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 at Cranbourne, we look at the debutante third foal from the Golden Slipper winner Overreach (Exceed And Excel), plus a filly at Hawkesbury whose half-brother is the emerging sprinter Overpass (Vancouver). Also at Hawkesbury, we look at the debut of a Deep Field gelding from the Group-winning broodmare Varenna Miss (Redoute’s Choice).
Cranbourne, Race 2, 1.30pm AEST, Ladbrokes Cranbourne Cup – 65 Days to Go, $37,500, 1000m
Excess, 3-year-old filly (Snitzel x Overreach {Exceed And Excel})
This filly will start a certain favourite for this race. Trained locally by Julius Sandhu, she has trialled twice in her life and won on both occasions, the most recent of which was on September 4 at home. She began her training career with Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott before transferring to Sandhu ahead of this debut.
Excess will be ridden by Beau Mertens from barrier two. She has all the right accolades to kick off her career here, including a sizeable pedigree. She is a homebred for Corumbene Stud and the third foal from the Golden Slipper winner Overreach, who also won the then Listed Widden S. and G2 Reisling S. This mare was the smartest of her generation and she is already the dam of the dual Group winner Lofty Strike (Snitzel).
Snitzel | Standing at Arrowfield Stud
There are at least three generations of winning females in this family. Overreach is herself a half-sister to the Group 2 winner Standout, while the third dam, Miss Prospect (Rory’s Jester), foaled the Blue Diamond winner Reward For Effort and the triple stakes winner Consular.
Hawkesbury, Race 1, 1.05pm AEST, Great Northern Cup Mdn, $42,000, 1500m
Inca Trail, 3-year-old gelding (Menari x Walkway {Exceed And Excel})
This gelding will kick off his career in this race after a lengthy lead-in. Trained by Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou, he’s been trialling since March with a good break in the middle. In his latest effort, he was a trial winner over 1030 metres (on September 5) and he will have jockey Andrew Adkins in this debut from barrier six.
Inca Trail was bred by Corumbene Stud and consigned to the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. He was bought for $50,000 by TFI, in whose colours he will race.
Inca Trail as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
The 3-year-old gelding is from the winning mare Walkway, making him a half-brother to Darby Racing’s emerging sprinter Overpass, a sensational winner of the $4 million The Quokka in May and the G2 Expressway S. This is the direct family of Northerly (Serheed {USA}) through that brilliant third dam, North Bell (Bellwater {Fr}).
Hawkesbury, Race 5, 3.35pm AEST, Bombay Citron Presse Super Mdn, $60,000, 1000m
Marchesi, 3-year-old gelding (Deep Field x Varenna Miss {Redoute’s Choice})
This well-bred gelding is raced by Alan Bell and comes into this debut with a fine pedigree. He is from the Redoute’s Choice mare Varenna Miss, who was a Group 2 winner and a half-sister to the brilliant and multiple Group winners Criterion (NZ) and Comin’ Through (Fastnet Rock). The second dam on this page is Mica’s Pride (Bite The Bullet {USA}), herself a Group 3 winner.
Marchesi was bred by Emirates Park and consigned to the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale by that operation. He was bought for $440,000 by Alan Bell as AR Bell Racing.
Marchesi as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
The gelding is trained by the Hawkes team at Rosehill and his only official trial occurred last week, when he was fourth at Warwick Farm over 786 metres. In this debut he will have jockey Tyler Schiller from barrier 13, which is a tough ask for a debutant.
Looking Back
All three of our runners on Wednesday - To Be Frank (NZ) (Almanzor {Fr}), Drift Net (Exceed And Excel) and Deep Tiara (Spirit Of Boom) finished fourth.
