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 early in its career chasing maiden success, 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 and New Zealand on Saturday. We have a U S Navy Flag (USA) 2-year-old gelding looking for success at Otaki. Also we have a 2-year-old full-sister to the Group 1 winner Jonker looking for success on debut at Doomben and a Too Darn Hot (GB) daughter of the G1 winning Earthquake looking to break her maiden in stakes company at Morphettville.
Otaki, Race 2, 11.35am AEDT (1.35pm local), McMillan Equine Feeds 2YO, $35,000, 1300m
Ballon d’Or, 2-year-old gelding (U S Navy Flag (USA) x Ireland’s Teardrop {Ire} {Fastnet Rock})
The promising Ballon d’Or, is set to have his second start over 1300 metres for Matamata trainers Peter and Shaun McKay at Otaki on Saturday. On debut he ran a tidy third when he battled on well from a handy position in running.
Ballon d’Or is by The Oaks Stud’s promising stallion in U S Navy Flag (USA), who during this season has left the stakes winners in Pendragon (NZ) and Chantilly Lace (NZ), as well as the stakes placegetters Aprilia (NZ) and To Catch A Thief.
Ballon d’Or is the sixth foal from Ireland’s Teardrop (Ire) (Fastnet Rock). She was a winner over 2500 metres in France on the track but is beginning to make her mark as a broodmare so far leaving four-individual winners.
U S Navy Flag (USA) | Standing at The Oaks Stud
These include Last Sight (NZ) (Showcasing {GB}) who was a winner as a juvenile and also managed placings in the Listed Wellesley S., and the G3 Taranaki 2YO C. The other winners she has left are Farewell To Eire (NZ) (Vadamos {Fr}), Jamieson’s Tipple (NZ) (Charm Spirit {Ire}) and Tears Of Victory (NZ) (U S Navy Flag).
Place Du Carrousel (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) features closely in this pedigree, she was successful in the G1 Prix de l’Opera and lines up as one of the favoured runners in the G1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes this weekend after an impressive runner-up placing in the G1 Ranvet S.
Ireland’s Teardrop since producing Ballon d’Or has left a yearling colt by Ribchester (Ire) and was most recently served by Waikato Stud’s young-sire by Written Tycoon in Banquo last spring.
Doomben, Race 1, 11.53pm AEDT, Stradbroke Season Book Now QTIS 2YO H., $85,000, 1110m
Heart And Spirit, 2-year-old filly (Spirit Of Boom x Hearts And Arrows {Kempinsky})
The Stuart Kendrick trained Heart And Spirit will be heading to Doomben on Saturday to make her debut over 1110 metres. She prepared for this assignment on the back of an impressive trial win on the Sunshine Coast Synthetic on March 7.
This Spirit Of Boom filly is the sixth foal from the Kempinsky mare Hearts And Arrows, who easily won two of her three starts before injury brought an early end to her career. She is a half-sister to the Group 1 placed mare Fiscal Fantasy (Skilled) who was also the victor in the G3 Manawatu Breeders S., and a dual winner of the G3 ARC Alison S. Another half-sibling was the Australian and Hong Kong performed Fair Trade (Danewin) who was victorious in the G3 CS Hayes S. at just his second start.
Heart And Spirit as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
A descendant of - and line-bred to - the famed matriarch Eight Carat (GB) (Pieces Of Eight {Ire}) - Hearts And Arrows has already left her mark at stud leaving the very talented sprinter in Jonker who was successful in five races including the G1 Manikato S., and the Listed Keith Noud H., he now stands at stud at Aquis Farm. Beau Arrow (Love Conquers All) and Gandiva (Magic Albert) are also winners that she has produced.
Hearts And Arrows has been given every chance at stud and in recent years has left a foal colt by So You Think (NZ) and is back in foal to Spirit Of Boom for breeder Jeff Cullen who also bred Winning Rupert and Tycoon Evie (Written Tycoon) as well as the dam of this year's G2 Silver Slipper S. winner Straight Charge (Written By).
Heart And Spirit was a $180,000 purchase by Kendrick Racing, from the draft of Eureka Stud at the 2023 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
Morphettville, Race 2, 1.22pm AEDT (12.52pm local), Listed Sky City Without Fear S., $120,000, 1050m
Trembles, 2-year-old filly (Too Darn Hot {GB} x Earthquake {Exceed And Excel})
Godolphin’s head-trainer James Cummings will prepare the well-bred filly Trembles to debut at Morphettville on Saturday in stakes company.
Trembles is by Darley Stud’s promising shuttling stallion Too Darn Hot (GB) out of the Earthquake mare Exceed And Excel, she was a very quick mare on the track winning five races including four as a juvenile. These races included the G1 Blue Diamond S., G2 Reisling S., G3 Blue Diamond Prelude and the G3 Thoroughbred Club S.
Too Darn Hot (GB) | Standing at Darley
Earthquake has already tasted some success at stud leaving the Group 2 placed and winner Sumatra (Lonhro), the twelve-time winner and Listed placed Namazu (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}), the winner Seisme (Medaglia D’Oro) and the very promising imposing filly Shaken (I Am Invincible) who has won three times already from only five starts.
Other successful stakes performers in the family include the G1 Thousand Guineas winner Madame Pommery (No Nay Never {USA}), Palomares (Commands), Pandemic (Sepoy) and El Cambio (Commands).
Since producing Trembles, Earthquake has a yearling colt by Frosted (USA) and was most recently served Darley Stud's exciting young stallion Pinatubo (Ire).
Looking Back
Our selections for Saturday: Hiyaam Proud (Pride Of Dubai) won impressively on debut at Geelong, he looks like he has a bright future ahead. Rock Pop (Grunt {NZ}) was disappointing running fifth in a small field at Geelong and Justice Served (Justify {USA}) was scratched and will wait for another day.
