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 Wednesday, including a well-bred Zoustar colt that is resuming after a break at Canterbury, a Tarzino (NZ) gelding that looks to have potential running at Ipswich and a very promising Ardrossan gelding that looks to keep his unbeaten record at Sandown.
Canterbury, Race 2, 1.25pm AEDT, Casino Prince @ Vinery Stud H., $100,000, 1200m
Bengal, 2-year-old colt (Zoustar x Mumbai Rock {Fastnet Rock})
Canterbury will serve as the venue for the third career start for Bengal, a well-bred son of Zoustar from the Chris Waller stable. Bengal ran a close-up fourth and fifth at his first two starts last preparation and has warmed up for this assignment with a very good win at the Warwick Farm trials on July 15 defeating the smart group placed filly Silmarillion (Too Darn Hot {GB}) by just under four lengths over 792 metres.
Bengal is out of the Fastnet Rock mare, Mumbai Rock. She was a winner at two and since then has made a great name for herself as a top-quality proven broodmare. She has had five foals to race and all have been winners, including Group winners Mumbai Rose (Zoustar) and Jazz Etude (I Am Invincible) and the stakes-placed fillies Mumbai Jewel (I Am Invincible) and Splendoronthegrass (So You Think {NZ}).
Zoustar | Standing at Widden
The Zoustar/Fastnet Rock cross has had excellent success with a 82% winners to runners ratio and 11% stakes winners to runners ratio. This cross has produced three individual Group 1 winners including the three-time G1 winner Zougotcha, Climbing Star (NZ) and Joliestar.
Bengal’s second dam is the Storm Boot (USA) mare Mani Bhavani (USA), she was a star on the track and won the G1 Saratoga Spinaway S., as a broodmare she ended up leaving four winners with the best of them being Petrelle, a stakes-placed daughter of Fastnet Rock.
Mumbai Rock since producing Bengal has an I Am Invincible yearling filly, a Home Affairs weanling colt and was again served by Australia's Champion Sire I Am Invincible last spring.
Bengal was a $250,000 purchase by China Horse Club/Newgate/Go Bloodstock/Trilogy from the draft of Morning Rise Stud at the 2023 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
Ipswich, Race 1, 12pm AEST, Precinct Urban Planning QTIS 2YO Mdn P., $40,000, 1350m
He’s A Saint (NZ), 2-year-old gelding (Tarzino {NZ} x Sainted {More Than Ready {USA}})
The Toowoomba based Tony and Maddysen Sears-trained He’s A Saint (NZ) will have his second start at Ipswich on Wednesday over 1350 metres. On debut he ran a great race for second at Toowoomba over 1300 metres behind the promising Shadow Power (Dundeel {NZ}).
This Tarzino (NZ) colt is out of the More Than Ready (USA) mare Sainted, who was placed on the track. She has left three winners including Lammer (NZ) - Fortune Warrior (HK) (Swiss Ace), Salonius (NZ) (Swiss Ace) and Keep Me Loyal (Exosphere).
He’s A Saint (NZ) as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Sainted is a half-sister to the talented Zeditave filly Kakakakatie (Zeditave), she was successful in the Listed Wenona Girl H., and the Listed PJ Bell H., and has since had good success at stud leaving nine individual winners including the stakes-placed Sebrakate (Sebring) and Quattro Katie (Zoustar).
Other stakes-performers in the pedigree are Believe In Magic (NZ) (Not A Single Doubt), Moeraki (NZ) (El Roca), Ace Of Diamonds (NZ) (Swiss Ace) and Stroll (Snitzel).
Sainted since producing He’s A Saint has left a weanling filly also by Tarzino before passing away shortly after.
Sportsbet Sandown Hillside, Race 1, 12.25pm, AEST, Sportsbet Fast Form H., $50,000, 1300m
Jazzclub (NZ), 2-year-old gelding (Ardrossan x Vanilla Essence (NZ) {Pins})
Jazzclub (NZ), a son of Waikato Stud’s in-form young stallion Ardrossan, will have his second start at Sandown on Wednesday for trainer Ciaron Maher after winning very impressively on debut at Seymour over 1300 metres defeating Almighty Jab (Jabali) by just over two lengths.
The well-bred gelding is the second foal from the Pins mare Vanilla Essence (NZ), who was unraced.
She is very well-related being a half-sister to Raid (Pins) who was a five-time winning sprinter and her major win was in the Listed Lion Red P., She also managed placings in the (RL) Karaka Millions, G1 Diamond S., G2 Matamata Breeders’ S.
Jazzclub (NZ) as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
She has then become a star broodmare leaving five winners including Night Raid (Vancouver) who was a dual Listed winning sprinter, the winners and also stakes-placed runners Mujallad (Redoute’s Choice) and Tarismo - Chromium Alloy (Mac) (Testa Rossa), and the winners Platinum Bullet (Shooting To Win) and Missandei (Helmet).
Vanilla Essence is a full-sister to Purely Spectacular (NZ) (Pins) who is the dam of Stratum Star and Prague who were Group 1 and Group 3 winners respectively and then become stallions and Serenade who was a smart stakes performed filly by Star Witness.
She is also is a three-quarter-sister to three stakes-placed runners who are Pinstripe Lane (NZ) (Pins), Does It (NZ) (Pins), Look Sharpish (NZ) (Pins) and a half-sister to the stakes-placed Cruising Speed (NZ) (Savabeel).
Vanilla Essence since producing Jazzclub has left a weanling colt by Savabeel and was served last spring by Waikato Stud’s Champion Sire in Savabeel again.
Jazzclub was a $260,000 purchase by Group 1 Bloodstock (FBAA) from the draft of Sledmere Stud at the 2023 Inglis Australian Classic Yearling Sale.
Looking Back
Mail Order (Zoustar) ran a great race charging home to run third and Montrock (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) was disappointing running eighth.
