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 take their place across Australia on Saturday. Progeny by Capitalist, Alabama Express, and Snitzel are all chasing success.
Royal Randwick, Race 1, 11.20am AEDT, Keeneland September Yearling Sale 2YO Maiden Handicap, $160,000, 1100m
Nazwah, 2-year-old filly (Capitalist x Najoom {Northern Meteor})
The Peter Snowden-trained Nazwah (Capitalist) lines up at Randwick to make her second start, after she made quite the impact when winning on debut impressively at Gosford earlier this month.
Nazwah is the fifth live foal, and fifth winner from Najoom (Northern Meteor), a five-time winner on the track, including the G3 Hawkesbury Guineas and G3 Fred Best Classic. Najoom has already produced the Group 1 winning filly Charm Stone (I Am Invincible) and dual Listed winner Najmaty (I Am Invincible).
Nazwah as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Nazwah might be remembered as the one that got away for potential buyers, not just once, but twice. She was passed in at the 2024 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, failing to meet her $300,000 reserve, and again at the 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale, where she was offered as an unraced 2-year-old and passed in at $560,000, narrowly short of her $600,000 reserve.
Earlier this year at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Emirates Park sold an I Am Invincible filly out of Najoom for $425,000 to the combination of Snowden, Trilogy Racing, and Suman Hedge Bloodstock. Najoom is due to foal to Tassort in early September, after missing to Justify (USA) the season before.
Kembla Grange, Race 1, 12.15pm AEDT, Storelocal Kembla Grange Super 3YO Maiden Plate, $60,000, 1400m
Hurry Miss, 3-year-old filly (Alabama Express x Rush You {Pierro})
The Peter Snowden-trained and Yulong Investments Ltd bred and owned Alabama Express filly Hurry Miss will be making her fourth start at Kembla Grange on Saturday.
She has run three excellent placings from her three career starts so far, and looks very hard to beat resuming over 1400 metres, with a couple of quiet trials under her belt.
This well-bred filly is bred on the extended cross of the great Redoute’s Choice over Zabeel (NZ) line mares, as she is out of the Pierro mare Rush You, who only raced three times unsuccessfully on the track, but she comes from a very strong extended family.
Alabama Express | Standing at Yulong
Rush You is a half-sister to the handy Rockolicious (Fastnet Rock) who has been a five-time winner up to 1400 metres, with her best win being in the Listed Rosemont Stud Stakes.
The third dam of Hurry Miss is the famed matriarch Canny Lass (Bletchingly) - successful Group-performers that descend from her include Causeway Lass (Giant’s Causeway {USA}), Astute Angel (Godswalk {USA}), Al Jameel (NZ) (Tale Of The Cat {USA}), Eckstein (I Am Invincible), Rothsay, Sensei, Coleman (Pierata), Liwa (Mulaazem) and Fast Witness (Star Witness).
Since Producing Hurry Miss, Rush You has produced a yearling colt by Grunt (NZ) and is due to foal to the exciting young sire Lucky Vega (Ire) early next month.
Kembla Grange, Race 3, 1.25pm AEDT, Win Corporation CG&E 3YO Maiden Plate, $42,000, 1300m
Sigma, 2-year-old colt (Snitzel x Princess Coup {Encosta De Lago})
Kembla Grange’s Saturday meeting will serve as the venue for the second start of Sigma, a very well-bred son of Snitzel that is trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott. He ran an okay seventh on debut at Canterbury earlier this month when he battled away strongly from well back in the field
Sigma is the twelfth foal out of the outstanding mare Princess Coup (Encosta De Lago), she was a 12-time winner including at Group 1 level four times in New Zealand.
Sigma as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
She has done a fantastic job at stud leaving nine individual winners including the Group-winners Argentia (Frankel {GB}), and Thewizardofoz (Redoute’s Choice).
Other stakes performers that feature close-up in the pedigree include Moesha (I Am Invincible), Rich Dottie (Written Tycoon), Oz Empress (Exceed And Excel), Key (Exceed And Excel), Stonecoat (Pierro), and Epimeles (Dundeel {NZ}).
Princess Coup, since producing Sigma, has left an Exceed And Excel yearling filly, and is due to foal to Home Affairs late next month.
Sigma failed to meet his $450,000 reserve at the 2024 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Looking Back
Lord Coda (Zoustar) - Ran an improvers race for sixth at Geelong, it would be no surprise to see him run well at his next start.
Sussex Duchess (Hellbent) - Ran a very good second at Geelong, she was a touch unlucky and may have won if she got out earlier.
Navy Nina (NZ) (Proisir) - Was an impressive winner at Geelong, she is bred to appreciate more ground and improve with time, so she may be one to follow.
