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 2-year-olds are set to hit the track across Australia on Thursday. A Capitalist filly that has looked sharp at the trials runs at Scone, a Flying Artie gelding makes his debut at Rockhampton and a Super Seth colt chases maiden success at Pakenham.
Scone, Race 1, 1.15pm AEDT, Select Events 2YO Handicap, $27,000, 900m
Lighthouse Lass, 2-year-old filly (Capitalist x Shining Eagle {Verrazano {USA}})
The Muswellbrook based-trainer Cassandra Stummer will saddle up Lighthouse Lass (Capitalist) to make her debut over 900 metres at Scone on Thursday.
She has looked quite smart at the trials and has won two out of her three trials quite impressively. Those trial wins have been at Scone over the same 900 metres so she will be well experienced under the track and distance conditons on debut.
This promising filly is the first foal from the Verrazano (USA) mare Shining Eagle, who was a winner at 1300 metres. She has already left the two-time winner Miss Altair (Capitalist) and she looks very progressive. Her dam Dashing Eagle (Danehill {USA}) won the G1 Flight Stakes and the G1 One Thousand Guineas.
Lighthouse Lass as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Shining Eagle’s pedigree expands further as she is also half-sister to Being Fabulous (High Chaparral {Ire}) who was a five-time winner in South Africa including at Listed grade, Embley (High Chaparral {Ire}) and Gaburin (Fusaichi Pegasus {USA}) were also both stakes-placed on the track.
Other Group performers in the pedigree include Single Bullet (Not A Single Doubt), La Caissiere (Luskin Star), Ringa Ringa Rosie (Bradbury’s Luck), Hightail (Written Tycoon), De La Terre (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}), Jerezana (Lonhro), Zapateo (Brazen Beau) and Osborne Bulls (Street Cry {Ire}).
Lighthouse Lass was passed in short of her reserve at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Rockhampton, Race 1, 2.05pm AEDT (1.05pm local), TAB QTIS Two-Year-Old Handicap, $21,000, 1100m
Saraqael, 2-year-old gelding (Flying Artie x Beauty Is {Redoute’s Choice})
Thursday’s Rockhampton meeting will serve as the venue for the debut of the promising gelding Saraqael, a son of Flying Artie. He trialled very nicely at Rockhampton when he won over 900 metres defeating Absolute Bottler (Bon Hoffa) by 4.16l.
This well-bred gelding is the fourth foal from the placed Redoute’s Choice mare Beauty Is. She herself is out of the very talented sprinting mare Absolut Glam (Snowland) who was a four-time winner up to 1500 metres. She was successful in the G1 Tatt’s Winter Stakes, G2 Moonee Valley Oaks Fillies Classic and the Listed Kevin Hayes Stakes.
Flying Artie | Standing at Blue Gum Farm
This family has so much depth to it further back with so many talented stakes-performers including Jazz Song (Fastnet Rock), Sword Point (American Pharoah {USA}), Shaama (Redoute’s Choice), Saartje (Saf) (Dynasty {Saf}), Miss Gunpowder (Pendragon {NZ}) and Nobby Snip (Snippetson).
Saraqael was a $8,000 purchase by his trainer Warwick Satherley from the 2024 Magic Millions Capricornia Yearling Sale.
Sportsbet-Pakenham, Race 2, 5.45pm AEDT, Bunyip Equipment Maiden Plate, $40,000, 1100m
Forceofone (NZ), 2-year-old colt (Super Seth x Heartfelt (NZ) {O’Reilly {NZ}})
The well-related Forceofone (NZ) is set to make his debut over 1100 metres for trainers Ben, Will and JD Hayes at Pakenham on Thursday. He has prepared for his debut with a couple of nice jump outs at Flemington and Werribee.
Forceofone is a son of Waikato Stud’s exciting Super Seth and is out of the O’Reilly (NZ) mare Heartfelt (NZ) who was unraced on the track.
She has already proven to be a reliable broodmare having left four winners including the four-time winner Sincere (NZ) (Savabeel), another four-time winner in Ocean Heart (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}), Hivari (NZ) (Tivaci) and Genuinely (NZ) (Tivaci).
Forceofone (NZ) as a yearling | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
Forceofone’s grandam Metropolitan (NZ) (Elusive City {USA}) was a talented filly and was successful three times including in the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes. She went onto become a very good broodmare leaving six individual winners including Residential (NZ) (Pins) who was successful nine times including in the G3 South Island Breeders Stakes, Listed Dunedin Guineas, Otago Breeders’ Stakes and the Listed Southland Guineas.
Heartfelt since producing Forceofone has left a yearling colt by Ardrossan and then missed to The Chosen One (NZ).
Forceofone sold for NZ$155,000 at the 2024 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale with Lindsay Park Racing being the successful purchaser from the draft of Waikato Stud Ltd.
Looking Back
Shacktime (NZ) (Tivaci) - was very good winning at Waverley, she had a good transit but was good enough to capitalise and win well. She looks to have plenty of scope and should continue to progress.
Bold Bidder (Fastnet Rock) - won in impressive fashion at Kembla Grange, he dominated from the front and never gave anything a look in. He looks very promising.
Murmurs (I Am Invincible) - was unfortunately scratched from his race, he will keep.
