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 Sunday, including an Almanzor (Fr) filly that makes her debut on the Awapuni Synthetic Track and two well-bred I Am Invincible colt’s hit the track at Seymour and Coffs Harbour that are very well related,with one of them being closely-related to the Champion Black Caviar.
Awapuni-Synthetic, Race 2, 10.37am, AEST (12.37pm local), Whisker Forestry Mdn., $18,500, 1200m
Emerald Fury (NZ), 3-year-old filly (Almanzor (Fr) x Sister Celeste {Galileo {Ire}})
The Awapuni-Synthetic’s Sunday meeting will serve as the venue for the debut in the career of Emerald Fury (NZ), a daughter of Almanzor (Fr) from the Peter Didham stable at Awapuni. She has failed to flatter in her trials so far, finishing unplaced in both of them, but they have been quiet trials and raceday may be different for this well-bred staying type of filly.
Emerald Fury is a daughter of the Galileo (Ire) mare Sister Celeste, who was placed on the track in New Zealand. She has had some solid success as a broodmare leaving four individual winners, the best of these have been the talented juvenile Kelly Renee (NZ) (Vespa {NZ}) who was a winner over 1400 metres and managed placings in the G2 Matamata Breeders’ S., and the G1 Diamond S., Her other winners include the 4-time winner Celestial Fury (NZ) (Savabeel), Jazan (NZ) (Savile Row {NZ}) and Celestial Nymph (NZ) (Makfi {GB}).
Emerald Fury (NZ) as a yearling | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
Overall Emerald Fury’s family is a bit quiet up front of black-type form but it does have some beautiful pedigree influences including Sadler’s Wells (USA), Flying Spur, Iffraaj (GB), Gone West (USA), Maria’s Mon (USA), Miswaki (USA), Buckpasser (USA) and Danehill (USA).
Sister Celeste since producing Emerald Fury has left a 2-year-old colt by Savile Row, a yearling colt by Time Test (USA) and is due to foal to Vanbrugh in November.
Bet 365-Seymour, Race 2, 2.15pm AEST, Choices Flooring Seymour & Euroa Mdn P., $37,500, 1000m
Pietro Road, 3-year-old colt (I Am Invincible x Oscietra {Exceed And Excel})
Pietro Road, a son of Australia’s Champion stallion I Am Invincible, will be making his second start at Seymour for Flemington trainer’s Michael, Wayne and John Hawkes. He showed plenty of promise on debut at Bendigo over 1100 metres where he was charging home strongly for sixth after getting well out of his ground early from an outside gate.
The well-bred colt is the second foal from the Exceed and Excel mare Oscietra, who was a 2-time winner at 1000 metres on the track.
I Am Invincible | Standing at Yarraman Park Stud
She is very well-related being out of the Champion Black Caviar (Bel Esprit) who was the unbeaten winner of twenty-five races including fifteen Group 1 races. Black Caviar is also a half-sister to All Too Hard who was the Champion 3YO Colt in Australia, he won seven times including the G1 All Aged S., G1 Caulfield Guineas, G1 CF Orr S., and the G1 Futurity S. Black Caviar is also a full-sister to the unraced Naturale (Bel Esprit) who has left the dual Group 1 winner and now stallion Ole Kirk and the Group 3 winning filly Gimmie Par (Not A Single Doubt).
Other successful stakes winners within this pedigree are Hanseatic, Semillion (Shalaa {Ire}), Arctic Flight (Flying Spur), Iconic (Bel Esprit), Wilander (Exceed and Excel), Magnus and Scandinavia (Snippets).
Oscietra since producing Pietro Road has left a 3-year-old colt named Kings Commission (Churchill {Ire}), a yearling filly by Street Boss (USA) and is due to foal to Anamoe late next month.
Coffs Harbour, Race 2, 2pm AEST, Curryfest Sept 28th Super Mdn P., $50,000, 1200m
Mougenot, 3-year-old colt (I Am Invincible x Petrelle {Fastnet Rock})
Coffs Harbour will serve as the venue for the debut of Mougenot, a well-bred son of I Am Invincible from the Ciaron Maher stable. Mougenot has warmed up for this assignment with a very good win at the Randwick trials on June 28 defeating the very well bred colt Kingdom Undersiege (I Am Invincible) by just over two lengths over 1050 metres.
Mougenot is out of the talented Fastnet Rock mare, Petrelle. She was a four-time winner over sprint distances and also managed a placing in the Listed Durbridge S., in Adelaide.
Mougenot as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Petrelle’s 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 has left three other winners apart from Petrelle including Mumbai Rock (Fastnet Rock), Yeoman (Fastnet Rock) and Zoughandi (Zoustar).
Other top class members of this family include Mumbai Rose (Zoustar), Jazz Etude (I Am Invincible), Mumbai Jewel (I Am Invincible) and Splendoronthegrass (So You Think {NZ}).
Petrelle since producing Mougenot has left a Capitalist filly foal that was born last month. Mougenot was a $500,000 purchase by PR Thoroughbreds from the draft of Three Bridges Thoroughbreds at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Looking Back
Age of Discovery (NZ) (Savabeel) won well at Riicarton, an impressive effort against older horses on debut, he looks up to stakes-level.
Idolised (Zoustar) was scratched from her race and ran a solid third in another race also at Kembla Grange, it was a solid effort.
The Ambassador (NZ) (Tarzino {NZ}) ran an okay sixth at Donald, she looks like she needs 2000 metres and further.
