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.
Two exciting runners are set to hit the track at Warwick Farm on Monday. A well-bred I Am Invincible mare takes on an expensive Zoustar colt as they both chase maiden success over the mile distance.
Warwick Farm, Race 1, 1pm AEDT, Racing and Sports H., $100,000, 1600m
Peschiera, 4-year-old mare (I Am Invincible x Talaria {NZ} {O’Reilly {NZ}})
The Michael, Wayne and John Hawkes-trained Peschiera will travel to Warwick Farm on Monday chasing maiden success over a mile. She is reasonably exposed on form and the amount of starts she has had but her three runs this campaign as a 4-year-old have been very good. So, it looks like she is improving with age and experience and a win looks within her reach shortly.
Peschiera as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
The well-bred mare is by I Am Invincible and is the third foal from the O’Reilly (NZ) mare Talaria (NZ), who was a Listed winner in New Zealand as a juvenile on debut. Talaria is a full sister to the Group 1-winning and promising young stallion Brutal (NZ). This family has plenty of depth and other stakes performers within this family include Cavalry Rose (Charge Forward), Straussbridge (NZ) (Straussbrook), Te Akau Rose (NZ) (Thorn Park) and Testarhythm (Testa Rossa).
Since producing Peschiera, Talaria has produced an I Am Invincible yearling filly and unfortunately missed to Wootton Bassett (GB) last spring.
Peschiera was a $700,000 purchase by Hawkes Racing, from the draft of Sledmere Stud at the 2022 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Warwick Farm, Race 1, 1pm AEDT, Racing and Sports H., $100,000, 1600m
Indigo Star, 3-year-old colt (Zoustar x Lady Jivago {Beneteau})
The Chris Waller-trained Zoustar colt Indigo Star will be making his fourth start at Warwick Farm on Monday over 1600 metres. He ran a close-up fifth at Canterbury behind the Listed winner Depth Of Character (Deep Field) on debut before having a break. Resuming it looked like he needed the run badly when running last at Canterbury, but he looked much better last time when running a good second at Kembla Grange on September 28 behind Llewellyn (Mendelssohn {USA}).
This well-bred colt is the second foal out of the Beneteau mare Lady Jivago, who was a four-time winner up to 1200 metres including the R. Listed Inglis Classic (for 2-year-olds). Lady Jivago has made a great start to her broodmare career with her first foal Zamborghini (Zoustar) selling for $1,250,000 to Matt Laurie Racing from the draft of Widden Stud. He has gone on to win five races so far in his racing career.
Indigo Star as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
He holds a very interesting pedigree-pattern having a 3 x 3 cross of the great Redoute’s Choice and a 3 x 4 cross of Encosta De Lago. His sire Zoustar and his damsire Beneteau are bred on a reverse cross of these great stallions.
While the page is a little bit quiet of black type up close in the pedigree, there is plenty under the fourth dam. Some of these top-level stakes performers in the family include the super stallion Not A Single Doubt, the young sire King’s Legacy and the Group 1-winning filly Oohood (I Am Invincible).
Indigo Star was an expensive $1,300,000 purchase by Hermitage Thoroughbreds Pty Ltd from the draft of Widden Stud at the 2023 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Looking Back
Detrimental (I Am Invincible) won well on the Awapuni Synthetic; despite racing greenly he attacked the line well late to win impressively, he looks like he will measure up to better 3-year-old races.
Shockletz (NZ) (Shocking) won nicely as the hot favourite, although the winning margin was not big, she won with ease and should only get better with more distance.
Swifties (Capitalist) could not have been more impressive winning very well. She sat on pace and powered away from her opposition winning untested by 5.5l. She looks a very promising sprinting filly
