Looking Ahead - January 9

3 min read

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 Wednesday, Chris Waller debuts a recent trial winner at Canterbury from the family of star sprint mare Special, a Liam Birchley 2-year-old returns to Doomben after an impressive win first-up, while at Caulfield, Mick Kent gets a chance to showcase a recent stable acquisition.

Canterbury Race 2, TAB Rewards Plate, $50,000, 1250m, 1:25pm AEDT

Milunka (All Too Hard) makes her debut here for Chris Waller and her owners Nearco Stud off a recent trial win at Rosehill which should have well prepared for this. That was her second trial.

Passed in for $240,000 as a yearling, she is out of Distinctive Lass (Orientate {USA}), a stakes-placed mare who has already produced five-time Listed winner Kuro (NZ (Denman), who was a winner on debut. This filly's third dam is the star sprinter Special, meaning that the likes of Bomber Bill and Camargue feature in the pedigree.

Milunka as a yearling

Doomben Race 3, BRC Memberships QTIS Two-Year-Old Hcp, 1110m, 1:45pm AEDT

Neptune's Spear (Super Easy) makes his first appearance since an impressive win on debut at this track back in November, leading all the way. He beat Oh Five Glory (Unencumbered) that day, and that filly was a subsequent city winner and lines up in Saturday's Magic Millions 2YO Classic.

A $140,000 buy at Karaka, he is out of Hestolemyroses (Elusive Quality {USA}), a winner in New Zealand who is from an American family with plenty of black-type.

Neptune's Spear as a yearling

Caulfield Race 1, Ladbrokes Mdn Plate, $50,000, 1100m, 3pm AEDT

Gennady (Polanski) is down to debut here for Robbie Laing, who has hailed it as a very special horse who is likely to make a Group 1 galloper. But given he drew 16, there must be some doubt over him starting in this, so instead we’ve found Dubai Sky (Hinchinbrook), who appears for Mick Kent having had one start for Tony Gollan in Queensland as a 2-year-old. He was well beaten by subsequent Listed winner Granny Red Shoes (Not a Single Doubt) but did beat that filly in a trial before that.

He had a recent jumpout for Kent at Cranbourne, settling back before working home nicely behind a horse which was placed during the Flemington carnival in Feared Eyes (Lope de Vega {Ire}). A one-time $280,000 yearling, he hails from a very speedy family, with the likes of Headwater, River Dove, Willow Creek and First Command on his pedigree page.