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.
Friday at Canberra, we look at a good card that includes a full brother to the Group 1 winner Ellsberg (Spill The Beans), plus a James Harron gelding from the mare Murtle Turtle (Murtajill). At Randwick-Kensington, we look at a China Horse Club-owned half-sister to the stakes winner Xtremetime (Extreme Choice).
Canberra, Race 2, 1.57pm AEDT, PRD Real Estate Bungendore, $22,000, 1400m
Free Choice, 3-year-old gelding (Spill The Beans x Love Of Liberty {General Nediym})
Unraced Free Choice is a son of the late Aquis stallion Spill The Beans from the General Nediym mare Love Of Liberty. As such, he is a full brother to the very good Ellsberg, a winner of last year’s G1 Epsom H. and a dual Group 3 winner also. Ellsberg is a winner of $3.3 million in prizemoney and, when this youngster went through the ring two years ago, his brother had just won the G3 Spring S.
Free Choice was consigned by KBL Thoroughbreds to the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. He sold to Suman Hedge Bloodstock (FBAA) and Gerald Ryan Racing for $160,000.
Free Choice as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
He is trained at Rosehill by Ryan and Sterling Alexiou, and he’s had five trials through two preparations, the latest producing a win at home on January 27. The gelding will have jockey Keagan Latham in this debut from barrier seven.
Canberra, Race 5, 3.46pm AEDT, Mike Cramsie Memorial Race Day H., $22,000, 1000m
Gun, 2-year-old gelding (Extreme Choice x Murtle Turtle {Murtajill})
This gelding will debut in the familiar silks of James Harron. He is a son of the dual Group-placed mare Murtle Turtle and a half-brother to the Hong Kong performer California Deeply (Deep Field). Murtle Turtle is a half-sister to Excavator (Happy Giggle), who was stakes-placed in Singapore, so there is plenty of Asian form on this page.
Gun was consigned to the 2022 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale by Bell River Thoroughbreds. He was bought by Harron for $775,000 for the James Harron Bloodstock Colt Partnership.
Gun as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Now a gelding, Gun is trained by Michael Freedman at Randwick, and his first prep in the spring involved two lacklustre trials. However, since a decent break he has been second and first in trials this side of Christmas. He heads into this debut with barrier two and jockey Keagan Latham.
Randwick-Kensington, Race 1, 3.20pm AEDT, Drinkwise Plate, $55,000, 1100m
August Bloom, 2-year-old filly (More Than Ready {USA} x Peace Time {USA} {War Front {USA}})
This filly is very well-related. She’s a half-sister to the Extreme Choice mare Xtremetime, who won the Listed Woodland S. She’s also a half-sister to Miss Hellfire (Hellbent), who was second to Soaring Ambition (Not A Single Doubt) in the R. Listed Magic Millions Wyong 2YO Classic. The second dam on this page is a Group 2 winner in California, Santa Catarina (USA) (Unbridled {USA}), who was second in the G1 Kentucky Oaks.
August Bloom, as her name suggests, was an early foal. She was born on August 13 and consigned by Newgate Farm to the 2022 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. She was bought by China Horse Club for $510,000.
August Bloom as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
She is trained by Peter and Paul Snowden at Randwick and began trialling in January. She’s been only fair in these and, in this debut, she will have jockey Tom Sherry from barrier five.
Looking Back
Our Looking Ahead selections on Thursday were a mixed bag. At Albury, Pay The Russian (Russian Revolution) was third, while at Gosford, Monopoly Girl (Capitalist) was a scratching. At Pakenham's night meeting, Veight (Grunt {NZ}) was a smart 5l winner.
