Looking Ahead - September 8

3 min read

Looking Ahead – Saturday Septmeber 8

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 having their first or second start, a promising galloper returning to the track or a horse which has trialled particularly well, we’ll aim to give you something to follow.

On Saturday, we stop in for a couple of interesting runners at Moonee Valley and also head to Rosehill where a former high-priced yearling by Frankel is looking for his second win.

Moonee Valley Race 3 - 1Print Handicap - $120,000 3YO - 1500m - 13:40 AEST

Savvy Oak (NZ) (Savabeel) faces a rise in class, but was so impressive first time out that he looks up to the challenge. He showed an electric turn of foot to win at Echuca and should be a 3-year-old well worth following through the spring.

He is trained by Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young and was a NZ$95,000 purchase out of Windsor Park Stud’s draft at Karaka last year.

Savvy Oak’s dam Fairy Oak (NZ) (High Chaparral {IRE}) won the G3 Auraria S., and she is out of a half- sister to the dual Group 1 winning brothers Field Nymph (NZ) (Star Way {GB}) and Just A Dancer (NZ). It is also the family of the multiple top-flight placegetter Nahayan (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}).

Savvy Oak was a $95,000 Karaka purchase

Moonee Valley Race 6 - Ladbrokes Atlantic Jewel S. - $120,000 - 3YO Fillies - 1200m - 17:30 AEST

The well-related Spanish Whisper (Lope De Vega {IRE}) doesn’t face an easy assignment in her Australian debut, but her New Zealand form strongly suggests she’s going to acquit herself well.

She won last season’s G2 Matamata Breeders’ S. and finished third in the G1 Diamond S. before relocating to David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig.

Spanish Whisper is out of Cutting Remark (Encosta de Lago), whose three foals to race are all winners and she is a daughter of Push A Venture (GB) (Shirley Heights {GB). Her G3 Hobart Cup-winning son Offenbach (NZ) (Danehill {USA}) was a $1 million Karaka yearling. Push A Venture also left the Group One performer Glowlamp (Encosta de Lago).

Rosehill Race 3 - Schweppes Hcp - $125,000 - BM78 Hcp - 1400m - 13.25 AEST

The blueblood Merovee (Frankel {GB}) resumes over 1400m looking to realise the potential he showed as a spring 3-year-old where he was Group 3 placed.

A $1.6 million yearling (2016 Sydney Easter Sale), he was the first-ever winner in Australia by Frankel, but he has failed to add to that success at Newcastle in seven subsequent starts.

He was last seen when down the track in the G1 Queensland Derby, while he has had two trials headed into this race, which is a reasonably strong benchmark race.

Merovee is out of the Group 2 winning mare More Strawberries (More Than Ready {USA}), who is a half-sister to G1 winner All American.

Merovee was a $1.6 million Inglis Easter purchase