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 Tuesday, an Extreme Choice colt debuts at Hamilton, where a promising staying mare resumes later in the program, while a well-related son of Casino Prince resumes at Dubbo.
Hamilton, Race 2, 2pm AEDT, Ace Radio Mdn, $25,000, 1100m
Vermentino, 3-year-old colt (Extreme Choice x Magic Zefta {Viscount})
The winners continue to flow from the small first crop of Extreme Choice and this colt, trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, is the latest to make his debut. He looks ready to make a quick impression, having closed off very stylishly to win a recent Cranbourne jump-out.
Vermentino as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Vermentino was a $210,000 buy from the 2020 Inglis Classic Sale by his trainers and Astute Bloodstock from the draft of Bell River Thoroughbreds. He is a half-brother to stakes-placed Denmagic (Denman) out of the Viscount mare Magic Zefta, who has also produced the metropolitan winners Club Tropicana (Smart Missile) and Zeftabrook (Hinchinbrook). It is the extended family of successful sire Magic Albert.
Dubbo, Race 2, 2.40pm AEDT, Wayne Mallison Painter and Decorator Mdn, $24,000, 1310m
Tropic Sands, 4-year-old gelding (Casino Prince x Tambara {USA} {Thunder Gulch {USA}})
Tropic Sands resumes here off a good recent trial performance at this track for Narromine-based trainer Kylie Kennedy. He finished off quite nicely on his debut on his home track back in March, to be beaten less than 3l.
He is a half-brother to stakes winner and Group 1-placed Upstaged (In the Wings {GB}), who is the dam of two stakes performers, as well as multiple stakes-placed mare El Pauji (Flying Spur). The extended family includes the smart Archie Alexander-trained mare Chaillot (Testa Rossa). He was offered through the 2019 Inglis Ready2Race Sale but was retained by breeder Peter Trothe after failing to meet his $60,000 reserve.
Hamilton, Race 4, 3pm AEDT, Hygain Mdn, $25,000, 1600m
Wheal Rose, 4-year-old mare (Mawingo {Ger} x Lake Sententia {California Dane})
Lake Sententia provided her owners Galadi Holdings with a great run on the track, winning seven races, including a Listed Centaurea S. and placing in several Group races. She has now moved on to the next stage of her career, and Wheal Rose is one of two of her progeny to make the track so far in the Galadi colours.
She is under the skilful eye of training partnership Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, who took her to the track twice as a 3-year-old, where she finished fourth on debut at Bendigo and then fifth at Sale. She led all the way to win a recent jump-out at Penshurst, indicating she is ready to strike here.
Looking Back
Salto Angel (NZ) (Sacred Falls {NZ}) got the job done for Looking Ahead followers at Werribee on Sunday, while at Hawkesbury, Aramis (NZ) (Contributer {Ire}) finished third and Tea Or Coffee (Snitzel) sixth.
