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 early in its career chasing maiden success, 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 runners are set to hit the track across Australia and New Zealand on Thursday. We have an Almanzor (Fr) 3-year-old gelding looking for success at Waverley. A 2-year-old by Exceed And Excel looking for success at Hawkesbury and an expensive I Am Invincible colt looking to break his maiden at Pakenham.
Sportsbet-Pakenham, Race 1, 5.15pm AEDT, Sportsbet Nobody Does It Easier 3YO Mdn Plate, $40,000, 1200m
Money Team , 3-year-old colt (I Am Invincible x The Pinnacle {So You Think} {NZ})
The Cranbourne-based trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr will prepare the well-bred colt Money Team (I Am Invincible) to make his third start at Pakenham on Thursday after running third at Gosford last start behind the very promising gelding Physical Graffiti (Russian Revolution).
A beautifully bred colt, Money Team is by the Champion sire I Am Invincible out of the So You Think (NZ) mare The Pinnacle. She was talented on the track, managing to win three races including the G3 Epona S.
The Pinnacle is a half-sister to seven other individual winners, with the best of these being Under The Eiffel (Mossman) who was successful nine times including the G3 Sandown S., and the Listed George Adams Plate. Tower of Lonhro (Lonhro) was also an outstanding performer winning 13 times and winning over $500,000 including the Listed Grandstand Cup.
Money Team as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Since producing Money Team, The Pinnacle has left a 2-year-old filly named The Cristal (Pierro), a yearling filly by I Am Invincible, a weanling colt by Home Affairs and was most recently served by Coolmore Stud’s Wootton Bassett (GB) last spring.
Money Team was an expensive purchase at the sales costing TFI/Kia Ora Stud Pty Limited $1,000,000 at the 2022 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale from the draft of Torryburn Stud.
Hawkesbury, Race 7, 4.20pm AEDT, Lander Toyota Mdn H., $42,000, 1100m
Enhance, 2-year-old colt (Exceed And Excel x Urban Rocket {GB} {Siyouni} {Fr})
The Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou-trained Enhance (Exceed And Excel) will have his third start over 1100 metres at Hawkesbury on Thursday on the back of two good runs in his career so far.
The well-related colt is the second foal from the Siyouni (Fr) mare Urban Rocket (GB), who was unraced on the track but holds a very interesting pedigree profile, blending the blood of influential stallions such as Danehill (USA), Pivotal (GB), Fairy King (USA) and Indian Rocket (GB).
Enhance’s second dam is the Indian Rocket mare Ruby Rocket (Ire), she was very handy on the track winning five times, including the Listed Boadicea S., and the Listed Firth Of Clyde S.
Enhance as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Her biggest claim to fame is leaving the super talented Pivotal gelding Maarek (GB) who won 14 races including the G1 Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp as well as seven other stakes races.
Urban Rocket, since producing Enhance, has left a yearling filly by So You Think (NZ), a weanling colt by Bivouac and was most recently served by Stay Inside in the spring.
Enhance was a $300,000 purchase by TFI from the draft of Ridgmont Farm at the 2023 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Waverley, Race 6, 1.32pm AEDT (3.32pm local) Treadwell Gordon Mdn., $17,000, 1200m
Manzappeal (NZ), 3-year-old gelding (Almanzor {Fr} x Hi Appiel {NZ} {High Chaparral} {Ire}})
The consistent Manzappeal (NZ) (Almanzor {Fr}) is set to have his third start over 1200 metres for New Plymouth-based trainer Robbie Patterson at Waverley on the back of three runs leading up to this race. At his last run Manzappeal ran on strongly over the mile distance, placing third at Te Rapa on January 17.
Manzappeal is a son of Cambridge Stud’s shuttling stallion in Almanzor (Fr) and is out of High Chaparral (Ire) unraced mare Hi Appiel (NZ).
Hi Appiel is out of the three-time winner Appiel (Singspiel {Ire}), she was also placed in the G2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ and the Listed Waikato Sprint H.
Almanzor (Fr) | Standing at Cambridge Stud
Overall Manzappeal’s family is a bit quiet up front but further back the third dam is New York (Ire) (Daanzero) who was placed on the track in Great Britain and was a good producer in the barn leaving December Draw (Ire), he was successful eight times including the G1 Turnbull S., and the G3 Naturalism S.
Hi Appiel since producing Manzappeal has left a 2-year-old filly named La Gracia (NZ) (Almanzor {Fr}), a yearling filly by Ribchester (Ire) and was most recently served in the spring by Windsor Park Stud’s exciting young stallion in Profondo.
Looking Back
Well-bred colt Imperial Force (Snitzel) was the star of our selections for Wednesday with the $1.6 million yearling purchase showing an impressive turn of foot, kicking clear to win by 3.75l at Canterbury. Both of the other selections, Glebe (NZ) (Savabeel) and Canara (I Am Invincible), performed fairly each finishing fifth in their respective races.
