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 Friday, we are keeping an eye on a couple of fillies at Scone, one by Choisir and the other by Frankel, while a half-brother to a Group 1 winner resumes at Geelong.
Scone Race 1, Stratum Star @ Widden Showcase Maiden Plate $30,000, 900m, 1.00pm AEST
Bjorn Baker looks to have a progressive type on his hands in Lucky Siren (Choisir), who gave a smart account of herself when runner-up at Muswellbrook on debut. With a touch of luck from an awkward gate, she can go one better in this. She was a $22,500 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale buy and that could prove to a particularly smart piece of business on the part of purchaser Blueblood Thoroughbreds.
Lucky Siren is out of the multiple winner Lacada Siren (Giant’s Causeway {IRE}), who also ran fourth in the G1 Queensland Oaks, and three of her four foals to have won. The dam is a half-sister to the North American brother and sister act of Panama City (El Gran Senor {USA}) and Morgana, both North American Group 2 winners.
Lucky Siren, pictured as a yearling
Scone Race 4, Pryde’s Easifeed Showcase H., $30,000, 1600m, 2.50pm AEST
Frankely Awesome (Frankel {GB}) had showed encouraging form at the trials so her debut victory at Newcastle was no surprise. The well-related 3-year-old doesn’t meet a strong line-up here and looks more than capable of retaining her unbeaten record.
Raced by Cressfield, she has a rich pedigree and is out of the stakes winner Street Secret (USA) (Street Cry {IRE}), whose mother is a half-sister to the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Urban Sea (USA) (Miswaki {USA}) and the dam of the breed-shaper Galileo (IRE) (Sadler’s Wells {USA}).
Geelong Synthetic Race 5, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers BM58 Hcp, 1100m, 3:30pm AEST
The very well-bred Jawwaal (Snitzel) resumes here, interestingly enough in a benchmark race and not a maiden. He debuted in the Inglis Banner 2YO race last October and then made one appearance in the autumn in a 2YO race at Wagga.
The $800,000 buy finished close up in a jumpout at Flemington last week and looks well forward for the first start of his 3-year-old season.
He is a half-brother to Thousand Guineas winner Amicus, with his dam Gold Chant a stakes-placed half sister to Starspangedbanner.
Jawwaal, pictured as a yearling
