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.
A pair of debutants make up Sunday’s selections, one a juvenile filly and the other a colt in his Classic year, both looking to get off the mark in Victoria. Whilst the filly is from a very strong back family, the colt has two stakes-winning siblings, and both also boast excellent broodmare sires.
Bet365 Echuca, Race 1, 1.12pm AEST, Echuca Moama Print and Design 2YO Mdn Plate, $27,000, 1200m
Sea Of Lights, 2-year-old filly (Pride Of Dubai x Makrooma {Fastnet Rock})
Trained by Tony and Calvin McEvoy, juvenile filly Sea Of Lights will make her debut at Echuca on Sunday. By the in-form Pride Of Dubai, she was bred and is partially retained by Erinvale Thoroughbreds, in a partnership headed by Damon Gabbedy.
She was sold at the 2022 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale through Erinvale’s draft, where she was secured by Gabbedy’s Belmont Bloodstock Agency (FBAA) in conjunction with her trainers for $110,000.
Sea Of Lights as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Her dam, Makrooma, has produced three foals, headed by Sea Of Lights’ sister, Maha, a juvenile winner who was Listed-placed. Makrooma is a three-quarter sister to Scandiva (Fastnet Rock), a winner of the G2 Magic Night S., which puts her in the same family as Black Caviar (Bel Esprit), All Too Hard and Ole Kirk.
With Harry Coffey aboard, Sea Of Lights will jump from barrier two on Sunday.
Sale, Race 4, 2.45pm AEST, Ladbrokes Communities Mdn Plate, $37,500, 1411m
So Sleek, 3-year-old colt (So You Think {NZ} x Dublin Me Bet {NZ} {O’Reilly {NZ}})
Making his debut at Sale for Ciaron Maher and David Eustace is this 3-year-old son of So You Think (NZ). Bred and retained by JWB Thoroughbreds and Knox Racing, the colt is out of the unraced O’Reilly (NZ) mare Dublin Me Bet (NZ).
So Sleek is a half-brother to two black-type winners, Fuld’s Bet (I Am Invincible) who won the Listed WATC Gimcrack S., and Irish Bet - Hong Kong Bet (HK) (Smart Missile), who won the R. Listed Inglis Nursery.
So You Think (NZ) | Standing at Coolmore
Whilst So Sleek is making his debut sometime later than those two, he is perhaps more similar to another half-sibling, the G1 Queensland Derby runner-up Rockstar Rebel - Cheerful Giggles (HK) (Rebel Raider).
So Sleek will have the services of Zac Spain on Sunday and the pair will jump from barrier six.
Looking Back
There was little luck with Saturday's selections. Rovno Amber (Russian Revolution) finished last on his debut at Mornington, Yukan Rose (Brave Smash {Jpn}) managed only fifth on debut at Newcastle and Just One (NZ) (Justify {USA}) finished adrift at Pukekohe.
