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.
Racing on Wednesday serves up a trio of exciting debutants, including a son of I Am Invincible that headlined the 2023 iteration of the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Randwick-Kensington, Race 1, 2.20pm AEDT, Earthlight First Yearlings Mdn Plate, $60,000, 1250m
Railway Man, 2-year-old colt (I Am Invincible x Booker {Written Tycoon})
Ciaron Maher, now in his first week of training without long-term partner David Eustace, will unveil his $2.5 million colt Railway Man in the opening race at Randwick-Kensington on Wednesday.
The first foal to race out of the G1 Oakleigh Plate winner Booker, a daughter of Written Tycoon, Railway Man commanded his hefty purchase price at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, with Ciaron Maher Bloodstock paying the hefty sum to Coolmore Stud in order to ensure they took him home.
Railway Man as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
There is plenty of quality on his page, including Booker’s full brother Banquo (Written Tycoon), who proved himself to be a reliable sprinter, including the Listed Springtime H.
Champion Jockey James McDonald has been booked for the ride, with the colt allocated barrier seven of eight. His most recent barrier trial effort, a 0.2l second over 1030 metres at Rosehill, has him ready for the 1250-metre distance he faces on Wednesday for his first competitive appearance.
Randwick-Kensington, Race 4, 4.05pm AEDT, Ranvet Mdn H., $100,000, 1250m
Ironton (Ire), 3-year-old colt (Lope De Vega {Ire} x Golden Song {GB} {Singspiel {Ire}})
The powerful Michael, Wayne and John Hawkes operation will unveil an intriguing import at Randwick-Kensington on Wednesday, when the colt Ironton (Ire) makes his competitive debut in the fourth race on the program.
Progeny of Lope De Vega (Ire) have enjoyed stellar success in Australia, with 269 runners for 187 winners, 19 of those tasting success at black-type level, including star sprinters Santa Ana Lane and Vega Magic.
Lope De Vega (Ire) | Standing at Ballylinch Stud
He is out of the Singspiel (Ire) mare Golden Song (GB), who has already produced a top runner, the 2020 Italy Champion 3-Year-Old Miler Cima Emergency (Ire) (Canford Cliffs {Ire}), who took out the G3 Premio Paroli as his crowning achievement.
Ironton was sold by Mountain View Stud in Ireland for £200,000 (AU$384,100) to Stephen Hillen Bloodstock at the 2022 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. For his debut, top apprentice Zac Lloyd will do the steering from barrier six.
Sandown-Lakeside, Race 2, 4.15pm AEDT, 204 Stud And Stable Staff Awards Mdn Plate, $55,000, 1200m
Foreman’s Gully, 3-year-old colt (Pride Of Dubai x La La Land {Last Tycoon {Ire}})
On Wednesday at Sandown-Lakeside, Ben, Will and JD Hayes will unveil a colt from a family that Lindsay Park is very familiar with, when Foreman’s Gully kicks off his career in the second race of the program.
The son of Pride Of Dubai, a stallion that has enjoyed a tremendous 12 months, is out of the Last Tycoon (Ire) mare La La Land, who has a tremendous record as a producer. She has eight runners to her name for seven winners, headlined by Lindsay Park stable star Gentleman Roy (So You Think {NZ}), who won the G3 Sandown S. and proved himself competitive in Group 1 weight-for-age contests.
Pride Of Dubai | Standing at Coolmore
Just like Gentleman Roy, Foreman’s Gully is bred by the Woods family, who have retained him to race. The colt showed some impressive cruising speed at his recent jump-out at Flemington, bowling along out front in a fashion not dissimilar to his half-brother.
Group 1-winning jockey Michael Dee will take the ride, which has been a successful combination this season when combining with Lindsay Park. He has taken 89 rides for 18 winners this season (striking at 20.2 per cent), a strike rate that significantly outperforms his strike rate this season across all trainers, which sits at 14.2 per cent.
Looking Back
On Tuesday, the two Looking Ahead runners locked horns in the same race, with Primal Spirit (NZ) (Sacred Falls {NZ}) taking out bragging rights with a debut win. Our other selection, Forty Times (NZ) (Savabeel), crossed the line in eighth position.
