Written by Jessica Owers
Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Warwick Farm was a Soft 5 on Tuesday for a busy card of trials, a total of 20 heats taking place across the morning. They were dotted with three juvenile events that resulted in wins for the sires Spirit Of Boom, Choisir and Snitzel.
Of these, the Snitzel result was particularly interesting because it came from the 2-year-old colt Shinzo, a son of Samaready (More Than Ready {USA}) and, as such, a full brother to the Group 3 winner Exhilarates.
Shinzo won Heat 11 over 820 metres on the Warwick Farm synthetic, downing the Godolphin colt Razors (Sidestep) and the Aquis colt Room For Squares (Rubick) in a final time of 49.28s, the last 600 metres in 34.54s.
Gallery: Heat 11, images courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Shinzo galloped home strongly by 1.78l in a trial that had him making ground on the leaders early. He was third after the jump and quickened on the rails to get among it with Hugh Bowman aboard, eventually pulling away.
The colt is trained by Chris Waller and it was his first appearance in silks.
Samaready has been a tricky breeder since she went to stud in 2014. The two-time Group 1 winner, who claimed the Blue Diamond S. and Moir S. in her career, has just two surviving foals, namely Exhilarates and Shinzo.
She was an expensive purchase for Coolmore two years ago, Tom Magnier paying $1.8 million for her carrying Shinzo at the 2020 Inglis Chairman’s Sale when she was consigned by Vinery. After the $2 million-selling In Her Time (Time Thief), she was the second top-seller at the sale.
Two-time Group 1 winner, Samaready | Image courtesy of Inglis
Samaready is a half-sister to the G2 Karrakatta Plate winner Night War (General Nediym), and she was Champion Female Sprinter in Australia in 2013/14. She was good enough to be third in Pierro’s Golden Slipper in a career that also saw her win at Group 2, Group 3 and Listed level.
The mare was exported to Ireland in February, with Coolmore confirming that she is now in America and recently scanned in foal to Justify (USA) on Southern Hemisphere time.
The juvenile fillies
Shinzo’s trial was the only one for the colts and geldings on Tuesday morning, with two trials on the turf for the juvenile fillies.
The first, Heat 9, was won by the Spirit Of Boom youngster Malaboom, a daughter of the Listed Blue Diamond Preview (Fillies) winner Malasun (Red Ransom {USA}), while the second went the way of Empress Of Wonder (Choisir), an Aquis filly.
Malaboom posted the sharper of the two trials, winning her 820-metre event in 49.16s, and she won by 1.17l to the OTI Racing-owned Lindelago (Bolt D’Oro {USA}) and the Godolphin filly Cinque Terre (Harry Angel {Ire}).
Malaboom is trained by Matthew Dale and she was ridden by Jason Collett, edging up early in the heat to snatch a lead that she held throughout. Like Shinzo, it was the filly’s first time in silks for her Canberra trainer and she’s raced by an ownership group that includes Sean and Genevieve Driver’s Kurrinda Bloodstock.
Kurrinda Bloodstock purchased the filly for $80,000 when she was consigned by Eureka Stud to the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. She hails from the same family as the G2 Autumn Classic winner Stokehouse (Anabaa {USA}).
Malaboom as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Empress Of Wonder, meanwhile, won the second fillies’ heat for trainer Annabel Neasham and Tony Fung Investments. This daughter of Choisir beat Riva Mia (Impending) and Everlong (Capitalist) by 0.18l and 1.1l respectively.
Like most of the 2-year-olds across the morning, she was appearing for the first time in trial conditions, and she completed the 820 metres in 49.46s, the last 600 metres in 34.77s.
Empress Of Wonder was purchased by Neasham and Brian McGuire at the 2022 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale. She was consigned by Ducatoon Park and sold for $100,000. She is the fourth foal from the Churchill Downs mare Tsarina Wonder, and therefore a half-sister to the stakes-placed Wonderful Riri (Barbados).
Gallery: Heat 9 and 10, images courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Golden Eagle watch
Tuesday’s trials also produced a handy result for Saturday’s Golden Eagle meeting.
In Heat 1, the in-form Gypsy Goddess (NZ) (Tarzino), who is currently 19th in the order for the Golden Eagle field, was third for her trainer David Vandyke behind the Bjorn Baker-trained Kiss The Bride (NZ) (Savabeel).
Gypsy Goddess is tilting towards a first-up win in the $10 million race on the weekend, with her last race being her win in the G1 Queensland Oaks at Eagle Farm in June. Vandyke said the 4-year-old mare had travelled well from the Sunshine Coast.
The trainer also admitted that Gypsy Goddess would have to run just third in the Golden Eagle, netting $1 million, to earn him his best pay-day on a racecourse. The mare is currently $15 in the market.
Amelia’s Dream colt
A morning of busy trials also occurred on the Sunshine Coast on Tuesday, with a sole juvenile event whipping in the schedule. It was a three-horse field in the end, but it posted an interesting winner for the Chris Waller stable in the shape of Give Him Wings (Rubick).
This 2-year-old colt is a son of Amelia’s Dream, the Redoute’s Choice winner of the G2 Silver Slipper S. in 2008. He was bred by Element Hill and consigned to the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, purchased thereafter by ARJB Racing for $230,000.
Give Him Wings as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Tuesday’s trial was the first appearance for the Rubick colt and, over 850 metres, he posted a winning time of 54.29s, the last 600 metres in 36.57s.
Give Him Wings beat the Sidestep gelding Lord Danilo by 0.5l, and Gypsy Power (Power {GB}) was a further 0.7l to third.
