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.
Wednesday at Hawkesbury, we look at a half-sister to a Group 3 winner and a Waterhouse-Bott colt from the family of a Blue Diamond winner. At Doomben, we’ve got an unraced half-brother to the well-bred stakes winner Madeenaty (Exceed And Excel).
Hawkesbury, Race 1, 12.50pm AEST, HRC Motel 2YO Fillies Mdn, $50,000, 1100m
Ishani, 2-year-old filly (I Am Invincible x O’Marilyn {O’Reilly {NZ}})
This filly is impeccably bred as a daughter of the Kiwi Group 1 winner O’Marilyn, who was Joint Top Filly of the 2013/14 2-Year-Old Free H. in New Zealand. O’Marilyn is a half-sister to the Australian Champion Headturner (Anabaa {USA}), along with Group 1 winner Anacheeva (Anabaa {USA}) and Kroner (Viking Ruler).
Ishani as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
At the 2021 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, Ishani was offered by Kia Ora Stud and passed in with a $700,000 reserve. She is raced by Kia Ora Stud in partnership with Coolmore, and she’s a half-sister to last year’s G2 Skyline S. winner O’President (Fastnet Rock).
Ishani is trained at Randwick by Michael Freedman, and she’s had two trials this preparation, finishing second and first. She’ll have jockey Brenton Avdulla in this race from barrier seven.
Hawkesbury, Race 2, 1.25pm AEST, XXXX Gold 2YO C&G Mdn, $50,000, 1100m
Burgunder, 2-year-old colt (Snitzel x Pinot {Pierro})
This unraced colt has a stack of pedigree behind him. He’s the first foal from the Pierro mare Pinot, who won the G1 VRC Oaks and G3 Ethereal S. in her time. She’s also a half-sister to the Listed winner Dizlago (Encosta De Lago), while this is the family responsible for the Hong Kong Horse of the Year, Vengeance Of Rain (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}), through the third dam, the G1 Blue Diamond S. winner Danelagh (Danehill {USA}).
Burgunder as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
At the 2021 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, Burgunder was sold to Gai Waterhouse, Adrian Bott and Kestrel Thoroughbreds for $300,000, offered by Arrowfield Stud.
The colt is trained by Waterhouse and Bott, and he’s had two trials this preparation. He was third and first, the latter coming at Randwick last time out. He’ll have Tim Clark in this race from barrier 10.
Doomben, Race 2, 1.08pm AEST, Sky Racing Mdn H., $37,000, 1050m
Rising Prophet, 3-year-old colt (Capitalist x Set For Fame {Reset})
This unraced colt is a son of the multiple Group-winner Set For Fame, whose stellar career included three Group 2s and a second in both the G1 Australian Guineas and G3 Thousand Guineas Prelude. Rising Prophet is her fourth foal, and he’s a half-brother to the Exceed And Excel mare Madeenaty, who won the R. Listed Wyong Magic Millions 2YO Classic along with the Listed Maribyrnong Trial S. She was also third in the G3 Ottawa S.
Rising Prophet as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Rising Prophet was bred at Segenhoe Stud and consigned to the 2020 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. He was sold for $150,000 to his Deagon-based trainer, Steele Ryan.
The colt was first in an official trial on April 5, which he won convincingly by 2.3l. He’ll have apprentice jockey Kyle Wilson-Taylor from barrier eight.
Looking Back
Our Looking Ahead selections on Tuesday were a mixed bag. At Benalla, Blixten (Rebel Dane) was unplaced and Tarzi Calling (NZ) (Tarzino {NZ}) was a winner. At Kembla, Power Overreach (Outreach) was part of the postponed meeting.
