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 Australia on Saturday. A Too Darn Hot (GB) half-sister to In Her Time (Time Thief) debuts at Newcastle, a well-bred Masar (Ire) filly is chasing maiden success at Kembla Grange and a promising Cosmic Force filly has her second start at the Sunshine Coast.
Newcastle, Race 1, 12.35pm AEDT, NZB Airfreight Max Lees Classic, $160,000, 900m
Gobi Desert, 2-year-old filly (Too Darn Hot {GB} x Hell It’s Hot {Zeditave})
The Kris Lees-trained Gobi Desert will make her debut on her hometrack at Newcastle on Saturday over 900 metres. She looks a good chance on the back of a promising second at the Scone trials on October 30 over 800 metres behind Regal Problem (Endless Drama {Ire}).
This well-related filly is the 15th live foal from the Zeditave mare Hell It’s Hot, she was handy on the track winning twice and placing at metropolitan level in Sydney and has been a very successful broodmare leaving eight winners.
Her biggest claim to fame is leaving the super talented Time Thief filly In Her Time who won just over $3.7 million on the track including the G1 Lightning S., G2 Breeders Classic, G2 Millie Fox S., Listed Sydney S., and was placed in the G1 Sprint Classic, G1 Stradbroke H., G1 Manikato S., G1 Tattersall’s Classic, G1 TJ Smith S., G3 Hawkesbury Crown and the G2 Premiere S.
Gobi Desert as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
After her outstanding racing career, 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 3-year-old gelding by I Am Invincible named Time Lapse who has trialled quite nicely, 2-year-old and yearling colts by Written Tycoon and most recently foaled a filly by Yulong Stud’s young sire Diatonic (Jpn) in August.
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).
Hell It’s Hot since producing Gobi Desert has left a yearling filly by Astern and was due to foal to All Too Hard last month.
Gobi Desert was a $600,000 purchase by YLP racing from the draft of North at the 2024 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
Kembla Grange, Race 8, 5.45pm AEDT, Hydro Steam Jet Carpet Cleaning F&M Mdn H., $42,000, 1300m
Amusing, 3-year-old filly (Masar {Ire} x Entertains {Street Cry {Ire}})
Kembla Grange’s Saturday meeting will serve as the venue for the second start for the Godolphin-bred and owned filly Amusing. She ran very well on debut when placing second at Newcastle on November 2 behind Lady Savannah (Snitzel) over 1300 metres.
Amusing is by the G1 The Derby-winning sire in Masar (Ire) and she has a very strong pedigree with her page full of influential international stallions such as Galileo (Ire), Cape Cross (Ire), Selkirk (USA), Stravinsky (USA), Miswaki (USA), Street Cry (Ire) and Riverman (USA).
Masar (Ire) | Standing at Sunnyhill Stud
Her dam Entertains (Street Cry {Ire}) was a three-time winner on the track and managed a placing in the G3 Aspiration H. She has produced two winners with the best of these being Egot (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) who has been a seven-time winner in France from 1100 metres to 1700 metres including in the G3 Pri de Seine-et-Oise, G3 Prix du Palais-Royal, Listed Prix de Tourgeville, Listed Prix Matchem, Listed Prix Servanne and the Listed Prix Cor der Chasse.
She is also very well-related. She is a three-quarter sister to the classy sprinter Trekking (Street Cry) who was a 10-time winner with the best of these being in the G1 Stradbroke H., and the G1 Goodwood H., as well as managing a placing in The Everest. Amusing’s grandam is the Champion 3-Year-Old Serenade Rose (Stravinsky {USA}) who enjoyed success in the G1 Australian Oaks, G1 VRC Oaks, G1 Arrowfield S., G2 Edward Manifold S., G2 Wakeful S., and the G2 Angus Armanasco S.
Since producing Amusing, Entertains has produced a 2-year-old filly by Ghaiyyath (Ire) named Contemplates, a yearling filly by Palace Pier (GB) and unfortunately slipped to Dundeel (NZ) last spring.
Sunshine Coast, Race 1, 1.18pm AEDT (12.18pm local), Martin Collins Australia QTIS 2YO H., $85,000, 1000m
Maddie’s Comet, 2-year-old filly (Cosmic Force x Killcareless {More Than Ready {USA}})
The Eagle Farm based-trainer’s Chris and Corey Munce saddle up the sharply bred filly Maddie’s Comet to make her second start over 1000 metres at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday. On debut she ran a brave race for third at Doomben over the same distance on November 2 behind Strawberry Smash (Brave Smash {Jpn}).
This promising filly is sixth live foal from the More Than Ready (USA) mare Kilcareless, who was a winner at 1300 metres at metropolitan level in Sydney on the track. She has become a handy producer with all four of her foals to race being winners with the best of these being Remorseless (Written Tycoon) who was a four-time winner and placed in the R. Listed Wyong Magic Millions Classic. Her other winners include the very promising Extremely Hardys (Extreme Choice), Never Careless (Capitalist) and Wahine (Fastnet Rock).
Further back in the family there are plenty of stallions and top-class horses that feature within the page. Some of the stallions include Rubick, Manhattan Rain, Echoes Of Heaven, Niagara, Hurricane Sky, Umatilla (NZ), Hilal, Platinum Scissors and the legendary Redoute’s Choice.
Maddie's Comet as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Other Group winners that feature within the family are Monsoon Wedding (Danehill {USA}), Salameh (Secret Savings {USA}), Shoals (Fastnet Rock), Schwarz (Zoustar), Desert Lightning (NZ) (Pride Of Dubai), Meuse (Snitzel), Gathering (Tale Of The Cat {USA}) and Rustic Steel (Deep Field).
Killcareless since producing Maddie’s Comet has left a Cosmic Force filly that was born in September this spring.
Maddie’s Comet was purchased for $100,000 by BK Racing and Breeding and Vassallo Racing Management from the draft of Kingstar Farm at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Looking Back
Regimental Colours (All Too Hard) ran an honest race for third on debut, she was on speed throughout and battled on well.
Fauci (Super Seth) disappointed running eighth at Moonee Valley on debut
Morthan Efficient (NZ) (Savabeel) was very unlucky at Seymour running fifth, a real forgive run. Interestingly the race was won by his full sister Sun Gift (NZ) (Savabeel) so she gets family bragging rights.
