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.
Wednesday at Newcastle, we look at a pair of horses in the first race. Firemark (Winning Rupert) is a gelding whose dam is well-related to a pair of Group winners, while West Of Dalby (Santos) is a daughter of a dual stakes winner. At Ballarat, we look at a debutante half-sister to General Beau (Brazen Beau).
Newcastle, Race 1, 12.50pm AEST, Coastline Pools & Spas Provincial 2 & 3YO Mdn, $45,000, 900m
Firemark, 3-year-old gelding (Winning Rupert x Fair Hope {Artie Schiller {USA}})
This unraced 3-year-old gelding was bred at Stockwell Thoroughbreds from an interesting family. His dam, Fair Hope, is a half-sister to the multiple Group winner in New Zealand, Fiscal Fantasy (Skilled), and also to Fair Trade (Danewin), a winner in Australia of the G3 CS Hayes S. Fair Trade is also a half-sister to the dam of Jonker, while this damline goes straight to Eight Carat (GB) (Pieces Of Eight {Ire}) in the sixth generation.
Firemark was offered by Stockwell Thoroughbreds at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale in 2021, where he sold for $20,000 to Vincent Nolen. He was then resold to his current ownership at the Inglis Ready2Run Sale for $50,000.
Firemark as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
The chestnut gelding is trained at Newcastle by David Atkins. He has been trialling very well leading into this debut, running second, third and first respectively, the most recent result being a winning one at Scone on March 28. He comes into this race with jockey Aaron Bullock and barrier six.
Newcastle, Race 1, 12.50pm AEST, Coastline Pools & Spas Provincial 2 & 3YO Mdn, $45,000, 900m
West Of Dalby, 2-year-old filly (Santos x Chinchilla {Exceed And Excel})
This filly is a daughter of the Exceed And Excel mare Chinchilla, who won the Listed SAJC Queen Adelaide S. and Listed Elwick S. in Tasmania. She was also stakes-placed. The mare has produced six foals to race, five of which have won, including the Group-placed Lanigera (Denman), a half-brother to this filly.
West Of Dalby was bred by Valencia Park and consigned by Bhima Thoroughbreds to the 2022 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale. She sold to ML Racing for $115,000.
West Of Dalby as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
She is trained by Benjamin Smith at Kembla Grange and has been trialling this preparation. She was third in her last outing, and comes into this debut with apprentice rider Jess Del Frari and the inside barrier.
Sportsbet-Ballarat, Race 2, 2.10pm AEST, Veolia 3YO Mdn, $37,500, 1100m
Glowlight, 3-year-old filly (Nicconi x Phosphorescence {Lonhro})
Three-year-old Glowlight is a half-brother to the Group 3-winning General Beau, who won two of the Blue Diamond lead-up races and was four times placed in Group company, including the G1 William Reid S. The first dam here is Phosphorescence, a half-sister to the stakes-placed Double Jeopardy (Exceed And Excel), while this is also the family of Red Colossus (Testa Rossa), a Group 3 and dual Listed winner.
Nicconi | Standing at Widden Victoria
Glowlight, along with General Beau, is a homebred for Contract Racing, in whose colours she will race. She is trained by Mathew Ellerton at Flemington, as is General Beau.
The filly has been in and out of three preparations to date. She was very promising in jump-outs before her last spell, and has since been fifth and fourth in appearances. She will debut in this race with jockey Joe Bowditch from barrier six.
Looking Back
Our Looking Ahead selections on Tuesday were luckless. At Bendigo, King Protea (Pride Of Dubai) was unplaced, as was Daiya (Duramente {Jpn}).
