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 Newcastle, we look at a 4-year-old debutante who’s a half-sister to a stakes winner, and at Pakenham we’ve got a gelding whose dam is well-related and Group-placed. At Albany, we look at the first foal from the excellent race-mare Scratchy Bottom (Sebring).
Newcastle, Race 1, 1.15pm AEDT, Jennings Print Mdn, $40,000, 900m
Wild Mercy, 4-year-old mare (Dissident x Mystic Elle {Encosta De Lago})
This mare has taken her time getting to the races. She is a homebred for Berkeley Park Stud and a daughter of the Encosta De Lago mare Mystic Belle, who was a five-time winner. As such, Wild Mercy is a half-sister to the Listed Quezette S. winner Elite Elle (Shamardal {USA}), who was an unlucky fourth at Group 3 level on four occasions. She is also a half-sister to the stakes-placed Classic Elle (Reset).
The first dam on this page is a half-sister to Cancanelle (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), who was second in the G1 SAJC Australasian Oaks, while Cancelle is the grandam of Don’ttelltheboss (Street Boss {USA}), who was twice Group 3 placed.
Dissident | Standing at Riverdene Stud
Wild Mercy is trained at Newcastle by Terry Drayton. She trialled on February 16 for the first time and she was a respectable third. In this debut she will be ridden by Darryl McLellan from barrier seven.
Pakenham, Race 2, 6.15pm AEDT, 9Mile Fresh Mdn (Chute), $40,000, 1200m
Simeon, 3-year-old gelding (Pierro x Mary Lou {Fastnet Rock})
Three-year-old Simeon was the second foal from his dam Mary Lou, who was second and third in the G3 Belle of the Turf S. at Gosford during her career. Mary Lou is a full sister to the Group-placed Territorial Waters (Fastnet Rock) and a half-sister to the Group-placed Back Off (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), so this is a useful black-type family in the first instance.
Simeon was consigned by Sledmere Stud to the 2021 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale and bought for $150,000 by Michael Guerin and Riversley Park in New Zealand. He was subsequently pinhooked into the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale later that year and sold for NZ$625,000 to a consortium of Busuttin Racing, Group 1 Bloodstock and Ozzie Kheir.
Simeon as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
The gelding is raced in Kheir’s colours and trained at Cranbourne by Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young. He’s had several preparations and many jump-outs, the latest of which was over 1000 metres on February 27 in which he was a winner. He comes into this debut with jockey Daniel Moor from barrier four.
Albany, Race 4, 7pm AEDT (4pm local), Catmando Excavations & Civil Earthworks Mdn, $18,500, 1230m
Wallarie, 4-year-old gelding (I Am Invincible x Scratcy Bottom {Sebring})
This gelding has popped up in Western Australia with an interesting pedigree. He is the first foal from the Sebring mare Scratchy Bottom, who won the G3 Epona S. She was also second in the G1 South Australian Derby and third in the G1 Schweppes Oaks. Scratchy Bottom was a Gilgai mare and a half-sister to the Listed Port Adelaide Cup winner Time To Test (Testa Rossa).
Four-year-old Wallarie was bred by Gilgai and consigned by that farm to the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, where he sold to Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott Racing, along with Mt Hallowell Stud, for $380,000.
I Am Invincible | Standing at Yarraman Park
At some point, he made it from the east coast to the stables of Grant and Alana Williams, and these days he is with Roy Rogers at Albany. He has trialled three times for the latter, and in this debut he will have jockey Brayden Gaerth from barrier five.
Looking Back
Our Looking Ahead selections on Wednesday went fairly well, albeit no winners. At Sandown-Lakeside, Skywriter (Written Tycoon) was fourth, while at Randwick-Kensington, Fightertown (Snitzel) was unplaced and Saikono (Maurice {Jpn}) was third.
