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 exciting runners are set to hit the track across Australia on Saturday, including a well bred expensive Zoustar two-year-old at Rosehill, a two-year-old filly by Exceed And Excel that is bred to be quick at Sandown, and an I Am Invincible colt that deserves stakes success at Eagle Farm.
Rosehill Gardens, Race 1, 11am, AEST, Chandon H., $160,000, 1400m
Indigo Star, 2-year-old colt (Zoustar x Lady Jivago {Beneteau})
The Chris Waller-trained Zoustar colt Indigo Star will be having his second start at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday over 1400 metres. He ran a close-up fifth at Canterbury behind the very promising Depth Of Character (Deep Field) who is running in Listed grade at Eagle Farm on Saturday on debut.
This well-bred colt is the second-foal out of the Beneteau mare Lady Jivago, who was a four-time winner up to 1200 including the (RL) Inglis 2Y0 C. Lady Jivago has made a great start to her broodmare career with her first foal Zamborghini (Zoustar) selling for $1,250,000 to Matt Laurie Racing from the draft of Widden Stud. He has gone on to win four races so far in his racing career.
Indigo Star as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
He holds a very interesting pedigree-pattern having a 3 x 3 cross of the great Redoute’s Choice and a 3 x 4 cross of Encosta De Lago. His sire Zoustar and his dam-sire Beneteau are bred on a reverse cross of these great stallions.
While the page is a little bit quiet of black-type up close in the pedigree, there is plenty under the fourth-dam. Some of these top-level stakes performers in the family include the super stallion Not A Single Doubt, the young sire King’s Legacy and the Group 1 winning filly Oohood (I Am Invincible).
Since Producing Indigo Star, Lady Jivago has failed to produce a live foal but was most recently by Widden Stud’s young sire Jacquinot in the spring.
Indigo Star was an expensive $1,300,000 purchase by Hermitage Thoroughbreds Pty Ltd from the draft of Widden Stud at the 2023 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Sportsbet Sandown-Hillside, Race 1, 11.50am, AEST, Sportsbet Set A Deposit Limit H., $150,000, 1000m
Cora Lynn, 2-year-old filly (Exceed And Excel x Kooweerup {More Than Ready {USA})
Cora Lynn (Exceed And Excel) is bred to be quick being by the noted two-year-old sire in Exceed And Excel and out of a two-year-old winner.
She is set to have her second start over 1000 metres for Ciaron Maher at Sandown on Saturday. At her first start on the same track she ran a gallant second when she was a bit luckless behind the very promising Husk (Calyx {GB}) on May 15.
Cora Lynn is the first foal from Kooweerup (More Than Ready {USA}). She was a two-time winner as a two-year-old on the track including the G3 Breeder’s S
Exceed And Excel | Image courtesy of Darley
Her grandam is the quality Group 1 winning Redoute’s Choice mare in Allez Wonder, she was successful in the G1 Toorak H., and the Listed Keith F Nolan C. Her versatility has also been shown when placing in the G1 Victoria Oaks over 2500 metres.
This filly’s pedigree is littered with classy performers and her great grandam Luna Tudor was also a ten-time winner including the G2 Perth Cup. This means that Cora Lynn’s first three-dams are all Group winners.
Further Group winners back in the family are the NZ Group 1 winning stallion Tivaci and the quality stayer Pretty Pins (NZ) (Pins),
Kooweerup since producing Cora Lynn has left yearling and weanling fillies by Written Tycoon and was most recently served by Yulong Stud’s promising young stallion in Pierata.
Eagle Farm, Race 3, 12.53pm, AEST, Listed Sen Oxlade S., $160,000, 1300m
Embassy, 2-year-old colt (I Am Invincible x Dendee {Denman})
The Randwick-based trainers Peter and Paul Snowden will prepare the well-bred colt Embassy to make his fifth start at Eagle Farm on Saturday, He brings rock solid form to this race and deserves a maiden win at stakes-level.
In his first preparation he ran a tidy second on debut in the Listed Darley Lonhro P., and then a good fourth in the G2 TAB Silver Slipper S. After a freshen up he ran a very gallant second at Doomben over 1000 metres on May 4 in Listed company behind the very talented filly Mishani Lily (Kobayashi). At his last start he ran a gallant third in the $1,000,000 Magic Millions National 2YO C., behind the classy filly Arabian Summer (Too Darn Hot {GB}).
Embassy as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Embassy has a lovely pedigree, with future success he looks to be a potential stallion prospect, he is by Australian’s Champion sire I Am Invincible out of the Denman mare Dendee. She was a handy filly on the track winning nine-times from 1100 metres up to the mile distance. Her wins included the Listed Sheila Gwynne Classic., and her first foal Red Cobra (Sebring) has been a winner on the track.
Some stakes-performers further back in Embassy’s pedigree include Delago’s Secret (Encosta De Lago), Montoya’s Secret (High Chaparral {Ire}), Prayerful (Don’t Say Halo {USA}), Excited Angel (Don’t Say Halo) and Typhoon (Last Tycoon {Ire}).
Dendee since producing Embassy has delivered a yearling filly by I Am Invincible, a weanling filly by the son of 'Vinny' in Hellbent and was most recently served in the spring by the Australian Champion sire I Am Invincible again.
Embassy was a $625,000 purchase by China Horse Club/Newgate/Go/Trilogy from the draft of Yarraman Park Stud at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Looking Back
Our selections for Friday: Graceful (Dundeel) ran third in Race 1 at Ballarat whilst Southern Deel (Dundeel {NZ}) ran 6th at Canberra.
