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 3-year-olds are set to hit the track across New Zealand and Australia on Saturday, including an Almanzor (Fr) gelding out of a half-sister to Turn Me Loose (NZ) on debut at Ruakaka. Also progeny by Super Seth and Trapeze Artist chase maiden success at Hawkesbury.
Ruakaka, Race 2, 10.40am, AEST (12.40pm local), Support North Haven Hospice Mdn., $25,000, 1400m
Gate Crashers (NZ), 3-year-old gelding (Almanzor {Fr} x Sweet Inspiration {NZ} {Power {GB}})
The Shaune Ritchie-trained Almanzor (Fr) gelding Gate Crashers will be making his debut at Ruakaka on Saturday over 1400 metres. He has trialled up twice in preparation for his debut and showed a bit of promise placing in both of them at Pukekohe and Avondale. He has drawn very wide for his debut, but with a bit of luck with Kelly Myers in the saddle he looks to have the ability and breeding to be competitive in this race, and then improve as he steps up in trip.
This gelding is the fourth foal out of the Power (GB) mare Sweet Inspiration (NZ), who was unraced on the track but holds plenty of breeding appeal being a half-sister to the Windsor Park Stallion and talented racehorse in Turn Me Loose (NZ). He was a 7-time winner on the track from 1200 metres to 1600 metres in New Zealand and Australia and his wins included the G1 2000 Guineas, G1 Emirates S., G1 Futurity S., G2 Hawkes Bay Guineas, G2 Schweppes Crystal Mile and the Listed Seymour Cup.
Gate Crashers (NZ) as a yearling | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
Sweet Inspiration has done a good job with all of her runners to race being winners including Preferral (NZ) (Almanzor) who has won five-times, Chartin (NZ) (Tarzino) who has been a two-time winner and city placed in Adelaide and About A Girl (NZ) who was an impressive winner on debut at Tauranga before being purchased by clients of the Chris Waller stable.
Gate Crashers has very strong female pedigree influences in his page, with his second, third and fourth dams having influential broodmare sires such as Danehill (USA), Sadler’s Wells (USA) and Shirley Heights (GB).
Sweet Inspiration since producing Gate Crashers has left a yearling filly by Ribchester (Ire) and is due to foal to the exciting Rich Hill Stud’s Satono Aladdin (Jpn) next month.
Gate Crashers was a $250,000 purchase by Shaune Ritchie Racing from the draft of Carlaw Park at the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale.
Hawkesbury, Race 3, 1.55pm AEST, Greg Hales Memorial Super 3YO Mdn H., $60,000, 1000m
Couples Retreat (NZ), 3-year-old filly (Super Seth x Date Night (NZ) {Savabeel})
Saturday’s Hawkesbury meeting will serve as the venue for the second start of the Waikato Stud Ltd bred filly Couples Retreat (NZ). Trained by Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald, she trialled up very nicely prior to her very good debut at Warwick Farm on August 21 over 1100 metres when running a very gritty and narrow second behind the talented and well-bred Enriched (I Am Invincible).
Couples Retreat is a daughter of Waikato Stud’s exciting young sire Super Seth, he has made a very promising start to his stud career so far leaving eight juvenile winners in his first crop last season including the stakes-winners Linebacker (NZ) and Super Photon (NZ) and the multiple group-placed runner in Poetic Champion (NZ). She is the third live-foal from the Savabeel mare Date Night (NZ). She was a winner at 1400 metres at Ellerslie on the track and also managed placings in the Listed Oaks Prelude and the G2 Eight Carat C.. She has already had some success at stud leaving two-winners by Tivaci in Planned Encounter (NZ) and Okay Cupid (NZ).
Couples Retreat (NZ) as a yearling | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
Date Night’s dam Dating (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}) was also very talented and amongst her five wins was success in the G3 Desert Gold S., G3 Taranaki Breeders S., and the Listed Ryder S.
Date Night since producing Couples Retreat, has left a 2-year-old filly by Super Seth named Shirley’s Tribute (NZ), a yearling filly by Tivaci and was served by Ardrossan last spring.
Couples Retreat was a $280,000 purchase by Mitchell Bloodstock/Annabel Neasham Racing from the Waikato Stud Ltd draft at the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale.
Hawkesbury, Race 5, 3.05pm AEST, Aussie Home Loans Richmond F&M Mdn P., $42,000, 1400m
Pinito, 3-year-old filly (Trapeze Artist x Waltzing Wodka {Sebring})
The well-bred Pinito, is set to make her fifth start over 1400 metres for Darley Australia’s head trainer James Cummings at Hawkesbury on Saturday. She has placed in all four of her starts so far and her form looks very solid, she does look very hard to beat.
Pinito is by Widden Stud’s promising stallion in Trapeze Artist, who has so far sired three individual group winners including the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas winner in Griff. Pinito is the second foal from Waltzing Wodka (Sebring). She was a two-time winner on the track but is very well related being a full-sister to the Group 2 winners Seaburge (Sebring) and Catch A Fire (Sebring).
Pinito as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Some other group-winners that feature within this solid pedigree are the G1 Australasian Oaks winner La Volta (Laranto), G1 Caulfield Guineas winner in Mighty Boss (Not A Single Doubt), the Group 2 winner Coastwatch (Fastnet Rock), Terevega (Laranto) and Brave Mead (Brave Smash {Jpn}).
Waltzing Wodka has exclusively visited Trapeze Artist in all of her years as a broodmare. Her first foal is the five-times placed mare Stupendous (Trapeze Artist), her second foal was Pinito and since producing her, she has left a two-year-old colt and is due to foal again to Trapeze Artist again this month.
Pinito sold for $260,000 at the 2023 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale with Godolphin Australia being the successful purchaser from the draft of Widden Stud.
Looking Back
Cora Lynn (Exceed And Excel) ran an okay race for fourth at Mornington. Our selections then ran the quinella in Race 5 with Close To Midnight (I Am Invincible) living up to his breeding and proving very quick, leading all of the way to win nicely and Campari Twist (So You Think {NZ}) chased him gallantly for a lovely second, she will be winning a maiden race at short notice.
