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.
Two well-bred three-year-olds are set to hit the track at Warrnambool on Tuesday, including a Zoustar filly making her debut and a Tavistock (NZ) gelding making his second start.
Warrnambool, Race 1, 1pm, AEST, Jericho Tickets on Sale Mdn P., $27,000, 1100m
Mail Order, 3-year-old filly (Zoustar x The Good Wife {Redoute’s Choice})
The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained Zoustar filly Mail Order will be making her debut at Warrnambool on Tuesday over 1100 metres. She ran a close-up fourth at the Casterton trials over 880 metres on July 1 behind Bubbling (NZ) (Shocking).
This well-bred filly is the fifth-foal out of the Redoute’s Choice mare The Good Wife, who was a winner at 1200 metres and city placed in Melbourne. She has already proven to be a good broodmare leaving four winners including Too Good Too Hard (All Too Hard) and It’s A Myth (Sepoy) who have also both been stakes-placed. She is also well-related being a half-sister to the very classy mare Divine Madonna (Hurricane Sky) who was a three-time Group 1 winner and the Group 3 winner Blessum (Umatilla {NZ}).
Zoustar | Standing at Widden
Mail Order holds a very interesting pedigree-pattern having a 3 x 2 cross of the great Redoute’s Choice. Her sire Zoustar is out of a Redoute’s Choice mare and his dam is by Redoute’s Choice.
The Zoustar/Redoute’s Choice cross has had some solid success with a 82% winners to runners ratio and a 9% stakes winners to runners ratio. The top performer on the track with this cross is the durable and classy mare Haut Brion Her (Zoustar) who was a dual Group 2 winner. The extended cross of Zoustar progeny out of Granddaughters of Redoute’s Choice has also been very successful with daughters of Not A Single Doubt, Snitzel and Stratum all leaving stakes-winning progeny by Zoustar.
Since Producing Mail Order, The Good Wife has left a two-year-old filly by Written Tycoon, a yearling colt by Wootton Bassett (GB) and has failed to get in foal the last two seasons.
Warrnambool, Race 2, 1.30pm, AEST, Star Printing Mdn P., $27,000, 1400m
Montrock (NZ), 3-year-old gelding (Tavistock (NZ) x Vanity Queen (GB) {Fastnet Rock})
The well-related Montrock (NZ) is set to have his second start for Warrnambool trainer Lindsey Smith on the back of an okay fifth placing on debut over 1200 metres at Ballarat on June 30 behind Diadamo (Overshare). It is expected that he should improve up to 1400 metres and with that race experience behind him.
Montrock is a son of Cambridge Stud’s classy ill-fated Tavistock (NZ) and is the second foal from the Fastnet Rock mare Vanity Queen (GB). She was a winner as a juvenile in Great Britain and also managed a city placing at Newmarket. She is well-related being a half-sister to El Drama (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) who won the Listed Chester Dee S., and was Group 1 placed in Dubai and Volume (GB) (Mount Nelson {GB}) who was a Listed winner in the Newbury Fillies Trial S., and placed in the G1 The Oaks before leaving the Group 1 winning ill-fated colt Quorto (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}).
Montrock as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
The Tavistock/Fastnet Rock cross has had some solid success with a 65% winners to runners ratio and a 7% stakes winners to runners ratio. The top performer on the track with this cross is the tough galloper Young Werther (NZ) (Tavistock) who has managed to win over 2 million dollars on the track and has been Group 1 placed five times.
Montrock has a strong pedigree with his page full of influential international stallions including Sadler’s Wells (USA), Quest For Fame (GB), Danehill (USA), Peintre Celebre (USA) and Royal Academy (USA). Many of these stallions have strong staying blood and performance so it is expected that Montrock will improve with a bit of time and distance.
Vanity Queen since producing Montrock has left a two-year-old gelding named Tycoon Prince (NZ) (Written Tycoon) that has raced once, a yearling colt by Almanzor (Fr), a weanling filly by Almanzor and was served by Embellish (NZ) last spring.
Montrock was a $240,000 purchase by John Foote Bloodstock (FBAA) from the 2022 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale from the draft of Cambridge Stud.
Looking Back
Sunday 21/7
Pretending (NZ) (Super Seth) ran a solid third on debut at Oamaru behind the talented Diablo Blanco (NZ) (Super Seth).
Wings Of Desire (Pride Of Dubai) was impressive winning on debut, the three-quarter-sister to Winx (Street Cry {Ire}) looks like she has plenty of ability and could go on with it.
