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 Wednesday selections include three well-bred horses. Randwick-Kensington will see Chris Waller’s high-priced Snitzel colt Fightertown have his second start in Race 2, followed by the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Saikono, a daughter of Maurice (Jpn), who will make her raceday debut. At Sandown-Lakeside, the lightly raced 3-year-old daughter of Written Tycoon, Skywriter, will look for a maiden victory in Race 1.
Sandown-Lakeside, Race 1, 3.05pm AEDT, The Wakeful Club Mdn Plate, $55,000, 1400m
Skywriter, 3-year-old filly (Written Tycoon x Sky Princess {Street Sense {USA}})
This Chris Waller-trained filly looks to break through into the winner’s circle in this race. Skywriter has not been far from breaking her maiden, coming off a runner-up effort at this venue over 1300 metres on February 15. Craig Williams will retain the ride and the pair will jump from barrier one.
Skywriter as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
The filly is the first live foal from the Street Sense (USA) mare Sky Princess, who won six races during her career. Skywriter descends from an interesting family. Her third dam, Century Pike (Century), was a dual-Listed winner and a half-sister to Group 1 winner Reachabite (Noalcoholic {Fr}). Skywriter’s sixth dam, Matatina (GB) (Grey Sovereign {GB}), won the 1965 running of the Nunthorpe S. Matatina is a half-sister to Showdown (GB) (Infatuation {GB}), the highly influential stallion who sired 41 individual stakes winners.
Skywriter was a $165,000 purchase by Star Thoroughbreds and Randwick Bloodstock Agency (FBAA) at the 2021 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale when consigned by Yulong.
Randwick-Kensington, Race 2, 2.20pm AEDT, Yes Yes Yes First Yearlings H., $55,000, 1000m
Fightertown 2-year-old colt (Snitzel x Red Lodge {USA} {Midshipman {USA}})
The Chris Waller-trained Fightertown will return to the track on Wednesday. The high-priced son of Snitzel made his debut at Rosehill Gardens on January 14, where he finished unplaced in a 1100-metre maiden behind Red Resistance (Russian Revolution). Waller sent the colt back to the trials recently in a 900-metre heat where he finished fourth.
Leading rider James McDonald has been engaged to ride the colt in this appearance and the pair has drawn barrier seven.
Fightertown as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Fightertown brings a rich international pedigree to Wednesday’s meeting. He is from the Midshipman (USA) mare Red Lodge (USA), a winner of the Listed Monmouth Colleen S. She is a granddaughter of the Silver Hawk (USA) mare Memories Of Silver (USA). Memories Of Silver was a dual Group 1 winner in North America and, in turn, is the dam of the Group 1-winning El Prado (Ire) mare Winter Memories (USA).
Fightertown was a $ 1.1 million yearling purchase by Tom Magnier from the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Yearling Sale when consigned by Emirates Park.
Randwick- Kensington, Race 3, 2.55pm AEDT, Racing And Sports H., $55,000, 1000m
Saikono, 2-year-old filly (Maurice {Jpn} x Teaspoon {Snitzel})
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Saikono will debut in this race. In preparation for it, the filly has had a trial at Randwick, where she was placed on February 20. Regan Bayliss has been engaged to ride and the pair will jump from barrier four.
Saikono as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Saikono is the third foal from the Snitzel mare Teaspoon. Teaspoon won the G3 Widden S. as a 2-year-old. Teaspoon is a full sister to Aliyana Tilde (Snitzel), a Group 3 winner who was placed in the G1 Australian Oaks. Furthermore, this is the family of prominent black-type winners The Astrologist (Zoustar) and Balwaard (Redoute’s Choice).
The filly was a $400,000 purchase by Cloros Bloodstock from the 2022 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale when offered by Arrowfield Stud.
Looking Back
Tuesday started with the Patrick Payne-trained Secret Location (Star Witness) breaking his maiden in style by 1.75l in race two at Ballarat; Queen Ta Vista followed his winning ways with the daughter of Tavistock (NZ) winning her maiden by 1.25l for the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable in race three at Ballarat.
