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.
Three exciting runners are set to hit the track across Australia on Saturday, including a Capitalist colt looking for a deserved win at his third start at Wyong, a promising Super Seth looking for his first stakes success and a Star Turn filly looking for her first win at Oakbank.
Wyong, Race 5, 3.45pm AEDT, Ash & Sons 2YO Mdn Plate, $42,000, 1200m
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 1100 metres , then he ran another close up second again at the same track and distance behind the promising Empress Of Japan (NZ) (Savabeel).
Marais is a full brother to the two-time winner Euros (Capitalist), 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. She is a half-sister of the smart Foxwedge mare Aristocratic Miss who has saluted the judge three-times and her consistency and class can be measured by also being placed in the top-four of eight different stakes races.
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, Race 3, 1.40pm AEDT, G3 Hyland Race Colours Baillieu H., $250,000, 1400m
Linebacker (NZ), 2-year-old colt (Super Seth x Garden Of Swans {GB} {Oasis Dream {GB}})
The well-related Linebacker (NZ) is set to make his second-start and his stakes debut in the G3 Baillieu H. over 1400 metres for Randwick trainer John O’Shea on the back of an impressive debut win at Hawkesbury on February 21 when leading all of the way over 1300 metres.
Linebacker is a son of Waikato Stud’s exciting sire Super Seth and is the third foal from the Oasis Dream (GB) mare Garden Of Swans (GB). She was unraced on the track but was purchased by Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock (BAFNZ) from the Tattersalls December Mare Sale for 160,000gns (AU$325,300) before making her way to New Zealand.
Super Seth | Standing at Waikato Stud
Linebacker’s second dam is the Timber Country (USA) mare Magic Tree (UAE), she was successful at stud leaving the high-class G1 Eclipse S. winner Mukhadram (GB). He now stands at stud in Italy.
Linebacker sold for NZ$160,000 at the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale to the bid of John O’Shea Racing and Suman Hedge Bloodstock (FBAA) from the draft of Haunui Farm.
Garden Of Swans since producing Linebacker has a Super Seth yearling full brother, a Dundeel (NZ) weanling half-sister and unfortunately missed to Dundeel in the spring.
Oakbank, Race 1, 12.57pm AEDT (12.27pm local), Duttons Mdn Plate, $50,000, 1100m
Pure Bliss, 3-year-old filly (Star Turn x Heigl {Bel Esprit})
This sprinting-bred filly made $200,000 at the 2022 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, when offered by Longwood Thoroughbred Farm. She was bought by Trilogy Racing.
Pure Bliss as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Pure Bliss (Star Turn) is from a two-time winner in Heigl (Bel Esprit) who won over 1200 and 1400-metres, she is a half-sister to the G1 NZ Thoroughbred Breeders’ winner in Rockabubble (Bubble Gum Fellow {Jpn}), Rockabubble herself has had some great success as a broodmare in particular leaving the prolific winning Redoutes’ Choice gelding Rock Magic, he was victorious sixteen-times including nine times in stakes races.
Pure Bliss has placed in both her two previous runs and looks perfectly placed to taste maiden success over 1000 metres on Saturday.
Looking Back
Unfortunately both The Doll (Starspangledbanner) and Inkaantoon (NZ) were both scratched from Cranbourne's Good Friday meeting. They will keep for another day.
