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.
Take Achance On Me (Snitzel), a close relative to Russian Revolution and Home Affairs, debuts at Newcastle, while at Victoria’s Bendigo meeting, Team Hawkes will debut a grandson of Black Caviar named Kings Commission (Churchill {Ire}).
Newcastle, Race 6, 3:50pm, AEST, Allied The Careful Movers Super Maiden P., $60,000, 1200m
Take Achance On Me, 3-year-old filly (Snitzel x Tell Your Mama (USA), by Blame {USA})
On debut for Chris Waller, Take Achance On Me will be ridden by Kerrin McEvoy from barrier two over 1200 metres at Newcastle on Thursday. She was dual nominated for Canterbury on Wednesday and scratched from there for this option. A $650,000 purchase by Cambridge Stud from Lime Country Thoroughbreds’ Inglis Easter Yearling Sale draft, Take Achance On Me has had several trials to prepare for this debut outing.
Take Achance On Me as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Four-time Champion Sire Snitzel had another good season in 2023/24, with 12 individual stakes winners led by exciting juveniles Bittercreek and Switzerland, as well as Wee Nessy, Serasana and Doull. All up, he has 146 stakes winners and is making a name for himself as a sire of sires and as a damsire with the likes of Group 1 winners Mossfun (Mossman), Celestial Legend (Dundeel {NZ}) and Velocious (Written Tycoon) in that role.
Take Achance On Me is the second foal of imported American mare Tell Your Mama (USA) (Blame {USA}) who won three races and ran fourth in the G2 Gulfstream Park Oaks. She is a daughter of triple Listed winner Taletobetold (USA) (Tale Of The Cat {USA}) who in turn is a half-sister to Ballet d’Amour, the dam of Group 1 winner and sire Russian Revolution and granddam of Group 1 winner and sire Home Affairs.
Bendigo, Race 1, 1:30pm, AEST, Apiam Animal Health 3YO Mdn P., $37,500, 1100m
Kings Commission, 3-year-old colt (Churchill {Ire} x Oscietra, by Exceed And Excel)
Black Caviar (Bel Esprit)’s owners continue to invest in her progeny, as they now breed from her daughters, and on Thursday at Bendigo, the latest from the line will be unveiled by trainers Team Hawkes. Kings Commission (Churchill {Ire}) is the third foal of Black Caviar’s first foal Oscietra (Exceed And Excel) and he will line up over 1100 metres with Jordan Childs in the saddle from barrier four.
Churchill’s oldest crop have just turned five and he has 26 stakes winners globally, with his Australian crops led by G1 Toorak Handicap winner Attrition as well as two Group 1 winners in the Northern Hemisphere.
Churchill (Ire) | Standing at Coolmore
Oscietra, Black Caviar’s first foal, debuted with enormous expectations and ran second, breaking her maiden at her second start. She retired with two wins from five starts and her first foal, Keysborough (I Am Invincible), is a winner.
Black Caviar, an unbeaten Group 1 winning sprinter, has garnered much attention lately for her stellar breeding record. She was a highly fertile mare who had eight live foals. Five of them have raced so far, with four winners, with ill-fated Invincible Caviar (I Am Invincible) the best to date with four wins from eight starts before she died in a stable accident.
This is a strong family with Black Caviar being a half-sister to Group 1 winner and successful sire All Too Hard, while her unraced full sister Naturale is the dam of Group 1 winner and first season sire Ole Kirk and Group 3 winner Gimme Par (Not A Single Doubt). This is also the family of Group 1 winner and sire Magnus.
Looking Back
Our selections for Wednesday: Hurricane Georgie (Toronado {Ire}) won at Sandown-Hillside and Ti Amo Tanto (Fastnet Rock) finished fifth at Canterbury.
