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 Ipswich, we look at a gelding by Trapeze Artist whose dam is well-related to a very smart juvenile Sydney winner. At Gosford, we’ve got a filly whose dam is a half-sister to the Tassie sire Alpine Eagle, while at Ballarat, we give some love to a filly who is a half-sister to a smart stakes winner.
Ipswich, Race 5, 4.35pm AEDT (3.35pm local), Schweppes Mdn Plate, $30,000, 1200m
Trapeze Flyer, 3-year-old colt (Trapeze Artist x Espurante {Flying Spur})
Trapeze Artist has emerged firing this season, so this young colt is worth a look. He is from the good producer Espurante, who was a dual stakes winner and multiple times stakes placed. Trapeze Flyer is a half-brother to the stakes winner Jennifer Lynn (High Chaparral {Ire}), while Espurante’s half-sister, Hussousa (Husson {Arg}), was a winner of the Listed Gimcrack S. and second in both the G2 Reisling S. and G2 Silver Slipper S.
Trapeze Flyer was consigned by Widden Stud to the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. He was bought for $120,000 by LA Thoroughbreds.
Trapeze Flyer as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
The colt is trained by Lauren Abbott at Eagle Farm and he’s been promising in trials. In the latest, he was second over this distance at Deagon on October 3. He will debut in this race with jockey Georgina Cartwright and barrier six.
Gosford, Race 5, 3.40pm AEDT, Shamrock Joinery Midway Mdn, $45,000, 1000m
Nefertari, 3-year-old filly (American Pharoah {USA} x Royal Fashion {Sniztel})
This filly was bred by SF Bloodstock and she has an interesting page. She is the first foal from the Group-placed Royal Fashion, who is a half-sister to the good stallion Alpine Eagle and the South Australian stakes winner Every Faith (Not A Single Doubt).
Nefertari was part of the Ridgmont Farm draft at the 2022 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale. She was picked up for $360,000 by Blake Ryan Racing after her initial sale as a weanling by Newgate to James Bester Bloodstock for $55,000. It was a good pinhook result.
Nefertari as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
The filly is trained by Ryan at Hawkesbury and she has shown some promise in trials. Her best result was a third at Warwick Farm back in May, and she has finished midfield in her trials this preparation. She will have jockey Dylan Gibbons for this debut and barrier 10.
Ballarat, Race 1, 1.30pm AEDT, Magic Millions Racing Women F&M Mdn, $37,500, 1000m
Heart Of Glass, 3-year-old filly (Impending x Crystalised {NZ} {Zabeel {NZ}})
This bay filly is a half-sister to Crystal Bound (Not A Single Doubt), who won the Listed Cap D’Antibes S. The first dam on this page is Crystalised (NZ), who is very well-related as a half-sister to the dual Group 1 winner Zarita (NZ) (Pentire {GB}), the Kiwi Group 2 winner Run Like The Wind (NZ) (Pins) and the G3 Al Quoz Sprint winner and internationally performed Joy And Fun (NZ) (Cullen).
Heart Of Glass was consigned by Noorilim Park to the 2022 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale. She was bought by Annabel Neasham Racing and Brian McGuire for $260,000.
Heart Of Glass as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
The filly races in the colours of Noorilim Park and she is trained by Tony and Calvin McEvoy at Ballarat. She has had two jump-outs at home, finishing first and sixth this preparation. She will debut in this race for jockey Harry Coffey and barrier six.
Looking Back
Our Looking Ahead selections on Wednesday fared reasonably well. At Randwick-Kensington, Sweet Treats (Castelvecchio) was unplaced in the opening juvenile race, while Betta Being Single (Better Than Ready) was a narrow second in the same event. At Eagle Farm, She's A Ferrari (Lean Mean Machine) was unplaced.
