Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
A seven-time Group 1 winner and the 2019/20 Australian Racehorse of the Year, Nature Strip was the headline act at the Rosehill trial session and the 7-year-old did not disappoint, stretching his legs out from under James McDonald to win by 0.7l in the fastest of the two open class trials, clocking 55.50s.
With Group 1 sprints on his short-term radar and plans to tackle Royal Ascot late this year, it would have been a pleasing hitout for trainer Chris Waller and the $16 million winner's connections.
It was also very much a pleasing return for the Richard and Michael Freedman-trained Forbidden Love, a winner of the G1 Surround S. last autumn, who sat in Nature Strip's slipstream throughout and ran him to less than 1l on the line.
Nature Strip | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
"Tommy (Berry) was certainly very happy when he jumped off her. He said she gave him a great feel this morning," Michael Freedman said.
"She seems to have come back in nice order. She didn't have a great deal of luck through the spring, through some bad barriers and she put in a couple of average runs which were uncustomary. She had a nice little break afterwards and she seems to have come back well.
"Hopefully she can find that good form in the autumn again and I think she probably appreciates a bit of give in the tracks, so a little bit of a wet autumn wouldn’t go against her."
"Hopefully she (Forbidden Love) can find that good form in the autumn again and I think she probably appreciates a bit of give in the tracks, so a little bit of a wet autumn wouldn’t go against her." - Michael Freedman
Freedman said he hadn't yet confirmed a definite path for Forbidden Love, who boasts a strong fresh record, but a return to racing at Randwick on February 12 was the most likely way forward.
"Possibly a race like the (G3) Triscay, but I'll have a think about that. Maybe races like the (G2) Guy Walter and then another shot at the (G1) Coolmore (Classic) if she is going well enough," he said.
"She didn't have much luck in that race last year so that'd be a potential target for her.
Forbidden Love | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Behind Nature Strip and Forbidden Love in that trial were Standout (Exceed And Excel), Riodini (NZ) (Proisir) and Kolding (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}).
The other open-class trial was won in 55.92s by the Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou-trained Mallory (Not A Single Doubt), who finished 2.8l ahead of Ranch Hand (Fastnet Rock), with Zethus (Exceed And Excel) another 1.4l back in third.
G1 Caulfield Guineas winner Anamoe (Street Boss {USA}) had a quiet time of it in that trial and finished fourth, while boom filly Espiona (Extreme Choice) finished seventh.
Tragara on the up
The four 2-year-old trials also featured a positive result for Richard and Michael Freedman with their unraced filly Tragara (Written Tycoon) finishing off over the top of her rivals.
A $380,000 Inglis Classic Sale buy last year from Woodside Park, Tragara came from well off the pace and under the encouragement of Berry edged out Shenthara (Not A Single Doubt) for Team Hawkes and Perignan (Ribchester {Ire}) for James Cummings. Freedman stablemate Tailwinds (I Am Invincible) finished fourth.
"She was little bit green because she is a bit inexperienced. Tommy said when she was asked to come off the bridle, she was a bit lost. He gave her a bit of a tap on the backside just to teach her and I love the way she picked up and worked to the line," Freedman said.
"He (Tommy Berry) gave her (Tragara) a bit of a tap on the backside just to teach her and I love the way she picked up and worked to the line." - Michael Freedman
Wearing the colours of her part-owner Segenhoe Stud, who went into the filly with James Harron as well as G1G Racing And Breeding and a few others, Tragara looks to have taken considerable benefit of having been spelled after one trial in the spring.
"She pulled up quite shinsore from that trial she had in the spring. That made the decision for us, and that is not a bad thing. She was a still a bit on the immature side and needed time to mature a bit and she has grown into a lovely filly," he said.
"I would probably think she would have another trial before going to the races, purely for experience, because she is a touch green. She's got a nice engine and if she can improve a bit out of that trial, she might be a filly that can be nice for some of those races in the autumn.
Tragara | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Tragara is out of stakes-placed Ariaz (Charge Forward) and is the great-granddaughter of multiple Group winner Shelbourne Lass (Brocco {USA}).
The other 2-year-old fillies' trial was dominated by Godolphin, with Troach (Epaulette) edging out Ojai (Exceed And Excel). Drisana (Merchant Navy), who was placed behind boom filly Coolangatta (Written Tycoon) in the G3 Gimcrack S., finished a close-up third.
Pyrois (Written Tycoon), Team Hawkes' $1.2 million colt, claimed his second trial win in the first of the colts and geldings' heats, edging out the John O'Shea-trained Zoukerino (Snitzel), who topped the Magic Millions National Yearling Sale last year when selling for $500,000.
Chris Waller's Churchill (Ire) colt Robusto, who debuted with a fourth in the Listed Maribyrnong Trial in October, narrowly won the second 2-year-old colts' trial holding out Godolphin colt Rakomelo (Lonhro).
