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 promising horses are hitting the track across Australia on Wednesday. 2-year-olds by Pierata, Snitzel, and Farnan are all chasing victory at the back-end of their juvenile seasons.
Doomben, Race 2, 12.33pm AEDT, Teddy Bears Picnic 2 August QTIS 2YO Maiden Plate, $40,000, 1200m
Whispering Rogue, 2-year-old colt (Pierata x Artful Whisper (USA) {Machiavellian {USA}})
The Chris and Corey Munce-trained Whispering Rogue (Pierata) will have his second start at Domben on Wednesday over 1200 metres. He ran a solid second on debut at the same track back in April behind Ritualize (Written By).
The promising colt is the ninth and last foal out of the Macchiavellian (USA) mare Artful Whisper (USA), who was placed in Great Britain on the track.
Whispering Rogue as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
She has turned out to be a fantastic broodmare, leaving five winners with the best of them clearly being Whispering Brook (Hinchinbrook), who was a 10-time winner with seven of them being at stakes level. At the end of her racing career, she was sold to Katsumi Yoshida for $1.1 million at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.
Whispering Rogue was purchased at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale Book 2 for $135,000 from the Kenmore Lodge draft by Munce Racing and Arthur Hoyeau.
Sportsbet Sandown Hillside, Race 1, 12.25pm, Sportsbet Race Previews 2YO Handicap, $50,000, 1000m
Conscience, 2-year-old filly (Snitzel x Wartime Lovers {Street Cry {Ire})
The Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained Conscience (Snitzel) will make her second start over 1000 metres at Sandown on Wednesday. She was an impressive winner on the same track back on debut in March, and looks well-placed to resume strongly after a nice second at the Pakenham jump outs earlier this month.
This well-related filly is the fourth foal from the Street Cry (Ire) mare In Times Of War, who was a three-time winning sprinter. She has proven to be a very good broodmare on the track and commercially, leaving three winners. Her best runner is the quality Zoustar colt, Espionage. He cost the James Harron Bloodstock Colt Partnership $1 million from the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale ,and has since won the G3 Kindergarten Stakes and the G3 Breeders’ Plate.
Conscience as yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
In Times Of War’s second dam is the General Nediym mare Military Rose, she was a speedy filly on the track winning six-times, including five of them as a juvenile. Her wins included the G2 Riesling Stakes, G3 Gold Coast Guineas, the R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic, Listed BJ McLachlan Stakes, and the Listed Calaway Gal Stakes.
Conscience was a $1.4 million purchase by TFI, Moody Racing, and James Harron Bloodstock from the draft of Baramul Stud at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Since producing Conscience, In Times Of War has left a yearling colt by Zoustar, and foaled a Zoustar filly last spring.
Warwick Farm, Race 2, 1.25pm AEDT, Drinkwise Maiden Plate, $60,000, 1100m
Kokatahi (NZ), 2-year-old gelding (Farnan x Diva Von Tessa {Testa Rossa})
The well-bred Kokatahi (NZ) (Farnan) is set to make his third career start at Warwick Farm on Wednesday for trainer-Chris Waller.
He has ran two very good thirds at Canterbury and Randwick,behind talented types Central Coast (Wootton Bassett {GB}), and Tomato Toastie (Too Darn Hot {GB}), he looks close to breaking through for his maiden victory.
Kokatahi is the sixth live-foal out of Diva Von Tessa (Testa Rossa), who was a winner over 1200 metres. She has left three winners so far as a broodmare.
Kokatahi (NZ) as a yearling | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
Further back in the family are the outstanding Group One winners All Too Hard, Black Caviar (Bel Esprit), Magnus, Nepotism (Brutal {NZ}), and Ole Kirk.
Since leaving Kokatahi, Diva Von Tessa has produced a weanling filly by Ocean Park (NZ), and is due to foal to The Chosen One (NZ) in early October.
Kokatahi was purchased by Chris Waller and Mulcaster Bloodstock from the 2024 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka National Yearling Sale for NZ$425,000 from the Milan Park draft.
Looking Back
Fornof (Nicconi) - Was an impressive winner at Swan Hill by just over a length, she was eased up on the line and did the job in impressive fashion on debut.
Karasmatic (NZ) (Vadamos {Fr}) - Broke through for deserved maiden success at Swan Hill. He settled well back and finished strongly down the outside.
