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, we’ve got a pair of juveniles at Canterbury, kicking off with an exceptional page in the colts’ race that boasts Enthaar (Written Tycoon) and Secret Agenda (Not A Single Doubt), and among the fillies we look at a daughter of a G3 Doomben Roses winner. At Cranbourne, we pay attention to an unraced filly whose dam is a Flemington Group 3 winner.
Canterbury, Race 1, 12.50pm AEST, Grainshaker Vodka H., $50,000, 1250m
Mutafiq, 2-year-old colt (I Am Invincible x Final Agreement {Not A Single Doubt})
This unraced colt will debut in the colours of Emirates Park so you’d expect him to have a stout pedigree, and he does. He is the third foal from the Not A Single Doubt mare Final Agreement, making him a half-brother to the dual Group 3 winner Enthaar. Final Agreement herself is a full sister to the exceptional filly Secret Agenda, and also Stella Pauline, who was second in the G2 Sweet Embrace S. and G3 Gimcrack S.
Mutafiq was consigned by Emirates Park to the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, but he was passed in with a reserve of $500,000.
Mutafiq as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
The colt was retained to race, and he is trained at Rosehill by the Hawkes team. He’s had three trials this side of Christmas, climbing steadily to a last-start third. He will have jockey William Pike from barrier two for his first race.
Canterbury, Race 2, 1.25pm AEST, TAB H., $50,000, 1250m
Fairway Star, 2-year-old filly (Spieth {NZ} x Marheta {Al Maher})
This unraced filly is a daughter of the G3 Doomben Roses winner Marheta, who was also second in the G1 Queensland Oaks and Listed Gold Coast Bracelet. It’s the family of Flitter (NZ) (Bluebird {USA}), who was the Champion Older Mare in Australia during her career (a winner of the G1 Doomben 10,000) and subsequently the dam of notable stakes winners Jessy Belle (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) and Shalwa (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}), and the dam of the G2 Sandown Guineas winner Ringerdingding (Sebring).
Fairway Star was consigned by Kenmore Lodge to the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, where she sold to Bjorn Baker Racing and Clarke Bloodstock (FBAA) for $40,000.
Fairway Star as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Fairway Star is trained by Baker at Warwick Farm and she’s had three trials to date, the last two resulting in second place. She has drawn barrier 10 in this race with jockey Tyler Schiller.
Cranbourne, Race 1, 12.25pm AEST, Security123 2YO Fillies Mdn, $35,000, 1200m
Harper Rae, 2-year-old filly (Astern x Pure Joy {Fusaichi Pegasus {USA}})
This unraced filly is a half-sister to the Medaglia D’Oro (USA) mare Alegria, who was stakes placed on no less than five occasions, in particular running second to Libran (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}) in the G2 Chairman’s H. The dam in question here is Pure Joy, who won the G3 Vanity S. and is herself a half-sister to the G2 QTC Sires’ Produce S. winner Fravashi (Falbrav {Ire}).
This is a particularly good family for the Godolphin operation, albeit it sold Pure Joy to her current owner, Eddie Hirsch, at the 2016 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale for $85,000. Hirsch bred this filly, Harper Rae, and retained her to race.
Astern, sire of Harper Rae | Standing at Darley
Harper Rae is trained at Tylden by John Salanitri, and this will be her first start. She’s had just a single jump-out, which occurred at Kilmore on May 27 and in which she was fourth. She will have jockey Dean Holland from barrier nine.
Looking Back
Our Looking Ahead selections for Tuesday fared poorly. At Moruya, Monte Outlander (Real Impact {Jpn}) was unplaced, while at Beaudesert, Minokawa (Spirit Of Boom) was a scratching. At Pakenham, Swift Fury (I Am Invincible) was also unplaced.
