-old mare (Kuroshio x Fleeting One {Wanted})
Back-to-back winner Francine, will be put to the test at a couple of grades higher here to see if she can make it a hat-trick.
Kuroshio | Standing at Starfield Stud
The only foal from Fleeting One, a half-sister to the Listed-winning Dundeel (NZ) mare Transact, Francine failed to fire when in similar company at The Valley in December. Two dominant wins in Wangaratta in her past two starts though will be looked at as a sign she may now be better able to handle the pressure.
Looking Back
For the Thursday picks Miss Wallflower (Headwater) ran fourth, while the second selection for the day, La Sarthe (Sebring) was scratched from her Kilmore race and O'Lucky (O'Lonhro) ran third at Packenham.
