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.
Thursday at Hawkesbury, we look at a Bjorn Baker gelding whose dam is a half-sister to a dual Grade 1 winner in America, and a Western Australian-bred colt who is a half-brother to a Belle of the Turf winner. At Mornington, we look at a modestly priced yearling whose dam is a half-sister to an Oaks winner.
Hawkesbury, Race 1, 1.25pm AEDT, Tab.com.au Mdn, $40,000, 1100m
Midori Burly, 3-year-old gelding (Smart Missile x Red Beret {USA} {Red Ransom {USA}})
Three-year-old Midori Burly is from the imported mare Red Beret (USA), whose good claim to fame is that she’s a half-sister to the American dual Grade 1 winner Marlin (USA) (Sword Dance {Ire}) and the Listed-winning Lindsey Lane (USA) (Jeblar {USA}). Marlin won the G1 Arlington Million and and G1 Hollywood Derby.
This gelding was consigned to the 2021 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale by Middlebook Valley Lodge, where he was sold to the Hong Kong-based Magus Equine for $90,000.
Midori Burly as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Midori Burly has taken a while to get to the races for trainer Bjorn Baker. He began trialling in Feburary and his most recent effort was a Warwick Farm trial on November 4, in which he was fifth. He will have jockey Tyler Schiller in this debut from barrier three.
Hawkesbury, Race 2, 2pm AEDT, Sky Racing Mdn, $40,000, 1300m
Stand Guard, 3-year-old colt (Safeguard x Kerimba {Ire} {Sinndar {Ire}})
This colt has an interesting sales history in Australasia. He was consigned as a yearling by Mogumber Park in Western Australia to the 2021 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale and bought by Upper Bloodstock/POB Bloodstock in Hong Kong for $75,000. Thereafter, he was consigned by Woburn Farm as a 2-year-old to the 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale, where he was picked up by trainer Amanda Turner for NZ$300,000.
Stand Guard is trained by Turner at Warwick Farm and he’s got Kathy O’Hara aboard for this debut from barrier nine. He won the second of his two trials on October 18, so he’s got form in this field.
Stand Guard as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
The colt is a half-brother to the Exceed And Excel filly Cathay Lady, who won the Listed Gosford Belle of the Turf S., and also to Extensible (Exceed And Excel), who was third in the G3 Summoned S.
Mornington, Race 2, 1.35pm AEDT, Clayton Douglas Racing Plate, $37,500, 1000m
Trust Bill, 3-year-old gelding (Trust In A Gust x Elmfield {NZ} {Tale Of The Cat {USA}})
Three-year-old Trust Bill is from the Tale Of The Cat (USA) mare Elmfield (NZ), who is a half-sister to the G1 Australian Oaks and G3 Adrian Knox winner Wild Iris (Spectrum {Ire}). In turn, Wild Iris is the dam of the dual G2 Emancipation S. winner Zanbagh (Bernardini {USA}), who was placed in both the ATC and VRC Oaks races.
Trust Bill was consigned by MB Thoroughbreds to the 2021 Inglis Gold Yearling Sale, where he sold to John Sadler for just $6000.
Trust Bill as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
The gelding is trained by Sadler at Pakenham and he’s out-lived his modest pricetag already with some good trial wins. The latest was at home on November 8, and in this debut Trust Bill will have jockey Ben Allen from barrier three.
Looking Back
Our Looking Ahead selections for Wednesday were unlucky. At Doomben, Maralah (Exceed And Excel) was a scratching, while at Rosehill, Unravel (Snitzel) was fifth. At Sandown, Frankly Elegant (Frankel {GB}) was sixth.
