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-old runners are set to hit the track across Australia on Wednesday. A Fastnet Rock filly deserves maiden success at Seymour, a beautifully bred I Am Invincible filly out of a Group 1 winner chases maiden success at Hawkesbury and a Trapeze Artist gelding lines up in a maiden event at Ipswich.
Bet365 Seymour, Race 1, 1.20pm AEDT, Go Seymour Maiden Plate, $37,500, 1600m
Rose Diamond, 3-year-old filly (Fastnet Rock x Love Charm {GB} {Singspiel {Ire}})
Seymour’s Wednesday meeting the venue for the Ben, Will and JD Hayes trained well-bred filly, Rose Diamond to chase her maiden victory. She was an acceptor and looked very hard to beat at last weekend’s Stony Creek meeting that got abandoned, so she now lines up here in this maiden event.
On debut she ran a sound third behind Sounds Fun (Grunt {NZ}) where she made ground well in the straight, she then failed at Caulfield before running another nice race at Cranbourne on December 20 for second behind Party Whip (Americain {USA}) over the mile distance, she was good again running second at Cranbourne last start over the same mile distance on January 18 behind Magic Princess (Royal Meeting {Ire}).
Fastnet Rock | Standing at Coolmore Australia
Rose Diamond is by the outstanding Fastnet Rock and is out of the Singspiel (Ire) mare Love Charm (GB), she has a strong international pedigree with her page full of influential stallions including Danehill (USA), Royal Academy (USA), Sadler’s Wells (USA), Caerleon (USA), Halo (USA) and Sir Tristram (Ire).
Love Charm since producing Rose Diamond, has produced a yearling colt by Acrobat and was served last spring by D’Argento.
Rose Diamond was withdrawn from the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Hawkesbury, Race 4, 4.05pm AEDT, Irresistible Pools and Spas Maiden Plate, $42,000, 1400m
Sensational Wind, 3-year-old filly (I Am Invincible x Gust Of Wind (NZ) {Darci Brahma {NZ}})
Hawkesbury’s Wednesday meeting will serve as the venue for the third start for the well-bred filly Sensational Wind. She raced once as a juvenile and ran a solid fifth at Rosehill on July 20 behind the talented Mayfair (Fastnet Rock). After a nice break she ran another very promising fifth resuming on the Randwick-Kensington track on January 22 where she made very good ground late after striking interference early in the race, the step up to seven furlongs should suit this filly and she should be in the mix.
Sensational Wind is by Australia’s Champion Sire in I Am Invincible and she has a strong pedigree with her page full of influential international and colonial stallions including Zabeel (NZ), Darci Brahma (NZ), Invincible Spirit (Ire), Canny Lad, Zoffany (USA), Sadler’s Wells (USA) and Shirley Heights (GB). Many of these stallions have strong staying blood and performance so it is expected that Sensational Wind will improve with a bit of time and distance.
Sensational Wind as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Her dam Gust Of Wind (NZ) was very talented and was the last horse to beat the Champion Winx (Street Cry {Ire}) when she was successful in the G1 Australian Oaks. She has made a successful start to her broodmare career leaving Transatlantic (Snitzel) who has been a five-time winner and Listed placed so far in his career and he looks very promising and Sirocco Gale (Snitzel) who was a winner over 1400 metres.
Since producing Sensational Wind, Gust of Wind has produced a Stay Inside yearling colt that heads to the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale as Lot 395 under the Segenhoe Stud banner, a Dundeel (NZ) filly foal and was most recently served last spring by the boom-stallion Wootton Bassett (GB)
Sensational Wind was a $1,100,000 purchase by K Yoshida from the draft of Segenhoe Stud Australia Pty Ltd at the 2023 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Ipswich, Race 4, 4.23pm, AEDT (3.23pm local), Inglis Xtra Bonus Series QTIS Three-Year-Old Maiden Plate, $40,000, 1200m
Busker, 3-year-old gelding (Trapeze Artist x Street Made (Can) {Street Boss {USA})
Busker, a son of Widden Stud’s stallion Trapeze Artist, will make his third start at Ipswich for trainer Robert Heathcote over 1200 metres. He disappointed on debut when he was very green at Doomben on January 22 but then improved off that effort with a very promising fourth at the Sunshine Coast on February 2. On that day he settled well back in the field but he made very good ground late behind Crackenthorpe (NZ (Zoustar).
This promising gelding is the second foal from the Street Boss USA) mare Street Made (Can}, who was a two-time winner and placed twice at Listed level in Canada. She has made a good start to her stud career with her first foal Rickythesteamboat (Rubick) already being a winner over 1350 metres.
Busker as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Busker has some strong stallion pedigree influences that are both international and colonial, stallions that are prominent are Danehill (USA), Domesday, Bletchingly, Red Ransom (USA), Redoute’s Choice, Street Cry (Ire), In Reality (USA), Mr. Prospector (USA) and Snippets.
Since producing Busker, Street Made has left a two-year-old gelding by Exceedance named Street Legal, a yearling filly by Wild Ruler and she was served last spring by In The Congo.
Busker was passed in at the 2023 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale when falling short of his $70,000 reserve.
Looking Back
Stairway (So You Think {NZ}) - ran an okay fourth at Kilmore, he had his chance but battled away fairly.
Analytical (So You Think {NZ}) - was good running fifth at Kilmore, he needs more ground and this was a solid run with an eye on going over further.
