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.
Hawkesbury is the venue for runners by Zousain and Written Tycoon to chase maiden success on Thursday. Interestingly the Zousain 2-year-old is out of a Written Tycoon mare, so Yulong's stallion has a strong influence as the sire and dam-sire of these runners.
Hawkesbury, Race 1, 12.15pm AEST, Family Funday 19 July 2YO Maiden Handicap, $42,000, 1000m
Essay, 2-year-old filly (Zousain x Written Star {Written Tycoon})
The Richard Collett-trained Essay (Zousain) lines up for her second start at Hawkesbury on Thursday. The Zousain 2-year-old filly ran seventh on debut in the Listed Lonhro Plate on debut after being well-backed and since then has had a break and a couple of trials to prepare for her resuming run.
Essay is the first-foal out of the unraced mare Written Star (Written Tycoon), who comes from the extended family of the Group 3-winner Testashadow (Testa Rossa) and the current Australian Champion sire Zoustar.
Essay as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
A couple of other talented family members include the Group 2-winner Dusty Star (General Nediym) and Zoustar’s Listed winning Irish half-brother Emperor Of The Sun (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).
Written Star, in recent times, has left a yearling colt by All Too Hard, a weanling filly by Exceedance, and she was served by Growing Empire last December.
Essay was purchased for $100,000 by Collett Racing Stables from the Vinery Stud draft at the 2025 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
Hawkesbury, Race 3, 1.25pm AEST, St Johns Park Bowling Club Maiden Plate, $42,000, 1600m
Pink Persuasion, 3-year-old filly (Written Tycoon x Rationality {Flying Spur})
The consistent 3-year-old filly Pink Persuasion (Written Tycoon) deserves to taste maiden success, and she gets a great chance at Hawkesbury on Thursday over the mile distance. She has placed in six of her career starts and comes into this race off a solid second on the Illawarra Grange behind Menthon (Wootton Bassett {GB}) late last month.
Pink Persuasion is out of the five-time winning Flying Spur mare Rationality, she herself is a full sister to the classy gelding Mentality (Flying Spur) who was a three-time Group 1 winner.
Pink Persuasion as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Rationality has been a reliable producer, she has left three winners including Bartley - Wind Speeder (H.K.) (Written Tycoon) who has been a four-time winner and Group and Listed placed, Le Gagneur (Shalaa {Ire}) who has been a dual winner and placed in the G3 Maribyrnong Plate, and Revivalist (Shalaa {Ire}) who has won three times.
In recent years, Rationality’s 2024 born Castelvecchio colt died soon after birth, but she produced a Castelvecchio filly in October this spring, before she missed to Maurice (Jpn).
Pink Persuasion was purchased for $200,000 by Waltrin from the Arrowfield Stud draft at the 2024 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale
Looking Back:
Rocket Girl (I Am Invincible) - Was scratched from her race on the Kensington.
Helizangel (Hellbent) - Wasn't her day at Sandown running sixth.
Our Huntress (NZ) (Ardrossan) - Was a dominant winner at Eagle Farm as she claimed deserved maiden success.
