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 in Looking Ahead, we pay attention to a colt by The Autumn Sun with a closely related family to Farnan, plus a Capitalist colt whose second dam is a half-sister to Snippets and the dam of Not A Single Doubt. At Cranbourne, we look at a colt who is closely related to the three-time stakes producer Speedy Belle (Brocco {USA}).
Hawkesbury, Race 1, 12.50pm AEST, Angels Florist/Windsor Gas Conversions Super Mdn, $60,000, 1300m
General Sensei, 3-year-old colt (The Autumn Sun x Mount Zero {Northern Meteor})
This colt is from the stakes-placed mare Mount Zero, herself a daughter of the well-bred Beauty School (Royal Academy {USA}). Beauty School was a stakes winner and stakes placed, and she is closely related to the Group 3-winning Tallow (Street Cry {Ire}), the dam of Farnan and his Snitzel half-brother Sandbar.
General Sensei was consigned by Arrowfield Stud to the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. For $550,000, he was bought by Chris Waller Racing and Hermitage.
General Sensei as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
The 3-year-old, trained by Waller, began trialling as late as August, running unplaced in his first early effort and then a much-improved second in his latest trial on August 22. He comes into this debut with jockey Lee Magorrian and barrier nine.
Hawkesbury, Race 4, 2.40pm AEST, Richmond Club CG&E Mdn, $42,000, 1100m
Battle Of Vienna, 3-year-old colt (Capitalist x Vienna Classic {Snitzel})
This unraced Capitalist colt is the first foal from the nicely bred Vienna Classic, who is well-related as a half-sister to the dual stakes winner Regrowth (Unbridled’s Song {USA}), who in turn is the dam of the Group 3 winner Colour (More Than Ready {USA}). The second dam on this page is True Blonde (Naturalism {NZ}), a half-sister to both Snippets and the dam of Not A Single Doubt.
This is a strong pedigree and one that also features Champion filly Forensics (Flying Spur). Battle Of Vienna was consigned to the 2022 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale by Vinery Stud, where he was purchased by Andrew Williams Bloodstock (FBAA) and Bevan Smith Bloodstock for $220,000.
Battle Of Vienna as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
The colt is raced by Vinery Stud in partnership. Trained by the Snowden team, he has been trialling through August after a debut trial last May. On August 25, he was second in a barrier trial at Randwick and he heads into this debut with jockey Chad Schofield and barrier nine.
Cranbourne, Race 4, 3pm AEST, De Bortoli Mdn, $37,500, 1400m
Pure Thoughts, 3-year-old colt (So You Think {NZ} x Molly Rocks {Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}})
This unraced colt by So You Think (NZ) is from a good family. The second dam on the page is Speedy Belle, whose three stakes winners include the Listed Ramornie winner Calanda (Snitzel), the three-time Group winner Silverstream (Al Maher) and the G3 Adrian Knox winner Speedy Natalie (Al Maher), herself the dam of the Group 3-winning Sweet And Speedy (Street Cry {Ire}).
Pure Thoughts was consigned by Burke Bloodstock to the 2022 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, selling to Import Racing and Sheamus Mills Bloodstock (FBAA) for $120,000. He had previously been an $80,000 weanling purchase for Golden River Investments at the Inglis Australian Weanling Sale when consigned by Noogee Park.
Pure Thoughts as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Pure Thoughts is trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr at Cranbourne. This will be his first race. He will have jockey Craig Newitt and barrier 11.
Looking Back
Our Looking Ahead selections on Wednesday fared very well. At Randwick-Kensington, Casablanca (Snitzel) was a scratching in the second race, while Rock Empire (Deep Field) was a winner of the same event. At Eagle Farm, Flag Hall (Starspangledbanner) was a winner, and 'two out of three ain't bad'.
