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 runners are set to hit the track across Australia on Sunday. We have a beautifully bred Starcraft (NZ) 2-year-old looking for success at Ballarat as a build-up to bigger targets this campaign. Also we have Zoustar and Justify (USA) 3-year-olds looking to win maidens at Ballarat and Bairnsdale respectively.
Sportsbet-Ballarat, Race 1, 1.25pm AEDT, Power FM Mdn Plate, $27,000, 1100m
Lady Gimlet, 2-year-old filly (Starcraft {NZ} x Lady Lupino {Sebring})
The Flemington-based trainer Danny O’Brien will prepare the well-bred filly Lady Gimlet to make her second start at Ballarat on Sunday after running a very good third on debut on December 30 at Moonee Valley over 1200 metres.
Lady Gimlet is by the globetrotting stallion Starcraft (NZ) out of the Sebring mare Lady Lupino, she was a very smart 2-year-old winning two races but also being placed in the G2 Angus Armanasco S., and the G1 Champagne S.
Starcraft (NZ) | Image courtesy of Rosemont Stud
Lady Lupino is also a sister to the Listed Gold Rush Handicap victor in Embracer (Sebring) and a half-sister to the Champion Australian 3YO Colt and sire in Star Witness and the G3 San Domenico S. winner and sire Nostradamus.
Other successful stakes performers in the family include Vulpine (Snitzel), Leone Chiara (Lion Hunter), Chinchilla Rose (Lion Hunter), Ferocity (Lion Hunter), Pohutakawa (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}) and Chiaramonte (Redoute’’s Choice).
Since producing Lady Gimlet, Lady Lupino has yearling and foal colts by Zoustar and was most recently served by the Golden Slipper winning son of Not a Single Doubt in Farnan.
Sportsbet-Ballarat, Race 3, 2.35pm AEDT, The Courier Mdn Plate, $27,000, 1400m
Disco Prince, 3-year-old gelding (Justify {USA} x The Party Stand {NZ} {Thorn Park})
The Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained Justify (USA) gelding Disco Prince will debut at Ballarat on Sunday over 1400 metres with a bit of family pressure attached as his full-brother Just Party (Justify) was successful winning his second start at Wyong on Wednesday.
This well-bred gelding is out of the Thorn Park mare The Party Stand (NZ), who was a six-time winner in New Zealand including the G1 New Zealand S. She has also been successful at stud leaving three individual winners including the stakes-placed Foxwedge mare Petition and the aforementioned Just Party.
Disco Prince as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
This family is littered with top-level performers including the Group 1 winner on both sides of the Tasman in Callsign Mav (NZ) (Atlante), Bellatrix Star (Star Witness) who was successful as a juvenile in the G2 Auckland TR Eclipse S. and the stakes-placed Crimson Lady (NZ) (Volksraad {GB}).
Disco Prince was a $380,000 purchase by Busuttin Racing/All Winners Thoroughbreds from the draft of Coolmore Stud at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Bet365 Bairnsdale, Race 3, 2.15pm AEDT, Orbost Club Hotel Mdn Plate, $37,500, 1000m
Telescope, 3-year-old filly (Zoustar x Gaze {NZ} {Cape Cross {Ire}})
The well-bred Telescope is set to have her third start over 1000 metres for Mornington trainers Amy and Ash Yargi on the back of a very good runner-up placing at Colac on March 3 over 1000 metres when just being nosed out by Scorsese (Written By).
Telescope is a daughter of Widden Stud’s in-form sire Zoustar and is the eighth foal from the Cape Cross (Ire) mare Gaze (NZ). She was a star on the track winning eight races including the G1 ARC New Zealand Stakes and the G3 Doomben Rose S,.
Telescope as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
She has also been a successful broodmare leaving Ready To Attack (More Than Ready {USA}) who was the Horse of the Year in Mauritius in 2017 and Fixated (Hinchinbrook) who was stakes-placed as a juvenile.
Telescope sold for $140,000 at the 2022 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale to Thoroughbreds/Sheamus Mills Bloodstock (FBAA)/Bluegrass Bloodstock/Ash and Amy Yargi, VIC being the successful purchaser from the draft of Sledmere Stud.
Looking back
Our selections for Friday: Growing Empire (Zoustar) won, Grinzinger Love (Hellbent) ran fifth and Happy Casino (So You Think {NZ}) ran 12th.
