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 three-year-olds are set to hit the track across Australia on Wednesday, including a Super Seth filly that has trialled up very well on debut at the Sunshine Coast, and colts by The Autumn Sun and Trapeze Artist go head-to-head at Warwick Farm.
Sunshine Coast, Race 5, 2.53pm AEST, Access Insulation Sunshine Coast Mdn P., $40,000, 1400m
Rapid Cheval (NZ), 3-year-old filly (Super Seth x Vitesse (NZ) {Makfi {GB}})
Wednesday’s Sunshine Coast meeting will serve as the venue for the debut of the Nearco Stud Ltd bred filly Rapid Cheval (NZ). She has been unbeaten at the trials and has looked smart doing it with success at Beaudesert and Deagon.
Rapid Cheval is a daughter of Waikato Stud’s exciting young sire Super Seth, he has made a very promising start to his stud career so far leaving eight juvenile winners in his first crop including the stakes-winners Linebacker (NZ) and Super Photon (NZ) and the multiple group-placed runner in Poetic Champion (NZ). She is the fourth live-foal from the Makfi (GB) mare Vitesse (NZ). She was a winner at the mile distance at Te Rapa on the track and has already had outstanding success at stud with her second foal Kovalica (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) so far having picked up six wins from the Chris Waller stable including the G1 Queensland Derby, G2 Queensland Guineas and the G3 Grand Prix S.
Rapid Cheval (NZ) as a yearling | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
Vitesse is very well-related being a half-sister to The Bostonian (NZ) (Jimmy Choux {NZ}) who was a ten-time winner including in the G1 Canterbury S., G1 Doomben Ten Thousand S., and the G1 Kingsford-Smith Cup. Another talented half-sibling is the classy staying filly Cheval D’Or (NZ) (Almanzor {Fr}) who was successful in the G3 Championship S.
Another star of the track that is a close sibling is (King) Mufhasa (NZ) (Pentire {GB}), he was a champion winning 20 races including at Group 1 level ten-times in both New Zealand and Australia.
Vitesse since producing Rapid Cheval, has a yearling filly by Ocean Park (NZ) and is due to foal again to the Cox Plate victor this month.
Rapid Cheval was an expensive $700,000 purchase by Laming Racing/John White Bloodstock from the Kilgravin Lodge draft at the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale.
Warwick Farm, Race 2, 2pm, AEST, TAB 3YO H., $100,000, 1400m
Mr Artemisia, 2-year-old colt (The Autumn Sun x Sultry Dreamer {Dream Ahead {USA})
The Chris Waller-trained Mr Artemisia (The Autumn Sun) brings very strong form and will have his fifth start and his first run as a three-year-old at Warwick Farm on Wednesday. In his first preparation he ran a very good placing at Canterbury on May 1 over 1100 metres behind the stakes-performed filly Toque (Street Boss {USA}), then another good second when chasing the very exciting stakes winning colt in Megastar Heart (Star Turn). His last run as a two-year-old was in Group 1 company in Queensland when failing to feature behind the superstar colt Broadsiding (Too Darn Hot {GB}).
Mr Artemisia as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
This well-related colt is the third foal from the Dream Ahead (USA) mare Sultry Dreamer, who was unraced on the track.
Mr Artemisia’s second dam is the Zeditave mare Hell It’s Hot, she was handy on the track winning twice and placing at metropolitan level in Sydney and has left seven-winners but her biggest claim to fame is leaving the super talented Time Thief filly In Her Time who won $3,772,725 on the track including the G1 Lightning S., G2 Breeders C., G2 Millie Fox S, Listed Sydney S., and was placed in the G1 Sprint C., G1 Stradbroke H., G1 Manikato S., G1 Tattersall’s C., G1 TJ Smith S., G3 Hawkesbury Crown and the G2 Premiere S.
In more recent times In Her Time sold at the 2021 Inglis Chairman’s Sale fetching $2.2 million to the bid of Yulong Investments Australia. In Her Time over the last four seasons has produced a three-year-old gelding by I Am Invincible named Time Lapse, 2-year-old and yearling colts by Written Tycoon and most recently foaled a filly by Yulong Stud’s young-sire Diatonic (Jpn) last month.
Further back in the family features the Coolmore young stallion and The Everest victor in Yes Yes Yes and the stakes-winners Hot As Hell (County), Harlem River (Fastnet Rock), Flaming Hot (County), Craig’s Dragon (Catbird) and Lempicka (Rich Enuff).
Mr Artemisia was a $150,000 purchase by Hermitage Thoroughbreds from the draft of Arrowfield Stud at the 2023 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Warwick Farm, Race 2, 2pm, AEST, TAB 3YO H., $100,000, 1400m
Johnny The Kid, 3-year-old colt (Trapeze Artist x I Got Chills {General Nediym})
The Randwick-based trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott will prepare the well-bred colt Johnny The Kid to take his place at Warwick Farm on Wednesday after showing some solid form leading up to this. He has placed in three of his four starts so far with his only failure being in Group 2 company behind Dublin Down (Exceedance).
Johnny The Kid is by Trapeze Artist out of the talented General Nediym mare I Got Chills, she was very quick on the track and managed to win two Listed races as a juvenile including the VRC Maribyrnong P., and the MVRC St Albans S.
Johnny The Kid as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
I Got Chills has had good success as a broodmare and has left seven winners from seven to race including the eight-time winner The Yowie (Redoute’s Choice), I Got Chills is also a half sister to stakes placed Natch (Naturalism {NZ})
Since producing Johnny The Kid, I Got Chills has two-year-old and yearling fillies also by Widden Stud’s Trapeze Artist and she has now been officially retired from stud.
Johnny The Kid was a $120,000 purchase by Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Racing/Kestrel Thoroughbreds from the draft of Widden Stud at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Looking Back
Saint Emilion (Snitzel) made a lovely debut, he ran on strongly late and only narrowly missed out on success and ended up running third. On the back of this solid debut he looks like he could be one to watch once he gets up to 2000 metres which by going by pedigree should suit.
Marais (Capitalist) ran his usual honest race at Newcastle, he had every chance but ran another good second.
