A well-bred colt related to two Group One winners is likely to kick off his career at Pakenham on Friday.
Wind Force, a two-year-old by Fastnet Rock out of Nicola Lass, is nominated for Moonee Valley on Saturday as well as Pakenham but co-trainer Tom Dabernig says the latter is the likely venue.
A half-brother to Group One winners Niconero and Nicconi, Wind Force races in the colours of Coolmore Stud.
Niconero and Nicconi, trained by Dabernig’s uncle and partner David Hayes, are the best-performed horses out of the mare, with Niconero a multiple Group One winner including the 2009 Australian Cup.
Nicconi won two Group One sprints and also competed at Royal Ascot in 2010, finishing fourth in the King’s Stand Stakes.
Wind Force is expected to be better as a three-year-old but will get his chance to try to post a late season win as a juvenile.
“He’s certainly a lovely colt,” Dabernig said.
“He hasn’t got the blistering speed like Nicconi but he’s definitely a nice colt.
“I think he’ll be competitive, and I think we’ll see the best of him at three.”
Hayes is in England where he is preparing to start triple Group One winner Criterion in Wednesday’s Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Hayes has been overseeing the horse’s final preparations for his biggest test yet.
“All reports from David are that he’s very happy with him, the horse is in great order,” Dabernig said.
“He couldn’t be better heading into the race, so fingers crossed.”
Criterion has won the Group One Queen Elizabeth Stakes in Sydney and finished third in the QEII Cup in Hong Kong at his past two starts.
