An Early Charge into the New Season

A pair of impressive winners at Sydney’s Canterbury track on either side of the season rollover confirm the quality of Charge Forward’s 2010 crop. 

Debutant gelding Charge Missile scored a stylish victory over 1100 metres on Wednesday for trainer Tim Martin and a partnership including his breeders at Luskin Park Stud.

Two weeks earlier, the Peter Horwitz-bred filly Dream Forward won at the same track, after two good placings during the summer, including a third in Assail’s Wyong Magic Millions 2YO S. LR, for the From the Track Syndicates which race her on lease. 

They both look fine prospects to extend the excellent record already compiled Charge Forward’s crop of just-turned 3YOs.  

Luskin Park’s John Whelan says of Charge Missile, “He was a lovely foal, a real racehorse right from the start and a dead ringer for his sire Charge Forward.

“There was strong competition for him at Easter, with Tim Martin eventually winning out with a bid of $200,000. He now races for a syndicate that includes his breeders Paul Whelan, Wilf Mula, Mal McGuiness and David Carter.

“We’ll now look for some black type for him and there are plenty of Group and Listed three-year-old races to choose from over the next few months.”

Charge Missile is from the stakes-winning US mare Dyna Slam (by Gone West’s son Grand Slam), purchased at Keeneland for Luskin Park by Vin Cox. Canterbury is proving a lucky track for her as well as Charge Forward: her first foal Red Dynamite (by Charge Forward’s sire Red Ransom) won there last month.

Charge Forward ended a superb 2012/13 season in Australia’s top ten sires of 2YOs with three stakeswinners among his 11 winners, and earnings of almost $900,000. He stands at a fee of $22,000 inc. GST in 2013.