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.
Our selections get underway on Saturday in New Zealand as Never Forgotten (Fastnet Rock) attempts to chalk up her first career win at Te Rapa. We then turn our attention to Randwick where Facile (Trapeze Artist) will hope to show the same form she produced in her two trials when she lines up in the R. Listed Inglis Nursery, while our final selection of the afternoon is Godfather (I Am Invincible), who tackles the Listed Phelan Ready at Eagle Farm.
Te Rapa, Race 1, 10.40am AEDT (12.40pm local), Fashion S., NZ$50,000, 1100m
Never Forgotten, 2-year-old filly (Fastnet Rock x Memories Of You {Ire} {Galileo {Ire}})
Having finished fifth on debut, this well-bred filly will be attempting to get off the mark at the second time of asking when she lines up at Te Rapa on Saturday. Owned by Te Akau and trained by Mark Walker, the daughter of Coolmore’s Fastnet Rock will jump from barrier three with Michael McNab on board.
Purchased by Te Akau’s David Ellis for NZ$850,000 at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale in 2022, the filly is out of the unplaced Galileo (Ire) mare Memories Of You (Ire), making her a sister to G1 Australian Oaks winner Unforgotten and she counts stakes-placed gelding Yiyi (No Nay Never {USA}) among her half-siblings.
Never Forgotten as a yearling | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
Memories Of You herself is out the top-producing mare Most Precious (USA) (Nureyev {USA}) and she is also the dam of dual Group 1 winner Matiara (USA) (Bering {GB}) and Group 2-winning duo Pyrus (USA) (Mr Prospector {USA}) and Marathon (USA), a son of Diesis (GB).
Randwick, Race 5, 2.40pm AEDT, R. Listed Inglis Nursery, $500,000, 1000m
Facile, 2-year-old filly (Trapeze Artist x I Like It Easy {Pierro})
This filly caught a lot of people’s attention when sauntering to easy victories in both of her trials in the lead up to this race and she will jump from barrier five with Brenton Avdulla booked to take the ride.
Trained by Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou, the daughter of Widden Stud-based first-season sire Trapeze Artist cost her trainers $420,000 at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale and she is out of the Listed-winning Pierro mare I Like It Easy, who is herself a daughter of Listed winner Gai’s Choice (General Nediym).
Facile as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Gai’s Choice is a half-sister to fellow Listed winners Atmospherical (Northern Meteor) and Peron (Husson {Arg}), with the latter being the dam of G3 WJ Healy S. winner Juan Diva (Sntizel).
Further afield this is the same family as the G1 Oakleigh Plate winner Eagle Falls (Hussonet {USA}) and Group 3-scoring duo Fabrizio (High Chaparral {Ire}) and Mahara (Hussonet {USA}).
Eagle Farm, Race 3, 2.13pm AEDT (1.13pm local), Listed Phelan Ready, $150,000, 1000m
Godfather, 2-year-old colt (I Am Invincible x Meliora {Ad Valorem {USA}})
Co-trainers Peter and Paul Snowden will be hoping expensive 3-year-old colt Godfather can make his mark on his first start when he tackles the Listed Phelan Ready at Eagle Farm. The son of I Am Invincible will jump from barrier two with Ryan Maloney set to take the ride.
Godfather was purchased by the James Harron Colt Partnership for $1.1 million at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from the draft of his breeders Yarraman Park.
Godfather as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
The colt is out of Group 2 winner Meliora, meaning he is a half-brother to Group 3 winner and now Swettenham Stud-based resident I Am Immortal.
Meliora is a sister to Listed scorer Whypeeo (I Am Invincible), with the pair both out of Sunset Boulevard (Fasliyev {USA}).
Looking Back
Our first selection, Olentia (Zoustar), impressively broke her maiden at Doomben, while Nanshe (Astern) finished fifth at Canterbury and Romanova (Russian Revolution) came home in third at Moonee Valley.
