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. Progeny by Wootton Bassett (GB), Written Tycoon, and Ghaiyaath (Ire) are all chasing success.
Warwick Farm, Race 1, 2.25pm AEDT, TAB Fillies and Mares Maiden Plate, $100,000, 1200m
Bella Wahine, 3-year-old filly (Wootton Bassett (GB) x Little Surfer Girl {Encosta De Lago})
The beautifully-bred Wootton Bassett (GB) filly Bella Wahine makes her second start at Warwick Farm for trainer Chris Waller on Wednesday. She ran a very promising second on debut at Newcastle back in July, and after a break and a trial at Randwick, she looks ready to run a nice race fresh.
Bella Wahine was bred and is raced by Ingham Racing, she is the eighth foal from the Encosta De Lago mare Little Surfer Girl.
Wootton Bassett (GB) | Image courtesy of Coolmore Stud
Little Surfer Girl was a seven-time winner, including in three Listed races. She is out of the outstanding Special Harmony (Spinning World {USA}), a three-time Group 1 winner who produced six individual winners.
Little Surfer Girl has excelled at stud leaving five winners with the best of them clearly being Fangirl (Sebring), who has won 12 races, with four of them being at Group 1 level,and a total of just over $10.7 million in prizemoney.
Little Surfer Girl has more recently produced a 2-year-old colt by Home Affairs, and a yearling filly by Home Affairs, and she is due to foal to Wootton Bassett in late October.
Warwick Farm, Race 2, 3pm AEDT, CHC Powering The Chase BM68 Handicap, $60,000, 1200m
Duke Of Arrakis, 3-year-old colt (Written Tycoon x Sent From Above {Lonhro})
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Duke Of Arrakis (Written Tycoon), is set to make his third start at Warwick Farm on Wednesday over 1200 metres.
He has run two solid races in his career so far including a tidy win on debut on the Kensington back in June, and then he ran a creditable seventh in Listed company behind Autumn Boy (The Autumn Sun) at Eagle Farm.
He has since had a nice break and a couple of trial wins at Rosehill and Wyong, to prepare himself for his resuming 3-year-old run.
Duke Of Arrakis as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
A half-brother to the precocious dual-winning juvenile and Group-performed Shangri La Express (Alabama Express), winner of the $1 million Golden Gift at his second start, Duke Of Arrakis comes from a strong black-type family. Their dam Sent From Above (Lonhro) is a daughter of the multiple Group and Listed winner Gamble Me (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}).
Sent From Above’s now 2-year-old filly by Alabama Express sold for $200,000 to The Oaks Stud at this year’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, and she foaled an Alabama Express colt this spring.
Duke Of Arrakis was purchased for $360,000 by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, Kestrel Thoroughbreds, Cunningham Thoroughbreds, and Jim Clarke Bloodstock (FBAA) from the 2024 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale from the draft of Yulong.
Sportsbet Sandown Hillside, Race 7, 4.55pm AEDT, Evergreen Turf B66 Handicap, $50,000, 1300m
Observer, 3-year-old colt (Ghaiyyath (Ire) x Smooth {Lonhro})
The talented Ciaron Maher-trained Observer (Ghaiyyath {Ire}) is chasing his second win at Sandown on Wednesday after making quite a statement when smashing his opposition by five lengths at Sandown Lakeside on June 4 over 1400 metres.
After that run he ran a battling fifth at Flemington, has had a break, changed stables to the Ciaron Maher stable, and has had two jump outs to prepare himself for his resuming 3-year-old run.
Ghaiyyath (Ire) | Standing at Kildangan Stud
Ghaiyyath (Ire) was a top-class stayer in Europe, winning four Group 1 races including the Eclipse Stakes, International Stakes, Coronation Cup and the Grosser Preis von Baden, all of these races were between 2000 and 2400 metres.
Observer comes from a very strong family. He is the third foal from Smooth (Lonhro), an unraced full sister to Pierro, the Champion 2-year-old who won the Golden Slipper among five Group 1 victories and has gone on to be a top-class sire with six individual Group 1 winners to date.
Smooth has made an outstanding start to her stud career, with all three of her runners being winners. Her first foal Sandpaper (Snitzel) is a six-time winner, including the Group 3 Newcastle Stakes and the Listed Gothic Stakes, and her second foal Mellifluent (Exceed And Excel) has won twice, including a metropolitan juvenile race in Sydney.
Since producing Observer, Smooth has delivered a yearling colt by Anamoe for Godolphin, and is due to foal to Cylinder next month.
Looking Back
Kiwi Raider (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) - Won at Moe narrowly, but impressively.
Satono Invader (NZ) (Satono Aladdin {Jpn}) - Won nicely at Taree, it would be no surprise to see her progress through the grades.
