Written by Bren O'Brien
Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Thursday's two 2-year-old trials at Randwick were dominated by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, who produced two dominant winners in each of the divisions of the 780-metre heats, in the Exceed And Excel colt Athletica and the Menari filly Enzina.
Athletica powered away to win his heat by 4.45l, leading home a stable trifecta, with Rise Of The Masses (Russian Revolution) in second and Okataina (NZ) (Savabeel) in third.
The colts' heat was clocked in 44.73s, 0.26s faster than the fillies' heat, which Enzina, making her first appearance at the trials, won by 2.5l from the John Sargent-trained Ningaloo Star (Deep Field), while Waterhouse-Bott representatives, Golden Queen (Gold Standard) and Ahoy (Astern), filled third and fourth.
Athletica was a $370,000 buy by his trainers and Bruce Slade's Kestrel Thoroughbreds from the KBL Thoroughbreds draft at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.
Slade told TDN AusNZ that the colt has made quick progression and it was no surprise to see him sit on the pace and put his rivals away in what was also his first public hitout.
"He has shown to be really quick in his work at home. He's probably as fast as any 2-year-old we have got and it’s just a matter of how far he might extend it. It’s nice to see him do that over 780 metres this morning," he said.
"He's (Athletica) probably as fast as any 2-year-old we have got and it’s just a matter of how far he might extend it." - Bruce Slade
"They expected him to trial well, which is great. They have got a lot of time for the second horse, the Russian Revolution colt (Rise Of The Masses) and a lot of time for the Savabeel horse (Okataina) working away in third as well, which might even be a Karaka Million horse.
"Touch wood, based on our 2-year-olds, it will be a pretty strong heat and a lot of really nice horses come out of that heat, from both our stable but from outside as well."
Athletica as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Atheltica's pedigree on his dam's side would indicate that he might have scope for further improvement up in distance. His dam, Queen Of Eight (Haradasun), was a five-time winner between 1300 metres and 1600 metres and is the dam of recent Flemington 1700-metre winner Plucky Pirouette (Brazen Beau) as well as Elvstroem Classic (1300 metres) winner Cardigan Queen (Sebring).
"The second dam also produced Lizard Island, who was placed in a Group 1 Guineas. The mare, when we bought this horse, she hadn't done a lot, but obviously Plucky Pirouette has gone from strength to strength since we bought this horse and the other one, the Sebring, has come out and won at two," Slade said.
Menari speed on show
Enzina, the winner of the other trial, was a $170,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase by James Bester and Vantage Thoroughbreds from Newgate's draft.
Enzina as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
She continued the excellent start for first-season Newgate stallion Menari, whose first crop only contained 14 foals. He has already had his first winner, Menari Magic, as well as several other smart trial performers.
Slade, who is also Newgate's Director Of Bloodstock, said there is a bit of a sense of deja vu, watching Menari, who has battled fertility issues, make such a strong early impression the year after another Newgate stallion with similar challenges, Extreme Choice, became Australia's Champion First Season Sire.
"It’s freakish. His first one has come out and won, the second one with Gai and Adrian, (Ferrari Man) started favourite, didn't run that well, but will be a lovely horse in time and then Ciaron Maher has got that filly (Cavallo Rampante) he really likes that debuted in a stakes race," he said.
"I was at the Gold Coast trials on Monday and one (Chayse 'N' Menari) bolted up by four and looks very good. She's a beautiful filly out of a Lope De Vega mare."
Again the trial performance of Enzina was no surprise to the stable, who have ambitions to head her towards the R. Listed Magic Millions 2-Year-Old Classic in January.
"I know Adrian and Gai were both very confident about this filly. She's shown plenty at home and was one that was purchased by Vantage Thoroughbreds and James Bester. I suspect this filly might go to the races now," Slade said.
"I know Adrian and Gai were both very confident about this filly (Enzina). She's shown plenty at home." - Bruce Slade
"We really enjoy working with those guys and they have come together on some really nice horses. She's a Magic Millions filly and I know that Adrian and Gai would love to time her to get to that race.
"Golden Queen in the same heat, she's been slowly away in both her trials. She's by a young stallion called Gold Standard, who is a first-crop sire which Gai trained. You have to love the way she found the line.
"Even the Astern filly back in fourth, you’d expect her to be a lovely 3-year-old Guineas filly with her profile and size. But she has put it together nicely."
Winners ready to flow
The Waterhouse-Bott stable is yet to have a 2-year-old winner this season, but Slade, who resumed purchasing with them under his Kestrel Thoroughbreds banner this year through the yearling sales, said that with the quality and quantity of horses coming through, he expects that will soon be rectified.
Bruce Slade
"I'm really hopeful that we have found some nice ones for the owners and Gai and Adrian in this crop of 2-year-olds. Gai and Adrian must have had the most 2-year-old triallers and most 2-year-old trial winners in Sydney since the season has started," he said.
"We are just really hopeful that converts to raceday. Hopefully by the time these bigger races come up, we will be well-represented. These horses are so well-educated and if they are good enough, they'll put their hand up."
