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.
Three well-bred debutants are set to hit the track on Saturday. A son of Justify (USA) will be unveiled at Kembla Grange, while two first-season sires' gun for success in the R. Listed Inglis Banner at Moonee Valley.
Kembla Grange, Race 4, 3.10pm AEDT, Gray’s Excavations & Clearing Super Mdn H., $60,000, 1500m
Heads You Lose, 3-year-old colt (Justify {USA} x Tails Wins {Tale Of The Cat {USA}})
Coolmore’s Justify has started the new season where he left off. The Champion First Season Sire continues to sire winners, including a recent Group 3 winner in New Zealand.
The son of Scat Daddy (USA) will be represented by the Chris Waller-trained Heads You Lose, who will look to become his sire’s latest winner on Saturday at Kembla Grange.
Heads You Lose as a weanling | Image courtesy of Inglis
The well-related colt is the eighth foal from the unraced Tale Of The Cat (USA) mare Tails Wins. She is the dam of the Champion 2-Year-Old in Singapore Super One. The son of I Am Invincible is also a victor of the G3 DC McKay S. in South Australia.
Heads You Lose, in addition, is a half-brother to the Group 2-placed Super Too (Hinchinbrook).
The colt was a $280,000 purchase by the China Horse Club and Newgate Bloodstock from the draft of Fairhill Farm at the 2021 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale.
Moonee Valley, Race 2, 12.45pm AEDT, R. Listed Inglis Banner, $500,000, 1000m
Whitson, 2-year-old colt (Cosmic Force x Sensible Lady {USA} {Street Sense {USA}})
Newgate Farm’s first-season stallion Cosmic Force sired his first winner recently and will look to add another, the Mitch Freedman-trained Whitson, who makes his debut in the valuable R. Listed Inglis Banner.
The colt is the sixth foal from the Street Sense (USA) mare Sensible Lady (USA), a nine-time winner who was victorious in six races at the Listed level.
Whitson as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Whitson hails from the family of the G2 Matron S. heroine Kauai Katie (USA) (Malibu Moon {USA}); the classy filly was also placed in the G1 Acorn S. and finished fourth in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.
Whitson was a $150,000 purchase by Mitch Freedman Racing from the draft of Gooree Park Stud at the 2023 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
Moonee Valley, Race 2, 12.45pm AEDT, R. Listed Inglis Banner, $500,000, 1000m
Blue Stratum, 2-year-old colt (Blue Point {Ire} x Tawteen {Stratum})
Ballarat-based trainers Tony and Calvin McEvoy will chase the $500,000 prize with the Blue Point (Ire) colt Blue Stratum.
The colt is the fifth foal from Tawteen, a daughter of Stratum. She won seven races, including the Listed Crockett S. at Moonee Valley. She was also placed in the G3 Champagne S. around the ironic circuit.
Blue Stratum as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Tawteen is a half-sister to Well Sprung (Star Witness), who also excelled around the Moonee Valley track, winning the Listed McKenzie S.
McEvoy Mitchell Racing purchased Blue Stratum alongside First Light Racing and Belmont Bloodstock (FBAA) for $130,000 from the draft of Yulong at the 2023 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
Looking Back
Friday's selections fared okay. Nebraskan (Snitzel) won at Scone. However, Rich Curves (Rich Enuff) was unplaced at Mornington and Indaza (I Am Invincible) was scratched from her assignment at the same venue.
