The Ciaron Maher And David Eustace-trained filly Enthaar (Written Tycoon) ran the fastest time of the day, stopping the clock at 50.00s, in winning the fifth heat of the session, while the Peter and Paul Snowden-prepared Capitalist colt Kalashnikov was the biggest winner in terms of margin, with a 5l success in the opening 2-year-old trial.

The Snowdens had two winners for the session, but it was the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable who were the most successful, winning three of the four fillies' heats. Jockey Hugh Bowman rode the winners of three of the five colts and geldings' heats.

Please note - Heat 1 was for the Group and Listed older horses.

Heat 2 - Colts and Geldings - 850m

Time: 50.53s

Last 600 metres: 33.92s

Winner: Kalashnikov (Capitalist)

The Snowden colt Kalashnikov was a dominant winner here, jumping straight to the front and surging clear in a 2-year-old performance reminiscent of his own sire Capitalist five years ago. Bowman had a strong grip on him straightening and he lengthened like a horse of some promise. A $600,000 purchase for James Harron at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale, he is out of Rough Ride (Flying Spur), the half-sister to G1 Queensland Derby winner Eagle Way (More Than Ready {USA}) as well as three other stakes winners.

The Greg Hickman-trained Unwritten (Written Tycoon) rode the speed and held on for second, albeit 5l adrift, with Sempreinte (Sebring), trained by Waterhouse and Bott, filling third.

Co-trainer: Peter Snowden:

"He's always been like that right from day one. With the Capitalists, we were really keen to see how they were and they have been just like him. I'm really pleased for the horse and I'm really pleased for the stallion to get his first one out on the track to be a winner.

"We know the horse pretty well and he's just franked what we've seen from him every morning. He's got good ability and a great demeanour and that will take him a long way.

"He's still got a bit of belly on him. He’ll tighten up from today. So he should be spot on Saturday week, should he head there."

Heat 3 - Fillies - 850m

Time: 50.52 s

Last 600 metres: 34.17s

Winner: Vaccine (Not A Single Doubt)

The Waterhouse and Bott-trained Vaccine finished off her trial very nicely after a patient ride from Tim Clark. Asked for an effort with 200 metres to go, she rallied really well and got the better of stablemate Miss Hoff (Flying Artie) in the final stages to win by 0.4l. Godolphin filly Tinge (Shamardal {USA}) had looked the likely trial winner, but her effort just told late and she finished third.

Bred by Highgrove Stud, Vaccine, who cost $220,000 on the Gold Coast, is out of American stakes winner A Brilliant Idea (Afleet Alex {USA}), who has also produced the recent winner Elon (Exceed And Excel).

Co-trainer: Adrian Bott:

"Tim just let her find her feet, gave her a nice education and the most pleasing aspect was the way she responded to pressure late. She was able to take those tight gaps and found the line well. It was very exciting in that sense.

"I thought Miss Hoff was good too. She stuck on three wide and sustained that pressure. She looked to get a little bit lost late, but when the other filly joined her, she looked to respond again. Again, it was pleasing in that aspect. Both came out of the trial as two fillies who should show further improvement. They should be nice fillies for the Gimcrack."

Heat 4 - Colts and Geldings - 850m

Time: 50.59s

Last 600 metres: 34.46s

Winner: River Snitty (Snitzel)

The Chris Waller-trained River Snitty was ridden with cover off good early speed from Danaustar (Zoustar), and when King Of Sparta (I Am Invincible) assumed control at the 200 metre mark, Bowman was able to get his colt into the clear. He finished over the top of them to win by 0.5l, with the other Snowden colt Construct (I Am Invincible) closing very well out wide to snatch second from his stablemate King Of Sparta.

From a half-sister to champion New Zealand stallion Savabeel, River Snitty was a $350,000 purchase for Mulcaster Bloodstock on behalf of first-time owners, the Flannery family. His grand-dam Savannah Success (Success Express {USA}) was a Group 1 winner and half-sister to the dam of multiple Group 1 winner Black Heart Bart (Blackfriars).

Stable representative: Charlie Duckworth:

"It was a really pleasing trial. He did everything right, he came back behind them, got a lovely educational experience and when he was presented in the straight, Hughie gave him a couple of reminders and he lengthened well.

"They are all here trying their best to get points towards the first race of the 2-year-old season and he's earned those points in style. It’s the owners' first horse with us, so it’s exciting for them and hopefully, they can push on through to the first race of the year."

Watch: River Snitty trial

Heat 5 - Fillies - 850m

Time: 50.00s

Last 600 metres: 33.74s

Winner: Enthaar (Written Tycoon)

The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Enthaar won in the manner of a very promising horse, camping outside the speed and then putting paid to her rivals down the straight to win running away by 4.8l in the fastest time of the session for jockey James McDonald.

A homebred for Emirates Park, whose colours have been carried by recent G1 Golden Slipper S. winners Mossfun (Mossman) and Estijaab (Snitzel), she is out of Final Agreement (Not A Single Doubt), the sister to Group 1 winner Secret Agenda from the family of G1 Champagne S. winner Euphoria (Marauding {NZ}). Emirates Park paid $400,000 to acquire Final Agreement in 2016.

Filling the placings in the trial were the Anthony Cummings-trained Lovemetender (Testa Rossa) and the Waterhouse-Bott prepared Our Filly (Exceed And Excel).

Co-trainer: Ciaron Maher:

"She was bred by Emirates and has come to our system. She's been quite sharp and quite natural. She came up from Melbourne the other day and had a 600 metre jump-out and was very natural there and she has gone on. We haven’t had to do much with her.

"She's got it all there for quite early on, so hopefully she pulls up well and we can line her up. She wouldn't have to do a lot, and provided she pulls up okay, she should line up in the Gimcrack."

Heat 6 - Colts and Geldings - 845m

Time: 50.65s

Last 600 metres: 34.54s

Winner: Maurice's Medad (Maurice {Jpn})

Bjorn Baker's Maurice's Medad showed the benefit of previous experience, and having his second trial, edged out Athelric (Exceed And Excel) in a hard-fought trial. Rachel King asked the Maurice colt for an effort after he looked to hang slightly on the turn, and he dug in well, to prevail with less than 1l separating the first four horses. The Lee Curtis-trained Stariks (Super One) claimed third just ahead of the Snowden galloper Revivalist (Shalaa {Ire}).

Bred by Tony Muollo, Maurice's Medad was a $250,000 purchase for Baker and Clarke Bloodstock at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale and is out of a half-sister to Group 1 winners Press Statement (Hinchinbrook) and Pressday (Domesday).

Trainer: Bjorn Baker:

"I wish I had more horses in the stable with their father as Maurice. I've got this bloke, and a couple of fillies that maybe need just a little bit longer. This guy, you look at him, and he still has to develop into his frame, but he's just showing too much to put out.

"It’s a bit of a catch-22 at the moment. He's got a great attitude and I thought it was a really good effort three deep. He was really game to the line and strong through it. "

Heat 7 - Fillies - 845m

Time: 50.11s

Last 600 metres: 33.89s

Winner: Total Babe (I Am Invincible)

It was a very professional showing from Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott's I Am Invincible filly, who set the pace and gave a good kick to win in what was the second fastest time of the 2-year-old trials. She was used up early on by Tommy Berry but was able to break 34 seconds for her last 600 metres, which was impressive.

Baker's Hide Your Heart (Sebring) was very good in second, beaten only 0.8l, while Joyous Legend (Snitzel), the $800,000 daughter of More Joyous (More Than Ready {USA}) would have impressed her trainers Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou with her third placing.

Total Babe, a $300,000 Magic Millions purchase from the Mill Park draft at the 2020 Gold Coast Sale for her trainers on behalf of a group of owners including Nick Vass, is also out of a Group 1-winning mare, In Style (NZ) (Fast 'N' Famous).

Co-trainer: Adrian Bott:

"Total Babe showed great early tactical speed and that takes those 2-year-olds a long way. She looked very professional the way she did things. She relaxed nicely in front for Tommy and when we needed her to quicken, there was an immediate response.

"I thought of all ours, she was the most immediate and showed natural speed."

Watch: Total Babe trial

Heat 8: Colts and Geldings - 845m

Time: 51.08s

Last 600 metres: 34.50s

Winner: Retrieval (Medaglia D'Oro {USA})

The Godolphin colt Retrieval, a brother to stakes winners Multaja and Veranillo, showed plenty of racecraft to overcome some traffic and poke through and win Heat 8 narrowly from the Snowden-trained Insurgence (Sebring), who was an $825,000 yearling purchase, and Single Touch (Not A Single Doubt), who showed a bit of fight to finish third.

His dam, Shelters (Lonhro), is a sister to Group 1 winner Benfica, and has had three foals to the track for three winners. The family also includes G1 Queen of the Turf winner Neroli (Viscount).

Stable representative: Darren Beadman:

"He's very much a push-button type of horse. He just travelled nicely in the trial and went between horses. That was a very positive trial for him.

"It was probably a blessing to have that bit of rain last night, to just soften it up and make it not too jarry. The right ones will come through the trials and I quite like the colt. He's quite mature and precocious."

Watch: Retrieval trial

Heat 9 - Fillies - 845m

Time: 50.42s

Last 600 metres: 34.43s

Winner: Excela Bella (Exceed And Excel)

It was another impressive and professional performance from a Waterhouse/Bott filly as Excela Bella jumped to the front for Tim Clark, controlled the tempo and responded well to see off the late challenge of the Waller-trained Authentic Jewel (I Am Invincible) by 0.2l with Mallory (Not A Single Doubt) another 1.8l back in third.

A $250,000 buy for her trainers, Excela Bella is a blood sister to G1 Blue Diamond S. winner Earthquake (Exceed And Excel), with the pair sharing the mare Chaparra (Viscount) as their grand-dam. Stakes winners El Cambio (Commands), Complicate (Commands) and Palomares (Commands) also feature of the page through this filly's unraced dam Caraveli (Viscount).

The second horse also looks promising for Waller and is also well-related, being descended from the blue hen Eight Carat (GB) (Pieces Of Eight {Ire}).

Co-trainer: Adrian Bott:

"There was a lot to like about her. She was probably a bit grosser in condition. She will physically take a lot more benefit out of the trials than any of ours we have seen today. She was a little bit lost there, but when she was challenged, she rallied strongly. She put her ears back and was in for a good fight. That's what you want to see at this early stage."

Watch: Excella Bella trial

Heat 10 - Colts and Geldings - 845m

Time: 51.20s

Last 600 metres: 34.65s

Winner: Astrologer (Star Turn)

The Snowdens and James Harron bookended the 2-year-old trials with Astrologer proving superior in the final of the heats in what was the slowest time of the morning. The son of Vinery Stud's Star Turn settled back fourth along the rail for Kerrin McEvoy before getting into the clear and beating Almahero (Al Maher) by 1.3l. The third placed horse, the $1.4 million colt Montenegro (I Am Invincible), seem to lose his way early on, dropping back to last, but he finished off stylishly to be beaten only 1.5l in third.

Astrologer, who cost James Harron $300,000 on the Gold Coast, is from the family of G1 Golden Slipper S. winner Crystal Lily (Stratum) as well as stakes winners Crystal Dreamer (Stratum) and Persuader (Zoustar).

Snowden stable representative: Colum McCullagh:

"Kerrin was happy with him. It was a touch slower than the other trials through the morning, but he was slowly away himself. He matured well. It was nice to see him strong through the line. He had a bit of a look around. You can see a nice bit of improvement from him."

Watch: Astrologer trial

The remarkable story of Felicia reached new heights on Saturday when the 4-year-old mare landed her first black-type win in the G3 How Now S. at Caulfield, with plenty more still to come.

The Dean Binaisse-trained Felicia wouldn’t even still be alive, let alone racing if the vets had got their way.

After winning her first two starts as a juvenile by an all-up margin of 8.3l, she was found to have heat in her knee and was set to have a straightforward arthroscope to sort out what looked like a reasonably minor problem.

That arthroscope caused an infection and after a second procedure, she was diagnosed as ‘broodmare at best’.

“We were really, really disappointed,” breeder Gerard Ballantyne told TDN AusNZ. “Matt (Seyers, former trainer), Richard (White, co-breeder) and I went to see her and I remember Matt Seyers saying to me in the car that it was a real shame because this horse was a Group horse.

“It made for a very sombre trip down I can tell you that.”

Originally from Victoria, Ballantyne wanted Felicia to live out her days with the rest of his broodmares who were in the care of Brooke Barker. She wasn’t ready to go to the breeding barn straight away so she was placed in the paddock.

“I used to go down and see her and Brooke was really fascinated by her,” Ballantyne said. “She said ‘I’m really having trouble accepting the vet's prognosis with this horse’.

“So we got a second opinion from another vet clinic and they said ‘no, she will never race again,’ and a third and fourth vet clinic actually said that she should be put down.”

A fifth opinion

Ballantyne said that despite the prognosis of the vets, Felicia was galloping around her paddock showing no signs of lameness and was all-around loving life. So they got a fifth opinion.

“We had another vet from Golden Plains Veterinary Clinic come out and they did an x-ray and it was enough to suggest that we should do another arthroscope to find out exactly what the condition of the knee was, this is some six months after the first op.”

The vet that performed the final arthroscope couldn’t see any reason why with proper care, Felicia shouldn’t be able to race again. “If I’d won TattsLotto, I wouldn’t have felt any better,” Ballantyne said.

From there, time and patience was the key. They were after a trainer who would buy into the same ideology and that’s where Barker suggested Mornington-based Binaisse.

“I went over and met with Dean and saw his facilities,” Ballantyne said. “He had the water walker, he was near the Mornington track, he had the beach and had a small team and he convinced me that he had the knowledge and the patience.

“We went along really, really slowly with her and then it got to the morning where she had her first gallop.

“I went over to see it and she sat off a pacemaker by about 4l and Felicia ran over the top of it. Dean turned to me and said ‘she is a weapon, this horse, we’ve just got to manage her.’”

“And here we are. She’s now won black-type in two races and she’s still filling out. We’ll give her another two races this campaign, depending on the track.

“She won’t run on anything that is going to jeopardise the knee but we’re looking at a possible autumn campaign once she fully furnishes.”

Binaisse said he has built a program for Felicia that has allowed her to stay sound and most importantly, happy.

A program to suit

“She’s trained on a water walker and beach program so she doesn’t do much on a track at all, she might have a gallop over 600 metres on the grass if it’s open and if it’s wet enough, otherwise she works at the beach,” Binaisse said.

“Trained this way, this horse hasn’t missed a beat and that’s because of the management as well. If the track is too firm then she won’t gallop on it.

“These horses have all been racing this year on softish tracks so they’ve been galloping on them and racing on them but as soon as the tracks dry out and get firm, because their bones aren’t conditioned to it, they can really feel it.

“Especially a horse with a knee problem, the worst thing you can do is put them down on a firm track, so when I took the horse on, that was always the rule. If I thought the track was too firm, the horse gets pulled out. It doesn’t matter if it’s a Group race, so be it, the horse comes first.”

It hasn’t been all smooth sailing for Binaisse and Felicia with the trainer labelling her as a ‘quirky mare’, but he has found the key to keeping her happy and his name is Elvis.

“We struggled to ride her when she first came,” Binaisse said. “She had a lot of vices but she fell in love with our lead pony Elvis.

“He still tows her out to the track every morning when she does work on the track and he stands there and waits for her at the gap. She actually looks for him when she comes around the corner and without him, she would be a nightmare to try and work.

“When she goes to the beach, he goes to the beach with her, when she goes to the races, she just stands there and falls asleep in the stalls as long as he’s there.

“It was frustrating with the vets after the race on Saturday, they were trying to take urine and they locked her in the box and she didn’t have Elvis there and she ran another race in that box. She came out dripping with sweat and really wound up and upset.

“We ended up getting Elvis and they took blood out of her and as soon as she stood in the stall and had him out the front, she was a good as gold.

“She won’t even roll in our sand roll without Elvis standing out the front. If you put her in there by herself she will try and jump out and hurt herself. That’s how clingy she is.”

Next stop

Felicia, and Elvis, are now in line to head back to Caulfield on October 10 where the mare will contest the G3 Northwood Plume S. and all being well, Binaisse would like to test her over 1400 metres in the G2 Tristarc S. the following week.

However, all of this is merely a bonus for Ballantyne who said he is just happy to see her on a racetrack, let alone winning Group races with a ceiling still to be reached.

“At her first start back she ran third under Damien Oliver, who was half a kilo over, and she was beaten by 0.3l,” Ballantyne said.

“If that was her only run back, we would’ve been really, really happy. Just to have seen her back on the track and to return like that, would’ve been unbelievable because she was never going to set foot on a racetrack again, in the vet's opinions.

“It’s just a wonderful story.”

Cover image courtesy of Keeneland

At A Glance

>> A daughter of Ghostzapper (USA) tops the session when sold to CJ Johnsen for US$210,000 (AU$287,411) consigned by Peter O’Callaghan’s Woods Edge Farm.

>> CJ Thoroughbreds has purchased six yearlings, all fillies, at the September Sale, led by a US$335,000 (AU$458,595) daughter of War Front (USA), Hip 5, during the auction’s first session.

>> Kirk and Judy Robison secured a colt by Maclean’s Music (USA) when trainer Steve Asmussen signed the ticket on their behalf at US$190,000 (AU$260,117) for Hip 2038.

>> In all, 237 yearlings sold on Sunday for US$11,516,500 (AU$15,765,950). The session average was US$48,593 (AU$66,533) and the median was US$40,000 (AU$54,772).

>> The auction’s buy-back rate continued to fall, with 237 horses reported not sold on Sunday for a buy-back rate of 26.4 per cent.

>> During last year’s seventh session of the September sale, which had a slightly different format from the 2020 edition, 268 yearlings sold for US$26,756,500 (AU$36,626,982). The average was US$99,838 (AU$136,655) and the median was US$73,500 (AU$100,637).

Ghostzapper filly popular

CJ Johnsen made the day’s highest bid, going to US$210,000 (AU$287,411) to acquire a filly by Ghostzapper, Hip 2342 for his CJ Thoroughbreds. Three yearlings tied for the day’s second highest price of US$190,000 (AU$260,000): a colt by Maclean’s Music (USA) and a pair of colts by first-crop sire Unified (USA). A total of 31 yearlings brought six figures on the day.

In all, 237 yearlings sold on Sunday for US$11,516,500 (AU$15,765,950). The session average was US$48,593 (AU$66,533) and the median was US$40,000 (AU$54,772). The auction’s buy-back rate continued to fall, with 237 horses reported not sold on Sunday for a buy-back rate of 26.4 per cent.

During last year’s seventh session of the September sale, which had a slightly different format from the 2020 edition, 268 yearlings sold for US$26,756,500 (AU$36,626,982). The average was US$99,838 (AU$136,655) and the median was US$73,500 (AU$100,637).

Johnsens strike late

Corey and C J Johnsen’s CJ Thoroughbreds struck late to secure a filly by Ghostzapper, Hip 2342, for a session-topping US$210,000 (AU$287,411) on Sunday.

Consigned by Peter O’Callaghan’s Woods Edge Farm, the yearling is out of multiple stakes winner Saxet Heights (USA) (Outflanker {USA}). Bred by SF Bloodstock, she was purchased by O’Callaghan for US$130,000 (AU$177,900) at the 2019 Keeneland November Sale.

“We’ve been on her since yesterday and she’s kind of one of those I kept falling more and more in love with. So I’m glad it worked out,” said CJ Johnsen, whose filly will be trained by Wesley Ward.

“You can’t go wrong with Ghostzapper. And then the pedigree, the first three dams are very strong. When I first saw it, I thought, ‘an Outflanker mare?’

“I thought I had to do some research on Outflanker, but it turns out that, even though the sample size for the cross is small, it has produced two 2-year-old winners out of the three that have been on that cross. So the pedigree was just enough for us to go for it because physically, she is absolutely gorgeous.”

CJ Thoroughbreds has purchased six yearlings, all fillies, at the September Sale, led by a US$335,000 (AU$458,595) daughter of War Front (USA), Hip 5, during the auction’s first session.

“We race them and then we sell them as broodmares when we retire them,” Johnsen said of the operation. “That’s our business plan. We buy only fillies with strong pedigrees by proven sires and then we sell them as broodmares. I think she is the 11th filly we’ve bought this year and we have one more to go.”

Johnsen said he has found the Keeneland marketplace this week to be unpredictable.

“It’s been strange. When we’ve thought we wouldn’t be able to afford a horse, we have been able to and then when we thought we could afford a horse, we were blown out of the water.

“Day 1, we bought three horses and didn’t think we’d be able to afford any of them, and we came away with all of them for much less than we thought. Then on Day 2, I don’t think we bought anything because we’d think, ‘Oh, this one is going to go for US$250,000 (AU$342,136),’ and it goes for US$450,000 (AU$615,740). So it’s been really unpredictable.”

More music for Robison

When Jackie’s Warrior (USA) (Maclean’s Music {USA}) romped home in the G1 Runhappy Hopeful S. at Saratoga, he gave owners Kirk and Judy Robison their first Grade 1 winner in over two decades in the sport.

The Robisons, who purchased the colt for US$95,000 (AU$130,000) at last year’s Keeneland September Sale, added another colt by Maclean’s Music (USA) to their roster when trainer Steve Asmussen signed the ticket on their behalf at US$190,000 (AU$260,117) to acquire Hip 2038 on Sunday.

“Steve Asmussen is at the Sale buying for me and he trains for me in the East,” Kirk Robison said from his home in El Paso Sunday afternoon. “He loves Maclean’s Music and we have the really good 2-year-old colt.

“Sometimes, buyers go back to what horses worked for them before; the same stud, the same family and they have confidence. I think they also know what a certain stud should look like and if they look like that horse, I think they like them even more.”

Hip 2038 is out of stakes-placed Yes Liz (USA) (Yes It’s True {USA}) and was consigned by the Vanlangendonck’s Summerfield on behalf of Barbara Banke’s Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings.

“Stonestreet is going to stay in for half the colt,” Robison said. “Steve called me about an hour ago and said they’d like to stay in for half. I said go ahead and we got him. We’ve never had a partner, but who is better to partner with than Stonestreet?”

Robison purchased four yearlings during Sunday’s session of the September sale. In addition to Hip 2038, he purchased a filly by More Than Ready (USA), Hip 2078, for US$75,000 (AU$102,700), a filly by Kantharos (USA), Hip 2249, for US$75,000 (AU$102,770) and a colt by Street Boss (USA), Hip 2043, for US$37,000 (AU$50,645).

“We are pretty picky on the vetting. We don’t have to have a perfect vet, but we’ve got to have something that works,” Robison said of his buying goals. “The ones that have to have a chip removed right off the bat are not the kind I want. I want a horse that can get to the races early and show us what they can do.”

Robison, who owns a string of pizza restaurants in Texas, continued, “We are still shopping. We want horses who are going to be early and who are sound. Steve is a pretty good judge of that and he doesn’t get too carried away because he knows what price point I’m comfortable with.

“If he has to stretch a little bit, I let him do that. I don’t try to micromanage him because he has such a good track record.”

Asmussen is signing tickets for Robison in the name of Downstream Racing, a tribute to the next generation of racing fans in the family.

“Those are my grandchildren, they are getting old enough now, I got a license for all of them in California this summer to go to the races at Del Mar, and then of course COVID-19 hit and it’s limited,” Robison said. “Downstream Racing is our grandchildren and their ownership in horses now.”

Jackie’s Warrior, set for the G1 Champagne S. at Belmont Park, worked 1000 metres at Saratoga Sunday on 1:02.91s.

“He looks fantastic, he’s happy and I trust [assistant trainer] Scott [Blasi] and Steve will get him to race on time and I think he’ll run well,” Robison said

Of his colt’s impressive Hopeful victory, Robison said, “I had never had a Grade 1 winner until him. I’ve only been in a handful of Grade 1 races and never been lucky enough to win one, so I know how hard it is.

“I don’t care how much money you’re spending or what kind of mares you’re breeding, it’s hard to get a Grade 1 winner. So when you get one and they win so easily and he runs a faster seven-eighths than any other Hopeful has been run, well you get all of that wrapped together and he’s so sound, it’s amazing.

“He won at Churchill and he won twice at Saratoga, we think he’ll run well anywhere. Hopefully he’ll run well at Belmont.”