Written by Anthony Manton
There was plenty of attention on Randwick barrier trials on Tuesday morning with many more spring aspirants stepping out and nearing a return to the races.
Everest contender, Classique Legend (Not A Single Doubt) made a statement in heat one with a stunning barrier trial.
Ridden by regular jockey Kerrin McEvoy, Classique Legend stalked the leaders settling in 3rd position before quickly striding to the lead past the 400 metres and opening-up the last 200 metres to win by 2.3l in an outstanding piece of work.
Bred by Tyreel Stud, Classique Legend was a $400,000 purchase at the 2017 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale for Carmel Size. His dam Pinocchio (Encosta de Lago) is a sister to five-time G1 winner Racing To Win (Encosta de Lago), and half-sister to G3-winner Purrealist (Tale Of The Cat {USA}).
Pinocchio is also the dam of unbeaten boom Hong Kong galloper Aethero (Sebring) also bred by Tyreel and purchased for $575,000 at the 2018 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale and trained by John Moore in Hong Kong.
Classique Legend as a yearling
A winner of three of his four starts in his first preparation, Classique Legend will resume Saturday week in G2 The Shorts 1100 metres at Randwick, as a mini-Everest lead-up, and sets-up a mouth-watering challenge with other Everest runners Redzel (Snitzel), Pierata (Pierro) and current race favourite Santa Ana Lane (Lope de Vega {Ire}) all expected to line-up in The Shorts.
The clash of Classique Legend and Redzel has forced Kerrin McEvoy to choose between the two with McEvoy committing to ride Redzel while Nash Rawiller has been announced as the new rider of Classique Legend in The Shorts.
In heat two, 9-year-old veteran Happy Clapper (Teofilo {Ire}) was kept up to the mark by winning his trial easily on his way to the G1 Epsom H. 1600 metres.
Ridden by Tommy Berry, the three-time G1 winner Happy Clapper settled second in the trial before taking over passing the 200 metres and when asked to find the line by Berry strode away to win by 2.5l.
Happy Clapper finished 2nd first-up in the G1 Winx S. behind Samadoubt (Not A Single Doubt) and was just out for a maintenance trial Tuesday morning to keep him ticking along for his next assignment Saturday week in the G1 Colgate Optic White S. 1600 metres at Randwick.
In heat three, California Zimbol (I Am Invincible) for trainers Peter & Paul Snowden put in a pleasing barrier trial and can be followed in the 3-year-old fillies’ races during the spring.
Ridden by Nash Rawiller, California Zimbol was immediately restrained from a wide barrier after the start and went back to last early in the trial before railing-up behind the leaders. Approaching the home turn, Rawiller elected to stick to the rails with the filly and took a narrow split at 250 metres and sprinted to the lead before easing-up late to win by 0.5l.
In her first preparation, California Zimbol won a 2-year-old maiden at Canterbury in May and went down fighting when 2nd in a stakes race in Brisbane all within a month.
Bred by Yarraman Park Stud, California Zimbol was a $450,000 purchase at the 2018 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale. She is a half-sister to stakes-winners Cruden Bay (Not A Single Doubt) and From Within (Not A Single Doubt).
California Zimbol as a yearling
California Zimbol can be competitive in the spring 3-year-old fillies’ races and should she progress holds a nomination for the G1 Thousand Guineas at Caulfield on October 12 as a long-range target.
Heat four featured two high-class colts fighting out the finish in Bellevue Hill (Pierro) and Cosmic Force (Deep Field), and both look to be in for excellent preparations.
Firstly, Bellevue Hill trained by Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott showed terrific barrier speed to lead the trial before accelerating on the home turn to quickly pinch a 3l break and hold-on to win.
Bellevue Hill won two of his four starts as a 2-year-old in the autumn. He narrowly missed a start in the G1 Golden Slipper, however, a week later atoned by winning the G3 The Schweppervescence 1400 metres at Rosehill.
Bellevue Hill was a $400,000 purchase at the 2018 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale for Gai Waterhouse, Blue Sky Bloodstock, Rifa Mustang & Raffles Racing.
Bellevue Hill is the third foal to race from dam Bellevue Girl (Exceed And Excel), a sister to stakes-winner Sugar Babe (Exceed And Excel). His grand dam is three-time Group 2 winner On Type (Zeditave).
Bellevue Hill as a yearling
While, the Snowden trained Cosmic Force really caught the eye settling near last in the slowly run heat and rattling-off an impressive last 400 metre sprint to run Bellevue Hill to within a neck at the finish.
Cosmic Force hasn’t raced since a beaten favourite in the G1 Golden Slipper S. in March following a 7l romp on a heavy track in the G3 Pago Pago S. at Rosehill.
Cosmic Force was a $180,000 purchase for China Horse Club, Newgate Farm and Winstar at the 2018 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale. He is a half-brother to stakes-winner Onemorezeta (Onemorenomore).
Cosmic Force as a yearling
Both Bellevue Hill and Cosmic Force are nominated for the G1 Golden Rose on September 28, however, with neither horse entered for this Saturday’s main lead-up the G2 Run To The Rose at Rosehill perhaps they will be kept for later challenges in the spring. Both hold nominations for the G1 Caulfield Guineas, with Bellevue Hill also nominated for the G1 Cox Plate.
Later in the morning, 3-year-old filly Vinicunca (I Am Invincible) appears to have come back in excellent order with an impressive trial win in heat eight.
Trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, Vinicunca raced on three occasions in her 2-year-old season winning the G3 Maribyrnong Plate 1000 metres on debut in November and running 2nd in the G2 Blue Diamond Prelude 1100 metres, before finishing unplaced in the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes. She missed the Sydney autumn 2-year-old races and was spelled.
Having just her first trial back this preparation, Vinicunca began well from an outside barrier and despite travelling wide throughout did enough to maintain an advantage down the home straight and win the trial by 0.5l in 42.95 seconds, the fastest time of the morning for the four 742 metre heats.
Vinicunca as a yearling
Vinicunca was a $600,000 purchase at the 2018 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale for BBA Ireland, Tom Magnier and Flaxland Ireland. Her dam Xandretta (Flying Spur) is a half-sister to G1 winner Carry On Cutie (More Than Ready {USA}).
Expect Vinicunca may trial again before returning to the races, however, she looks a top-class filly and will carry high aspirations for the spring.
Meanwhile, chasing Vinicunca home in heat eight Brave Song (Your Song) was equally as impressive in his first hit-out for the spring.
Brave Song as a yearling
Ridden by Kerrin McEvoy, Brave Song came out of the gates a little slowly before railing-up midfield on the inside and saving ground into the home straight. Under his own steam, Brave Song closed-off very strongly to finish 2nd in the heat and looks right on track for a successful campaign.
A $67,500 yearling purchase, Brave Song has amassed almost $500,000 in prizemoney with six wins, including two stakes-wins.
Although perhaps not in the top echelon of sprinters, Brave Song can be followed in the second-tier sprint races during the spring.
