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.
Two million dollar colts go head to head at Warwick Farm in race one, while in Victoria, Freak of Nature, a half-brother to a current 2-year-old Group 1 winner, looks to put in two in a row.
Warwick Farm, Race 1, 12:50pm, AEST, Schweppes 2YO H., $60,000, 1200m
Trunk, 2-year-old colt (Snitzel x Acquired (NZ), by O’Reilly {NZ})
The Waterhouse/Bott trained Trunk made his debut in January, running second at Geelong to Stay Focused (Cosmic Force) who went on to run second at his next start in the G3 Blue Diamond Prelude (c&g) to Bodyguard (I Am Invincible). Trunk, meanwhile, was sent back to Sydney for the R-Listed Inglis Millennium S. where he ran tenth.
Since then, Trunk has had a freshen up, and a couple of trials in June to prepare him for this campaign. A $1.3million purchase by Yulong at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale from the Highgrove Stud draft, Trunk’s sire Snitzel needs no introduction as a four-time Champion Sire.
Trunk | Image courtesy of Inglis
Trunk is the nineth foal for Acquired (NZ) who has previously produced Group 2 winner Splintex (Snitzel) and Listed winner Invictus Salute (Exceed And Excel). An excellent racemare herself, Acquired won seven races in Australia, and ran second in the G2 Dane Ripper S.
Acquired is a half-sister to Group 2 winner Hips Don’t Lie (NZ) (Stravinsky {USA}), dam of Group 3 winner Ennis Hill (Fastnet Rock), dam of Champion 2YO Filly in 2022/23 Learning To Fly (Justify {USA}). Ennis Hill is also a full sister to Listed winner and G1 Golden Slipper-placed Lake Geneva (Fastnet Rock) and R-Listed Inglis Nursery S. winner Acrobat (Fastnet Rock).
Everybody Rise, 2-year-old colt (Snitzel x Ballet d’Amour (USA), by Stravinsky {USA})
Peter and Paul Snowden trained Everybody Rise has had two starts for two placings, and looks to go one better here at Warwick Farm. He ran third on debut in Sydney back in November, and then has spelled until recently when he ran second while first up in mid-June. Note, he is also nominated for Hawkesbury on Thursday.
Everybody Rise as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Sold at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale by Newgate Farm to James Harron Bloodstock for $1.4million, he is, like Trunk, by Snitzel who was responsible for seven million dollar plus yearlings at the 2023 sale that produced Trunk and Everybody Rise.
Everybody Rise has a stallion’s pedigree, thus justifying his yearling price, as he is a full brother to dual Group 1 winner and emerging top class stallion Russian Revolution. His dam, who won in America, has also produced Group 3 winner Turbo Miss (Sebring) and city winner Miss Interiors (Flying Spur) who is best known as the dam of dual Group 1 winner and young sire Home Affairs (I Am Invincible) and Listed winner and Group 1-placed Aysar (Deep Field).
Sandown, Race 3, 1:35pm, AEST, Senet Gambling Law Experts H., $50,000, 1400m
Freak Of Nature, 3-year-old gelding (Snitzel x No Evidence Needed, by Shamardal {USA})
Freak Of Nature won on debut as a 2-year-old, then ran eighth in the G2 VRC Sires’ Produce S. at his next start. One more start at two and three as a spring 3-year-old showed nothing much but fast forward to July, and he’s found his form again, winning at Pakenham ten days ago when first up.
Sold by New Zealand’s Westbury Stud at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for $250,000 to trainer Jason Warren, Freak Of Nature is by four-time Champion Sire Snitzel.
Snitzel | Standing at Arrowfield
Since that sale, his year younger half-brother Move To Strike (I Am Invincible) won this season’s G1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce S. taking their dam’s record for six winners from seven runners. An older sibling, Discharged (Snitzel) won five races and placed in the G2 Shannon S.
The dam of Move To Strike and Freak Of Nature is G2 Let’s Elope S. winner No Evidence Needed, who won six of her 23 starts and was from a boom era, running fourth in the G1 BTC Cup behind Black Caviar (Bel Esprit), Hay List (Statue Of Liberty {USA}), and Buffering (Mossman). She also finished second in the G1 Sir Rupert Clarke S to Response (Charge Forward), second in the G1 Schweppes Oaks to Small Minds (Canny Lad), third in the G2 Kewney S. to Faint Perfume (Shamardal {USA}) and third in the G2 Breeders Classic to More Joyous (NZ) (More Than Ready {USA}).
Looking Back
Our selections for Tuesday: Muswellbrook was postponed and Orion The Hunter won his third in succession.
