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 Bendigo, we look at a colt from the triple Listed winner Panipique (Testa Rossa), while at Eagle Farm, we look at a second-up filly who has already out-earned her purchase price seven times.
Bendigo, Race 1, 12.30pm AEDT, BRB Electrical Mdn, $50,000, 1100m
Futuristic, 3-year-old colt (Zoustar x Panipique {Testa Rossa})
This colt was bred by Stuart Ramsey’s Turangga Farm and it’s a familiar family. He’s the fourth foal from Panipique, who was a triple Listed winner and third in the G3 Thousand Guineas Prelude. Panipique herself is a daughter of Our Quivira (NZ) (Spinning World {USA}), who was a Group 3 winner but also the dam of both Panipique and the Listed-winning, Listed-placed Glenall (Redoute’s Choice).
Futuristic was consigned by Lime Country Thoroughbreds to the 2021 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, where he was purchased by Kia Ora, Mick Price Racing, Roll The Dice Racing and Rogers Bloodstock.
Futuristic as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
The colt is trained at Cranbourne by Price and Michael Kent Jnr, and he’s had six jump-outs through three preparations to date. In the latest two, he was third and second respectively. In this debut, Futuristic will be ridden by Mark Zahra from barrier two.
Eagle Farm, Race 6, 4.50pm AEDT (3.50pm local), Steamatic Class 1 Plate, $35,000, 1200m
Greensleeves, 3-year-old filly (All Too Hard x Whippy Van {Street Cry {Ire}})
Three-year-old Greensleeves was a winner of her first race on October 8 at the Gold Coast, earning a cheque for seven times her purchase price. This filly was bought by her co-trainer, Steven O’Dea, for just $2000 at the 2020 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale where she’d been consigned by Vinery Stud.
She is a daughter of the Street Cry (Ire) mare Whippy Van, who is a half-sister to the Casino Prince horse Hooked. Hooked won four Group races, including the G2 Crystal Mile at Moonee Valley and the G2 Tramway H., and he was third in the G1 Australian Derby and G1 Epsom H.
Greensleeves as a weanling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Greensleeves won her debut by a whisker earlier this month, but she’s showed plenty of form to be competitive in this race. She’s trained at Eagle Farm by O’Dea and Matthew Hoysted, and in this race she will carry apprentice Jaden Lloyd from barrier 10.
Looking Back
On Tuesday, our Looking Ahead selections were thoroughly luckless. At Warracknabeal, Pink Cashmere (I Am Invincible) was scratched, while at Hawkesbury, Tsarism (Hellbent) was also scratched. At Grafton, Maroon Magic (I Am Invincible) was part of the postponed meeting.
