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.
Today, we rate the chances of two lightly-raced maiden prospects at Mornington and zero in on the hopes of a stakes performer at the Rotorua meeting.
Mornington Progress Signs Plate $26,000 1000 metres 1.30pm
Lealta (Danerich) was a bargain $600 buy at an Inglis Digital Monthly Sale and is already showing a positive return with a cheque from both outings to date. He was runner-up on debut for trainer Robbie Laing at Cranbourne and then finished fourth at Werribee. He doesn’t meet a strong line-up here and should be a hard one to handle.
He is a son of Test Of Honour (NZ) (Pentire {GB}), who is a half-sister to the multiple winner and Group 2 performer Ntamack (NZ) (Frenchpark {GB}) and the family of Chagemar (NZ) (Zamazaan {FR}) , who won two editions of the G2 Dalgety H.
Mornington McLeod Trees Plate $26,000 1000 metres 2.00pm
Meow (More Than Ready {USA}) was a $200,000 Inglis Sydney Easter Yearling Sale purchase for Vinery Stud and is a sibling to six winners, including Global Warming (Agnes World {USA}), who won the Listed Canterbury Classic, and to the dam of the Listed Mode S. winner Outback Barbie (Spirit Of Boom). The G3 Rubiton S. winner Mind Your Head (Mujahid {USA}) also features on the pedigree page.
Trained by David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig, Meow showed promise in her first preparation with a debut fifth at Echuca before a runner-up finish at Wangaratta. She was subsequently spelled and with the benefit of Lewis Germain’s two kilo claim she looks a decent chance.
Meow as a yearling
Rotorua NZB Insurance Pearl Series Race $10,000 1400 metres 1.22pm (NZ time)
A NZ$42,500 Karaka buy, Style By Design (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}) is out of Chaparella (NZ) (High Chaparral {IRE}), who was a smart mare and won eight races, including two at Listed level. She is from the family of St Peter’s Gift (NZ) (St Petersburg), who won multiple stakes race in Macau, and the former New Zealand Filly of the Year Prepak (NZ) (Pakistan II {GB}), winner of the G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas.
Style By Design has been a dual stakes placegetter in the Listed Ryder S. and the Listed Fillies’ Classic and she proved to be a versatile performer with wins on good and rain-affected going. Most recently she was a solid fifth at Matamata and looks to offer good each-way value in what is a modest line-up.
Iffraaj
