Written by Oz Wedmore
Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Following significant overnight rain, Randwick trials on Monday morning were held exclusively on the synthetic surface. Despite a number of scratchings, there was plenty of interest amongst four 2-year-old heats.
After four scratchings, John Sargent sent out the entire field of three juveniles for Heat 4 over 1080 metres. Taking them along was the Mendelssohn (USA) colt Llewellyn, but, having settled at the rear of the trio, it was the No Nay Never (USA) colt Waverley who was pushed up by Zac Lloyd to take the trial in the final few strides.
Waverley as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Waverley completed the trial in 1:04.58, which stacks up favourably compared to the older horses over the same distance. With just 1.82l separating the field at the finish, last home was Go Bloodstock homebred Last Straw (Brazen Beau), who is out of the Group 3-placed Boundary (Manhattan Rain).
A $70,000 purchase by his trainer in conjunction with Rick Connolly Bloodstock at the 2022 Magic Millions National Yearling Sale, Waverley is out of the Redoute’s Choice mare Frontalis, who was herself a winner over 1800 metres.
The first of the three 780-metre heats for 2-year-olds, Heat 10 (for colts and geldings) featured another of Bert Vieira’s homebred juveniles by first-season sire Trapeze Artist. Leading a James Cummings duo (the only other participants in the trial) Trapeze Pleasure was awkward rounding the home turn.
However, once Jason Collett had him straightened out, he strode home 0.74l clear of Frottoir (Ribchester {Ire}) to complete the trial in 48.75s. A further 0.5l away in third was Crucible (Exosphere), who galloped beautifully through the line having got the hang of things late.
Frottoir is notably well-bred, being out of the Zabeel (NZ) mare Zydeco, winner of the G2 Wakeful S. and twice Group 1 placed. Zydeco’s dam is G1 Thousand Guineas winner All Time High (Flying Spur).
John O’Shea’s Saltaire (Star Turn) won Heat 11, the fastest of the 780-metre juvenile trials, in 47.04s. The only non-Godolphin horse of the four fillies, Saltaire was given a solid workout under Tommy Berry, and eventually prevailed by a nose over Mannequin (Exceed And Excel).
A further 0.5l away was another daughter of Exceed And Excel, Apres Ski, who is out of 2-year-old winner La Parva (Lonhro), herself a sister to Group 2 winner Ghisoni and half-sister to the well-considered Andermatt (Snitzel). Trailing them home by just 1l was Relatives (Lonhro).
Saltaire as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
With the Godolphin trio all homebred, Saltaire was the only one in the trial to have graduated from a sale and was picked up at the 2022 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale by Kitchwin Hills for $140,000.
Heat 12 was another for the 2-year-old fillies, and the three participants were all sent out by James Cummings. The three fillies sauntered quietly through the early stages of the trial. Although none were put under serious pressure, it was Vividness (Exosphere) who prevailed by 0.23l.
Out of Listed winner Glows (Canny Lad), Vividness is a sister to Thermosphere, who won the G3 Magic Night S. as a juvenile herself, before winning the G2 Edward Manifold S. as a 3-year-old.
Vividness is a sister to Thermosphere (pictured), winner of the G3 Magic Night S. | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Less than 1l separated the trio at the finish, and in behind Vividness was Abstracted (Territories {Ire}), who finished 0.2l ahead of Belledonne (Kingman {GB}). Unsurprisingly, given the lax early pace, Vividness completed the 780-metre trial in a steady 49.56s.
Catching the eye in the final trial of the morning was the unraced Hulm (Zoustar), who improved under a motionless James McDonald to take Heat 14 (780 metres) by 0.6l in a time of 46.29s. A homebred for Emirates Park, the 3-year-old colt is trained by Peter and Paul Snowden and is out of Night Dream (Dream Ahead {USA}), who is a half-sister to Sepoy.
