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.
Sunday we will highlight three well-bred gallopers making their race-day debuts across Australia.
Ballarat, Race 1, 1.00pm AEST, Ballarat Antenna Solutions 2YO Fillies Mdn Plate, $37,500, 1100m
La Seule, 2-year-old filly (Kementari x Mithila {Encosta De Lago})
The Rosehill-based Chris Waller will debut a daughter of the fertility-troubled Kementari, La Seule, at Ballarat on Sunday.
Aptly named with La Seule meaning the ‘only one’ in French, the filly will be quite the rarity, as Kementari was gelded after an unsuccessful stud career at Darley, that yielded only six live foals, of which three are fillies, La Seule is currently the only female produce named, and a colt named Manwe.
The filly is the eighth foal from the unraced Encosta De Lago mare Mithila. She hails from a prominent black-type family and is a three-quarter sister to Manhattan Rain and Niagara.
Mithila is already the dam of Madam Legend (I Am Invincible) who won the G3 Tibbie S. and was sold at the 2022 Inglis Chairman’s Sale for $900,000 to Bruce Perry Bloodstock (BAFNZ).
La Seule as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
This is the family of the star mare In Italian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) who has proven herself as one of the dominant female turf gallopers in North America with victories in the G1 First Lady S., the G1 Jenny Wiley S. and the G1 Diana S. at Saratoga.
Closer to home, Desert Lighting (NZ) (Pride Of Dubai) has emerged in New Zealand and has won the G2 Avondale Guineas and placed in the G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas.
La Seule was a $325,000 yearling purchase by Star Thoroughbreds and Randwick Bloodstock Agency (FBAA) from the Canning Downs draft at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Ballarat, Race 2, 1.35pm AEST, Evergreen Turf 3YO Mdn Plate, $37,500, 1000m
Irresistible Force, 3-year-old gelding (I Am Invincible x Trail Of Secrets {Secret Savings {USA}})
Matt Cumani, who is based locally at Ballarat, will debut a son of the Champion Sire I Am Invincible, Irresistible Force on his home track on Sunday.
Irresistible Force is a son of the Secret Savings (USA) mare Trail Of Secrets. She is a sister to A Gold Trail (Hussonet {USA}) who won the G1 Railway H.
Irresistible Force is a half-brother to Secret Trail (Denman) who won the Listed Bright Shadow H. Furthermore, this is the family of Dayatthespa (USA) (City Zip {USA}) who was crowned Champion Turf Female in USA in 2014, an eleven-time winner including victories in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf and the G1 First Lady S. at Keeneland.
Sunshine Coast, Race 1, 1.04pm AEST, Jack Daniel’s QTIS 2YO Fillies Mdn Plate, $30,000, 1000m
Elba, 2-year-old filly (Fastnet Rock x Banish {Lonhro})
The Mornington-based Anthony and Sam Freedman will debut a daughter of Fastnet Rock, Elba, at the Sunshine Coast on Sunday.
Owned and racing in the royal blue of Godolphin, Elba will be an intriguing starter on the Sunshine Coast come Sunday.
Elba is the second foal from the Lonhro mare Banish. She won the G2 Moonee Valley Classic.
Banish is a daughter of Canny Lad mare Amish, the latter a half-sister to Pinwheel (Lonhro) a resilient performer for Godolphin - the son of Lonhro raced in the era of the maroon and white silks and was trained by Peter Snowden.
Gamay (Pierro) who won the G3 Ethereal S. and placed in the G1 VRC Oaks, and the G2 Schillaci S. winner Dirty Work who now stands at Widden Stud (Victoria), count their names on the pedigree page of Elba.
Furthermore, this is the extended family of Arcadia Queen (Pierro) a victress of the G1 LKS Mackinnon S. and the G1 Kingston Town Classic among eight victories and her Group 3-winning full brother Arcadia Prince, as well as Arcadia Queen’s stakes-winning half-siblings Arcadia Dream (Domesday) and Arcadia Rose (Kheleyf {USA}).
Looking Back
There were no winners for Saturday's selections but a pair of pleasing runs amongst the three debutants. The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained 2-year-old filly Sledding (Lonhro) managed only ninth at Sandown-Hillside, but Chris Waller's blue-blooded 3-year-old Extreme Choice filly Decisively was a respectable fourth at Kembla Grange before John Sargent's juvenile Unique Ambition (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) was only narrowly denied at Randwick.
