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.
On Sunday, a pair of debuting 2-year-olds are worth keeping an eye on as they kick off their careers at Dubbo and Sale respectively. Later in the Sale card, a well-related 3-year-old filly is set to debut over 1100 metres.
Dubbo, Race 1, 12.40pm AEDT, ‘The Big Dance’ Royal Randwick 1st November 2022 2YO H., $24,000, 1000m
Fashion Legend, 2-year-old gelding (Deep Field x Sarong {NZ} {Exceed And Excel})
William Freedman unveils an intriguing youngster here in the form of Fashion Legend, racing in the Bon Ho colours made famous by The Everest hero Classique Legend (Not A Single Doubt).
Nominated for the G1 Inglis Sires’ at Randwick in April, Fashion Legend heads into Sunday’s debut as a 3l winner of both of his 900-metre trials at Scone on November 10 and February 2. He will jump from the inside barrier at Dubbo with Matthew Palmer in the saddle.
Fashion Legend was bred by Rosemont Stud, who offered him at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. Bon Ho bought him for $260,000.
Fashion Legend as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
By leading sire Deep Field, Fashion Legend will be the second foal to race out of Sarong (NZ) (Exceed And Excel), who herself won three races in Singapore. Her first foal to race is Aramis En Avant (Makfi {GB}), a winner at Queanbeyan earlier this season.
Sarong’s dam Wrap Around (Bletchingly) won nine races including the G1 William Reid S., and she is the dam of stakes placegetters Intuit (Commands) and Twist My Heart (USA) (Dayjur {USA}) and grandam of dual Group 1 winner Fashions Afield (Redoute’s Choice).
Sale, Race 2, 1.15pm AEDT, Gippsland Veterinary Hospital 2YO Mdn, $35,000, 1100m
Giga Kick, 2-year-old gelding (Scissor Kick x Rekindled Applause {GB} {Royal Applause {GB}})
Sunday’s 2-year-old sprint at Sale has drawn an intriguing field, But another interesting runner is the first-starter Giga Kick, who showed good speed in a jump-out earlier this month. He has drawn gate six for Sunday’s debut and will be ridden by Jamie Kah for her fiancé Clayton Douglas.
Withdrawn from last year’s Inglis HTBA May Yearling Sale, Giga Kick was later bought for just $6100 from the Magic Millions June Online Sale. He races in the familiar red stripes of Jonathan Munz’s Pinecliff Racing.
Giga Kick as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Giga Kick will be the eighth foal to race out of Rekindled Applause (GB) (Royal Applause {GB}), who herself won four races and was a four-time Listed placegetter in Italy. Rekindled Applause is also a half-sister to Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed Rekindled Interest (Redoute’s Choice), as well as fellow black-type winners Where We Left Off (GB) (Dr Devious {Ire}) and Porticcio (Ire) (Lomitas {GB}).
Rekindled Applause is the dam of Group placegetters Rekindled Power (Redoute’s Choice) and Shuffle Up (Redoute’s Choice), as well as Lago Ovation (Encosta De Lago), who is the dam of Group 1 winner Alabama Express (Redoute’s Choice).
Sale, Race 3, 1.52pm AEDT, JSM Embroidery & Workwear 3YO Fillies Mdn, $35,000, 1100m
Morean, 3-year-old filly (Divine Prophet x Kalamata {Desert Prince {Ire}})
Also with Jamie Kah in the saddle, Morean is a well-credentialled debutant at Sale on Sunday for Anthony and Sam Freedman.
The filly was bred by Aquis Farm and offered through the Aquis draft at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, where Bahen Bloodstock secured her for $180,000.
Morean as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
She is by Divine Prophet out of the talented mare Kalamata (Desert Prince {Ire}), a Listed winner in New Zealand who also ran a close third behind trans-Tasman Group 1 winners Starcraft (NZ) and Miss Potential (Dolphin Street {Fr}) in the G1 Mudgway Partsworld S.
Kalamata is the dam of four winners from seven foals to race, headed by Stirling Grove (Mossman), the winner of the G3 SAJC Sires’ Produce S. and placegetter in another seven stakes races including the G1 Goodwood H.
Looking Back
English Riviera (Deep Field) fared best of our selections on Saturday with a creditable third in the G2 Neds Blue Diamond Prelude (Fillies) at Caulfield.
Metallicity (Zoustar) finished fourth in the Coolmore Pierro Plate at Randwick, and Ponca (American Pharoah {USA}) filled the same position at Newcastle.
