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 New Zealand and Australia on Saturday, including an expensive Savabeel colt that is looking to win his maiden on debut at Riccarton after looking good at the trials, a very well-bred Zoustar filly debuts at Kembla Grange and a Tarzino (NZ) mare that is bred to stay has her second start at Donald.
Riccarton, Race 1, 10.20am, AEST (12.20pm local), Watch TRACKSIDE.CO.NZ Mdn., $25,000, 1200m
Age Of Discovery (NZ), 3-year-old colt (Savabeel x Bayrock {Fastnet Rock})
The Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson-trained Age Of Discovery (NZ) will make his debut over 1200 metres at Riccarton on Saturday on the back of showing very good form at the trials. He has had four trials in total and he has won impressively the two he has had this preparation at Avondale and Te Rapa. He has ventured down to the South Island early as he makes a path towards the Group 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas.
Age Of Discovery is a son of Savabeel and the fifth foal from the Fastnet Rock mare Bayrock, who was placed on the track at city level in Sydney. She has been an incredible broodmare for Windsor Park Stud since purchasing her after her racing career for $140,000 at the 2015 Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale Select Session. The best of these on the track has been Hindaam (NZ) who was successful at Listed level in Melbourne and a subsequent $1,000,000 purchase as a broodmare by Suman Hedge Bloodstock (FBAA) from the 2021 Magic Million Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale.
Age Of Discovery (NZ) as a yearling | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
She has produced six foals with five of them being by Savabeel, all have been sold at sales for an aggregate of $3,725,000 and she was once again served by Savabeel last spring.
This family has so much depth to it and it includes the dual hemisphere Group 1 winner and stallion Merchant Navy, the G1 Thousand Guineas winner in Joliestar (Zoustar), G1 winners Paulele and Bonaria (Redoute’s Choice) and the other stakes winners Legally Bay (Snippets), Jolie Bay (Fastnet Rock), Tessera (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}), Setanta (Fastnet Rock), and Time Out (Snippetson).
The Savabeel/Fastnet Rock cross has not had a lot of exposure, but so far has had great success with a 69% winners to runners ratio and an impressive 15% stakes winners to runners ratio. It is an extension of the very successful Zabeel (NZ)/Danehill (USA) cross , this cross has produced a 78% winners to runners ratio, an impressive 11% stakes winners to winners ratio that includes 14 individual stakes winners and 3 individual Group 1 winners with the headline act being the Hong Kong Champion Vengeance Of Rain (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}).
Age Of Discovery was a $625,000 purchase by Mr DC Ellis CNZM (BAFNZ) from the draft of Windsor Park Stud at the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale.
Kembla Grange, Race 2, 1.20pm AEST, Women Illawarra Mdn P., $42,000, 1000m
Idolised, 3-year-old filly (Zoustar x Personalised {Snitzel})
The Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald-trained Zoustar filly Idolised will be making her debut at Kembla Grange on Saturday over 1000 metres. She has had four educational trials and looked handy at her last one twinning nicely at Warwick Farm on August 27 when defeating Haberfield (Deep Field) over 812 metres.
This well-bred filly is the third-foal out of the Snitzel mare Personalised, who was a four-time winner from 1100 metres to 1600 metres in Queensland. She is very well-related being a half-sister to Personify (Galileo {Ire}) who was successful at Listed level and has kept up the strong female family tradition leaving the G1 VRC Oaks winner Personal (Fastnet Rock).
Idolised as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
The third dam of Idolised is the Jade Hunter (USA) blue-hen mare Procrastinate, she was talented on the track being a Group 3 winner but excelled as a broodmare leaving twelve-winners including five individual stakes winners. These stakes-winners were the Champion South African Sprinter Laisserfaire (Danehill {USA}), Foreplay, A Time For Julia (Redoute’s Choice), Time Thief, As Time Goes By (Deep Impact {Jpn}), Ballack (NZ) (Montjeu {Ire}) and Almighty Girl (Beneteau).
Personalised has since left a yearling colt by I Am Invincible and is due to foal to Toronado (Ire) late next month.
Idolised was a $800,000 purchase by Boomer Bloodstock (FBAA) from the draft of Musk Creek Farm at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Donald, Race 3, 1.31pm AEST, Donald Steel Metaland Mdn P., $27,000, 1628m
The Ambassador (NZ), 4-year-old mare (Tarzino {NZ} x Kaia {Starcraft {NZ}})
The Mornington based and Matt Laurie-trained The Ambassador (NZ) will make her second start at Donald on Saturday over 1628 metres. On debut she battled away soundly for sixth over the 1400 metre distance which looked too short for her. She has drawn gate 5 and will be ridden by the former Irish jockey Tom Madden.
This Tarzino (NZ) mare is out of the Starcraft (NZ) mare Kaia, who was unraced on the track but is well-related and has an interesting international page. The family is bred to stay and with the combination of Tarzino being the sire, you would expect this mare will be at her best at 2000 metres and further.
Tarzino (NZ) | Standing at Westbury Stud
Kaia is a half-sister to Ambria (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}) who was a Listed winner in Germany as a juvenile and the group-placed Anjella (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}).
Some other stakes-performers in the pedigree are the G1 Melbourne Cup winner Almandin (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}), Attila (Ger) (Tiger Hill {Ire}), Ancient Spirit (Ger) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), River Of Stars (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and Arnis Master (Ger) (Tai Chi {Ger}).
Kaia since producing The Ambassador has left an unraced three-year-old named Bossea (NZ) (Tarzino), a two-year-old colt by Tarzino and was served by Windsor Park Stud’s exciting sire Profondo last spring.
Looking Back
Baby Hazel (Extreme Choice) was disappointing running seventh at Geelong and Davikar (Deep Field) was scratched from her race at Goulburn, we will wait for another day.
