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.
For racing on Sunday, we head to Sportsbet-Ballarat where a well-bred daughter of Dundeel (NZ) looks to get his career off to the best possible start and a three-quarter brother to Belluci Babe (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) looks to get off the mark at the second attempt. At Moe, we look to a promising Zoustar filly.
Sportsbet-Ballarat, Race 2, 2pm AEDT, Porter Plant 2YO Mdn Plate, $37,500, 1100m
Evaporate (NZ), 2-year-old colt (Per Incanto {USA} x Savanna {NZ} {Animal Kingdom {USA}})
The well-bred Evaporate (NZ) is set to have his second start over 1200 metres for Ben, Will and JD Hayes on the back of a promising fourth at Caulfield in Group 3 company on February 3 over 1000 metres.
Evaporate is a son of Little Avondale Stud’s proven sire Per Incanto (USA) and is the third foal from the Animal Kingdom (USA) mare Savanna (NZ). She was unraced on the track and is a half-sister to the Per Incanto Group-winning mare Belluci Babe (NZ). This makes Evaporate a three-quarter brother to Belluci Babe.
Evaporate (NZ) as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Evaporate sold for $330,000 at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale with Lindsay Park Racing being the successful purchaser from the draft of Sledmere Stud.
Savanna has since produced a yearling half-sister by Bivouac and was again served by Per Incanto last spring.
Sportsbet-Ballarat, Race 1, 1.30pm AEDT, Brandt 3YO Mdn Plate, $37,500, 1100m
Muretto, 3-year-old filly (Dundeel {NZ} x Alassio {Foxwedge})
Sportsbet-Ballarat’s Sunday meeting will serve as the starting point for the career of Muretto, a well-bred daughter of Dundeel (NZ) from the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable.
Muretto is the first foal out of the talented sprinting mare, Alassio. She was successful in six races including the G2 Guy Walter S., and the G3 Triscay S. The second dam Cinque (Red Ransom {USA}) was also a stakes winner and was the winner of the Listed South Australian S.
Muretto as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Alassio has since foaled a Zoustar weanling colt and was most recently served in the spring by Australian Champion sire I Am Invincible.
Muretto was a $120,000 purchase by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott and Kestrel Thoroughbreds from the draft of Silverdale Farm at the 2022 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
Moe, Race 2, 2.15pm AEDT, Merchant Butchers Newborough Cup Mdn S., $27,000, 1200m
Zoomed, 3-year-old filly (Zoustar x Lucia Bella {Fastnet Rock})
The Robbie Griffiths and Mathew de Kock-trained Zoomed will travel to Moe on Sunday to have her second career start over 1200 metres after running second at Kyneton on February 13.
The promising filly is the fourth foal from the Fastnet Rock mare Lucia Bella, who was a winner over 1200 metres. Lucia Bella is a full sister to the Group 1-winning mare Lone Rock (Fastnet Rock). She was successful on five occasions and her wins include the G1 Goodwood H., G3 Bobbie Lewis H., and the G3 MVRC Champagne S. This family has plenty of depth and other stakes performers within this family include Foreplay, Personal (Fastnet Rock), Personify (Galileo {Ire}), Laisserfaire (Danehill {USA}) and Time Thief.
Zoomed as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Zoomed was a $270,000 purchase by Princeton Thoroughbreds, Griffiths de Kock Racing and Peter Ford Thoroughbreds (FBAA) from the draft of Widden Stud at the 2022 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
Looking Back
Our selections for Saturday included a winner via All Inclusive (All Too Hard) who saluted at Doomen in Race 4. Juveniles Campari Twist (So You Think {NZ}) in Race 5 at Morphettville and Yoshinobu (Written Tycoon) in the G2 Silver Slipper S. at Rosehill failed to make the top four.
