Looking Ahead puts the spotlight on runners of interest across Australia and New Zealand. Whether they are a particularly well-bred or high-priced runner having their first or second start, a promising galloper returning to the track or a horse which has trialled particularly well, we’ll aim to give you something to follow.
On Friday, a filly by I Am Invincible debuts for Team McEvoy at Morphettville, while John Moore steps out a well-related Exceed And Excel colt at Ipswich and a 2-year-old by the same sire resumes at Goulburn for Richard and Michael Freedman.
Morphettville, Race 1, 12.45pm AEST, Quayclean 2YO Mdn, $40,300, 1000m
Royal Dress (I Am Invincible) looks a filly of considerable promise for Tony and Calvin McEvoy based on the way she won a recent jump-out at St Arnaud, where she set the pace and then kicked away to win by a substantial margin.
Royal Dress as a yearling
Bred and raced by Coolmore, she didn't make her reserve price when offered at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in 2020. She is out of the Hong Kong stakes winner Sweet Sanette (SAF) (Jallad {USA}), who has produced four winners to date, including the stakes-placed Sweet Rockette (Fastnet Rock) and the promising Chianti (I Am Invincible).
Ipswich, Race 4, 1.31pm AEST, Channel Seven QTIS 2YO Mdn, $22,000, 1200m
Trainer John Moore is making his mark since starting up his Gold Coast stable and has five winners from 11 starters since the start of June. Data Patch (Exceed And Excel) is a colt who looks capable of improving that record, and he has shown a bit of talent at a couple of recent Gold Coast barrier trials.
Data Patch as a yearling
Moore, via his son George's bloodstock company, went to $900,000 for this colt through the Bhima Thoroughbreds draft at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. He is a brother to Hong Kong-based Group 3-winning sprinter Big Party as well as stakes-placed Top Me Up and a half-brother to the stakes-placed General Groove (General Nediym). Their dam, De Groove (Dehere {USA}) is a sister to the Listed winner Super Groove and half-sister to the G3 Star Kingdom S. winner and Group 1 placegetter Taikun (Anabaa {USA}).
Goulburn, Race 7, 3.30pm AEST, Twinstar Racing Mdn, $24,000, 1000m
Harley Street (Exceed And Excel), trained by Richard and Michael Freedman and owned by John Camilleri's Fairway Thoroughbreds, only had one start in his first campaign, when beaten into sixth on debut at Newcastle, but going on his previous trial, where he defeated G1 Blue Diamond S. winner Artorius (Flying Artie), and his recent close-up second in a trial at Gosford, he does possess plenty of talent.
Exceed And Excel, sire of Harley Street | Standing at Darley
He is bred to be a good horse, being out of the multiple stakes winner Avenue (Anabaa {USA}), who has produced winners with each of her four other runners to the track. Avenue is the sister of multiple Group 1 winner Virage De Fortune and a three-quarter sister to the Group 3 winner Slapstick (Anabaa {USA}).
Looking Back
It wasn't the best day for the horses we highlighted in this column on Thursday. Whatever I Say (Pierro) failed to come on and finished eighth in his race at Wyong, while Muzzletop (Top Echelon) didn't really fire on debut, also finishing eighth. The other one we highlighted, Sniper Legend (Capitalist), was scratched at the barrier.
