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 Warwick Farm, we look at a colt from the fabulous Twiglet (Twig Moss {Fr}) family, while among the fillies, we’ve got a daughter of the Group 1-placed Torvill (Not A Single Doubt). At Ascot in Perth, we look at a filly whose half-brother is the top Kiwi Group winner Need I Say More (NZ) (No Nay Never {USA}).
Warwick Farm, Race 2, 1.25pm AEST, Home Affairs @ Coolmore H., $55,000, 1200m
Cape Size, 2-year-old colt (The Autumn Sun x Belladini {Bernardini {USA}})
Two-year-old Cape Size is from the first crop of The Autumn Sun from a well-bred female family. His dam, Belladini, was bred by Catherine Remond from her million-dollar producer Dora Maar (Royal Academy {USA}), herself a daughter of the brilliant Twiglet. This is the family of the Group 1 winners Fairy King Prawn (Danehill {USA}) and Easy Rocking (Barathea {Ire}), as well as the Group 1-winning mare Cosmic Endeavour (Northern Meteor), while this colt is a half-brother to the stakes-placed Balaabel (Not A Single Doubt).
Cape Size was consigned by John Muir’s Milburn Creek to the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. He was bought for $500,000 by Mick Wallace as agent for the Freedman Brothers.
Cape Size as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
The colt is trained at Randwick by Michael Freedman for an ownership that includes Go Bloodstock and Gandharvi, among others. He has been trialling since last November, in his latest running fourth. In this debut, Cape Size will have jockey Jason Collett from barrier 10.
Warwick Farm, Race 3, 2pm AEST, Racing and Sports H., $55,000, 1200m
Bolero Belle, 2-year-old filly (I Am Invincible x Torvill {Not A Single Doubt})
This unraced filly is from the dual Listed winner Torvill, a daughter of Not A Single Doubt who was second to Shoals (Fastnet Rock) in the G1 Surround S. and second to Luvaluva (NZ) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) in the G3 Kembla Grange Classic. This is the family of the Group 2-winning mare Vicenza (Raimondo {Fr}), from which came the four-time Group-winning Cangronde (Spectacular Spy {USA}) and the G1 Queensland Derby winner Ruthven (Domesday).
Bolero Belle was the second foal from her dam, bred by Neil Werrett and consigned to the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale by Kitchwin Hills. She was sold for $400,000 to a consortium of Star Thoroughbreds and Randwick Bloodstock Agency (FBAA).
Bolero Belle as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
The filly is trained by Chris Waller at Rosehill and she’s been fair in trials. She was fourth to Line Of Law (Russian Revolution) last month and third to Fightertown (Snitzel) on April 11. In this debut she will have James McDonald from barrier three.
Ascot, Race 3, 4.59 AEST (2.59pm local), Carbine Club of WA Plate, $32,500, 1400m
Transcendant, 2-year-old filly (Impending x Bo Bardi {Fastnet Rock})
This debutante filly is by Impending from the Fastnet Rock mare Bo Bardi and, as such, she’s a half-sister to the top Kiwi racehorse Need I Say More, a four-time Group winner. There is a lot of international flair on this page, with the second dam, Our Golden Dream (USA) (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}), an American stakes winner and half-sister to the multiple stakes winner Icabad Crane (USA) (Jump Start {USA}).
This filly was bred by Burnewang North Pastoral and consigned to the 2021 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale, where she was picked up for $190,000 by Amelia Park Racing and Breeding in Western Australia.
Transcendant as a weanling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
She is trained for owner Peter Walsh, of Amelia’s Jewel (Siyouni {Fr}) fame, by Simon Miller at Ascot, and she’s been trialling since September. She was fourth on April 3. She comes into this debut with jockey Patrick Carbery and barrier five.
Looking Back
Our Looking Ahead selections on Tuesday were a mixed bag. At Geelong, Thermodynamic (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) was unplaced, as was Shasam (Shalaa {Ire}). At Nowra, Big Thinking (So You Think {NZ}) was a winner.
