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 3-year-olds are running across Australia on Saturday. Two well-bred types by Zoustar, and an Admire Mars (Jpn) gelding are all chasing success.
Hawkesbury, Race 1, 1.20pm AEDT, David Brown Memorial Super 3YO Maiden Handicap, $60,000, 1000m
Defiance, 3-year-old colt (Zoustar x Jadentom {Rothesay})
Hawkesbury’s Saturday meeting will be the venue for the second start of the Bjorn Baker-trained colt Defiance (Zoustar).
The promising 3-year-old looked talented when running third on debut at Warwick Farm behind the exciting Burma Star (Exceed And Excel). He should improve off that experience and prove hard to beat in this maiden event.
Defiance as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Defiance is the first foal from the Rothesay mare Jadentom, she was a classy 13-time winning sprinter and she was successful in the Listed Weetwood Handicap
Jadentom, since producing Defiance, has left a Jacquinot yearling colt, and unfortunately missed to Ozzmosis last spring.
Defiance was purchased by Darby Racing for $150,000 from the Glenlogan Park draft at the 2024 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Moonee Valley, Race 6, 3pm AEDT, Listed McMahon’s Diary McKenzie Stakes Maiden 3YO Plate, $175,000, 1200m
Planet Red, 3-year-old gelding (Admire Mars (Jpn) x Lucky Helmet {Helmet})
The well-bred Planet Red (Admire Mars {Jpn}), is set to attempt to keep his unbeaten streak alive at Moonee Valley on Saturday at Listed level for trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr.
Planet Red has won impressively at Pakenham and at Sandown in his career so far.
Planet Red as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Planet Red is the third foal from the two-time winner Lucky Helmet (Helmet), who is well related being a half-sister to the three-time Group winner Flying Mascot (NZ), and a three-quarter-sister to the Listed winner Koala Bear (Exceed And Excel).
Since producing Planet Red, Lucky Helmet has produced 2-year-old and yearling colts by Admire Mars (Jpn), and is due to foal this spring to Hitotsu.
Moonee Valley, Race 6, 3pm AEDT, Listed McMahon’s Diary McKenzie Stakes Maiden 3YO Plate, $175,000, 1200m
Space Rider, -year-old colt (Zoustar x Fuddle Dee Duddle {Red Ransom {USA}})
Moonee Valley’s Saturday meeting will be the venue for the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr trained well-bred Space Rider to chase his first stakes success.
Space Rider has put up the tide record of two wins from only three starts and looks ready to go to Listed level now.
He is by Widden Stud’s outstanding sire in Zoustar and is the eighth foal out of the Red Ransom (USA) mare Fuddle Dee Duddle who was very talented on the track winning four times from 1100 metres to 1600 metres including in the G3 Champion Fillies Stakes in Perth. She has gone on to become a successful broodmare leaving five individual winners including Brereton (Zoustar) who cost $1,000,000 at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and on the track he has so far saluted the judge three times with the best of these wins being in the G3 Maribyrnong Plate.
Space Rider as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Other family members include the outstanding Bella Nipotina (Pride Of Dubai) she has been successful 11-times in her career so far including the G1 The Everest. G1 Manikato S., G1 Doomben Ten Thousand Stakes and the G1 Tattersall’s Tiara.
Another star galloper within this family is the the talented mare Hallowell Belle (Starcraft {NZ}) who was successful in the G2 Gilgai S. and the Listed Darby Munro and managed placings in the G1 Flight S., G1 TJ Smith S., G1 Patinack C., G1 Thousand Guineas amongst other stakes races.
Since leaving Space Rider, Fuddle Dee Duddle has left a 2-year-old colt named Lorax (Zoustar), a yearling filly by Zoustar, and unfortunately slipped to Zoustar last spring.
Space Rider was purchased for $500,000 by Mick Price Racing & Breeding Pty Ltd/TFI/Dermot Farrington Bloodstock from the draft of Longwood Thoroughbred Farm at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale
Looking Back
Tagline (Tagaloa) - Showed his class at Mornington, winning in soft fashion by a length.
Kiwi Raider (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) - Ran a solid third on debut at Mornington.
