Charge Forward 3yo scores in style

Charge Forward ‘s son Engulf (ex Absolute Lure by Lure; bred by Wall Street Thoroughbreds Pty Ltd) justified his hot favouritism with a decisive maiden win at Gosford today.

The three-year-old gelding, trained Grant Allard, settled back and seemed to be in an awkward position before getting clear and quickly putting the result beyond doubt.

Charge Forward has now had 19 winners in Australia in 2009/10, a tally that includes four Group winners, Headway, Shrapnel, Solar Charged and Response. That record accounts for Charge Forward’s popularity in the 2010 sale-ring, where his yearlings have averaged $104,312.

Engulf’s pedigree provides further evidence to support the view that Charge Forward is a highly effective outcross for Northern Dancer-line mares. His dam is a winning daughter of Danzig’s son Lure, from the family of Forest Flower (Irish One Thousand Guineas G1), multiple US Grade 1 winner High Yield and the New Zealand Group 2 winner Ruud Van Slaats.

In all, 14 of Charge Forward’s winners, among them Headway and Solar Charged, are from mares by Northern Dancer-line sires, predominantly via Danzig and Danehill.

A “nick” that already looks exciting is Charge Forward with mares by his fellow Arrowfield sire Flying Spur, damsire of Headway and two other winners by the brilliant son of Red Ransom.

Charge Forward stands at Arrowfield at a 2010 fee of $33,000 inc. GST.