Looking Ahead highlights runners of interest across Australia and New Zealand. Whether they are an exceptionally well-bred or high-priced runner early in their career chasing maiden success, a promising galloper returning to the track or a horse that has trialled particularly well, we’ll aim to give you something to follow.
Three exciting runners are racing across New Zealand and Australia on Saturday. A promising Written Tycoon colt makes his second start at Ruakaka, a The Autumn Sun colt looks a good chance of tasting Listed glory at Eagle Farm, and a Bivouac gelding looks the one to beat at Newcastle.
Ruakaka, Race 4, 11.29am AEDT (1.29pm local), ITM/GIB 2YO Championship Final, $60,000, 1200m
Battle Tycoon, 2-year-old colt (Written Tycoon x Bidding War {Snitzel})
Ruakaka's meeting will be the venue for the second start of Battle Tycoon (Written Tycoon). This well-bred colt is trained by Stephen Marsh at Cambridge
Battle Tycoon ran a decent race on debut for a seventh placing at Ellerslie earlier this month, it was probably a better run than it looked visually, although this race won't be easy as he faces several rivals that have already won races.
Battle Tycoon as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Battle Tycoon has a very strong female pedigree, he is the second foal of Bidding War (Snitzel) who was unraced on the track, but is a half-sister to Steps In Time (Danehill Dancer). She was a star on the track winning nine races, with the best of them being the G1 Coolmore Classic.
There are plenty of talented gallopers further back in the pedigree including the Group 1 winners Vision And Power (NZ) (Carnegie {Ire}), Glamour Puss (NZ) (Tale Of The Cat {USA}) and Espiona (Extreme Choice).
Bidding War since producing Battle Tycoon, has left a yearling filly by Written Tycoon, a weanling colt by Diatonic (Jpn), and is due to foal to Pierata this spring.
Battle Tycoon was purchased for $500,000 by Bruce Perry Bloodstock (BAFNZ) from the draft of Yulong at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Eagle Farm, Race 4, 1.28pm AEDT, Listed Tattersall’s 2YO Stakes, $160,000, 1400m
Autumn Boy, 2-year-old colt (The Autumn Sun x Rosegarden (NZ) {Savabeel})
The Chris Waller-trained Autumn Boy (The Autumn Sun) lines up at Listed level at only his second start at Eagle Farm on Saturday. He made such an impact on debut at Canterbury earlier this month when scoring in impressive fashion when defeating the well-bred Central Coast (Wootton Bassett {GB}), who subsequently made the form look strong when winning his next start.
Autumn Boy is the second winner from the unraced Savabeel mare Rosegarden (NZ), a daughter of Group 3 winner O’Reilly Rose (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}). She is a three-quarter-sister to Shamexpress (NZ), the G1 Newmarket Handicap winner and now a Group 1-producing sire at Windsor Park Stud.
Autumn Boy as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Shamexpress has been in the news recently as the sire of the outstanding and G1 The Everest-bound Ka Ying Rising (NZ).
Since producing Autumn Boy, Rosegarden (NZ) has delivered a yearling colt by Hellbent, and is due to foal to the in-form son of 'Vinny' again this spring.
A $200,000 purchase for Waller Racing and Mulcaster Bloodstock from the Amarina Farm draft at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Autumn Boy races in the colours of Glenn Ritchie.
Newcastle, Race 4, 1.40pm AEDT, Griffiths Computerised Engineering 2YO Handicap, $42,000, 1300m
Loving, 2-year-old gelding (Bivouac x Maternal {Street Cry {Ire}})
The well-bred Loving (Bivouac) is set to make his third start over 1300 metres for Darley Australia’s head trainer James Cummings at Newcastle on Saturday.
He won nicely at Geelong earlier this month over 1200 metres, and he looks more than capable of making it two wins from three starts in this event.
Bivouac | Standing at Darley
Loving is the fourth live foal out of the Street Cry (Ire) mare Maternal, who was a six-time winner including in the Listed Gai Waterhouse Classic. She has already proven to be successful as a broodmare leaving four winners including the four-time winner and Listed fourth-placed Camaquey (Teofilo {Ire}) and Shipshape (Astern) who has won twice and been placed at metropolitan level.
Loving is also well-related with his grandam being the very classy Divine Madonna (Hurricane Sky) who was a four-time Group 1 winner on the track including in the G1 Emirates Stakes, G1 Toorak Handicap, G1 Myer Classic, and the G1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes.
Since Producing Loving, Maternal has left a yearling colt by Too Darn Hot (GB) called Accompany, a weanling colt by Microphone, and missed to Shamus Award last spring.
Looking Back
Sussex Duchess (Hellbent) and Kingsford (NZ) (Almanzor {Fr}) both ran third in their respective races, maiden wins don’t look far away for this duo.
