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 exciting runners are set to hit the track across Australia on Thursday, including a Dundeel (NZ) half-brother to the outstanding mare Jameka (Myboycharlie {Ire}) at Ballarat, a well-bred Fastnet Rock mare is chasing her maiden win at Newcastle and that is also the venue for a promising I Am Invincible colt to make his debut.
Sportsbet-Ballarat, Race 5, 3pm, AEST, Porter Plant Mdn P., $37,500, 1400m
Federer, 4-year-old gelding (Dundeel {NZ} x Jameka {Myboycharlie {Ire}})
The Ciaron Maher-trained Federer (Dundeel {NZ}) will travel to Ballarat on Thursday to make his debut over 1400 metres in the hands of jockey Ethan Brown.
Federer is the second foal from the outstanding staying mare Jameka (Myboycharlie {Ire}), she was a star on the track managing six wins and all of these were stakes wins including the G1 Caulfield Cup, G1 BMW S., G1 VRC Oaks, G2 VRC Sires’ Produce S., G2 Dilmah Vase S., G3 Naturalism S., she also managed placings in the G1 Australian Derby, G1 Australian Cup, G1 Thousand G., G1 Turnbull S., G1 Rosehill Guineas. G2 Thousand Guineas Prelude, Listed Atlantic Jewel S and the (RL) Inglis 2YO Premier. She has already had some success at stud leaving the two-time metropolitan winner in Sir Bailey (Impending) who has also ran fourth in the G3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude and the Listed Valley Pearl S.
Dundeel (NZ) | Standing at Arrowfield
Jameka is a sister to the talented gelding Grandslam (Myboycharlie) who was successful in the G2 Alister Clark S., and placed third in the G1 Caulfield Guineas, and is a half-sister to the five-time winner Nikitas (Snitzel) who was also stakes placed on the track.
Jameka since producing Federer, has produced a Dundeel three-year-old filly named Miss Alexis, a two-year old filly named Adira River (Ghaiyyath {Ire}) and she was most recently served by Too Darn Hot (GB) last spring.
Newcastle, Race 4, 2.25pm AEST, Lees Racing Super Mdn H., $60,000, 1400m
Retainer, 2-year-old filly (Fastnet Rock x Veneers (NZ) {Stravinsky {USA}})
The Ciaron Maher-trained well-bred Fastnet Rock filly Retainer will make her third start at Newcastle on Thursday over 1400 metres after running a battling fifth at her debut at Canterbury on July 3 over 1200 metres behind Extremely Hardys (Extreme Choice) and then an improving fifth at Wyong over 1300 metres on July 25 behind Automated (Trapeze Artist).
Her dam Veneers (NZ) (Stravinsky {USA}) only raced once on the track but as a broodmare she has made a solid start leaving four individual winners including Dental (Fastnet Rock), Extraction (Medaglia D’Oro), Sensei Jackie (Scissor Kick) and Maryland Bridge (Pariah).
Retainer as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
The Fastnet Rock/Stravinsky cross has had great success with a 82% winners to runners ratio and an impressive 15% stakes winners to runners ratio. The top performer on the track with this cross is the top-class filly Mosheen (Fastnet Rock) who managed to win four Group 1 races and has since gone on to produce Primo Scene (Jpn) (Sunday Silence {Jpn}) and Danon Ayers Rock (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}) to both win stakes races in Japan.
A descendant of - the famed matriarch Eight Carat (GB) (Pieces Of Eight {Ire}) - Retainer comes from an outstanding family. Other successful group-performers within her pedigree are Don Eduardo (NZ), Tristalove (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}), Viscount, Shower Of Roses (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}), Viking Ruler (Danehill {USA}), Kempinsky (Danehill) and Gift Of Power (Power {GB}) and Devastate (NZ) (Vadamos {Fr}).
Veneers since producing Retainer has left a Pierro two-year-old colt, an Acrobat yearling colt and she was not served last spring.
Retainer was a $400,000 purchase by Ciaron Maher Bloodstock/Group 1 Bloodstock (FBAA) from the draft of Coolmore Stud at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Newcastle, Race 6, 3.40pm AEST, Horsepower Mdn P., $42,000, 1250m
Maori Chief, 2-year-old colt (I Am Invincible x Heatherly {Lonhro})
Newcastle’s Thursday meeting is the venue for the debut of the promising Maori Chief (I Am Invincible) who has trialled up nicely for this race beating Winchester (Deep Field) nicely at Rosehill on July 12 and then running second to the before mentioned horse on July 23 over 900 metres.
Maori Chief is a son of I Am Invincible and is the third foal from the speedy G2 Rubiton S., winner Heatherly (Lonhro), who won six races and placed twice at Group 1 level. Her first foal, Miss Glenn (Written Tycoon) is a winner, while her second foal is the 3-year-old Group 3 winner Red Resistance. He won the G3 Canonbury S. last season and ran second to Cylinder in the G2 Todman S., he is about to kick off his stallion carrer at Telemon Thoroughbreds this spring
I Am Invincible | Standing at Yarrman Park Stud
Some other stakes-performers within the family are Tavidance (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}), Linton (Galileo {Ire}), Vedodara (NZ) (Kreisler {Ire}), Bhandara (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}), Shastri (NZ) (Stravinsky {USA}) and Bring Me Speed (Sebring).
The I Am Invincible/Lonhro cross has had outstanding proven success with a 90% winners to runners ratio and an impressive 19% stakes winners to runners ratio. Some of the gallopers bred on this cross are the classy filly Estriella (I Am Invincible) who has been successful at Group 3 and Listed level over sprinting trips and she looks every-bit a Group 1 performer in the future, the talented stakes-winning Singapore gelding Super Salute and the New Zealand Listed winner Evalina.
Heatherly since producing Maori Chief has left a yearling colt by Snitzel and was most recently served by Exceed and Excel last spring.
Looking Back
No Brakes (Lonhro) was disappointing finishing eleventh.
On The Mark (Shooting To Win) ran a very good race for second, he deserves a maiden win shortly.
Entrusting (The Autumn Sun) only ran seventh but he looked a likely improver, and should appreciate a rise in distance
