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.
It’s a cracking day of stakes racing on the eastern seaboard on Saturday and naturally there’s a host of very promising, well-bred runners out to prove their worth. Here are three interesting runners across three different venues on Saturday.
Gosford, Race 3, 2.35pm AEDT, Terrigal Wamberal Sharks RLFC 2YO Mdn Plate, $42,000, 1100m
Marais, 2-year-old colt (Capitalist x Gone To Paris {Duporth})
Queensland’s Highgrove Stud sold this son of Capitalist to Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou for $220,000 at last year’s Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
He made his debut at Gosford last month and was a close up second to Rock Hard Love (Pierro) over the same 1100 metres that he will contest in this race.
Prior to the debut, he had won a Rosehill trial over 900 metres.
Marais is a full brother to the two-time winner Euros, who herself was a $300,000 Inglis Classic graduate.
Marais as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Gone To Paris won two races and was sold at the 2018 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale to Sheamus Mills Bloodstock (FBAA) for $230,000.
Marais is aiming to become the mare’s fourth winner, following Euros, Cani Cancan (Russian Revolution) and Icing On The Cake (Astern).
Second dam Golden Pedigree (Gold Brose) was a Listed winner in South Australia and is a half-sister to the stakes-winning Bioligist (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) and stakes-placed Fraar Side (Fraar {USA}), who in turn is the dam of the G1 Metropolitan winner The Verminator (Jeune {GB}).
Rosehill Gardens, Race 4, 2.15pm AEDT, G2 Pago Pago S., $250,000, 1200m
Gatsby’s, 2-year-old colt (Snitzel x Miss Charming {USA} {Forestry {USA}})
Market framers wasted little time in making Gatsby’s a hot favourite for the Pago Pago S. after a debut Canterbury win that has since had its merits well and truly franked.
Gatsby’s was able to get the better of Roselyn’s Star (Shalaa {Ire}) on debut and that colt subsequently won in very easy style at the Randwick-Kensington track on Wednesday.
Third home was Silmarillion (Too Darn Hot {GB}), who was narrowly beaten in last week’s G2 Reisling S.
The son of Snitzel was a $220,000 purchase for Aramco Racing from the Vinery draft at last year’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Gatsby's as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
His dam Miss Charming (USA) was a winner over six furlongs in the US and was later purchased by Blue Sky Bloodstock for $180,000 at the 2014 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.
She has been a success in Australia, with her first foal here, Snazz 'N' Charm (Snitzel) winning three times and being stakes placed.
Her next foal was also by Snitzel and was named Letzbeglam, who took out the G2 Blue Diamond Prelude (Fillies) before later winning at Group 3 level in New Zealand. The next foal of the mare Hell Hound (Hellbent) is a three-time winner.
Miss Charming produced an Acclaim (Ire) colt last year and was covered by Zoustar last December.
Gatsby’s second dam is the US Grade 3 winner Charm A Gendarme (USA) (Batonnier {USA}), who had 11 individual winners, headed by the dual Grade 1 winner Tout Charmant (USA) (Slewvescent {USA}).
Caulfield, Race 6, 3.05pm AEDT, Listed Redoute’s Choice S., $175,000, 1100m
Comanche Miss, 2-year-old filly (Castelvecchio x Ocean Challenger {Rubiton})
Phillip Stokes has given Comanche Miss a good grounding before taking her to the races, as she’s been to the jump-outs six times this season!
The daughter of Castelvecchio went three times before Christmas, winning once, before being put away. She jumped out twice in February, before impressively taking out a Pakenham jump-out on March 5, where she settled third in behind the leaders before powering away from them when asked at the finish.
Arrowfield passed the filly in at $140,000 at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and she now races in the stud’s colours.
She faces a stiff test on debut here taking on the Lindsay Park-trained filly Bold Bastille (Brazen Beau), but she looks to have a fair share of ability herself.
Comanche Miss as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
She is from the first crop of Castelvecchio and is from Ocean Challenger, winner of the G3 Tesio S. (1600 metres) and seven other races.
Given her dad was placed in a Cox Plate on the same day as the Tesio is run, you would expect Comanche Miss to appreciate some ground in time.
Ocean Challenger has produced just sprinters to this point. The Listed-winning Super Maxi (Redoute’s Choice) won six races up to 1200 metres, while Ocean’s Fifteen (Redoute’s Choice) also only won up to 1200 metres.
Salty (Bel Esprit) won 10 races, but only up to 1400 metres.
The mating to Castelvecchio may well bring out some of the stamina Ocean Challenger showed on the track, but for now, this 2-year-old filly looks zippy enough to hold her own when she makes her debut at Caulfield on Saturday.
Looking Back
No luck for our Friday selections. Miss Marceau (Zoustar) ran seventh at Pakenham and we will have to wait another day to see Heart And Spirit (Spirit Of Boom) after she was scratched from the Sunshine Coast.
