Autumn stars shine at Geelong trials, Rosemont juveniles too

Written by Jessica Owers

Cover image courtesy of Bronwen Healy

Geelong was abuzz on Tuesday morning with a full card of official trials, the track playing host to a number of profiled stars ahead of the autumn.

Most notable were the first two heats, which featured first Alligator Blood (All Too Hard) and I’m Thunderstruck (NZ) (Shocking) over 1000 metres, and then Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) over the same distance.

For watchers of the upcoming $5 million The All-Star Mile, there was plenty of muscle on flex.

I’m Thunderstruck is a leading contender for the rich feature on March 18, having run second to Zaaki (GB) (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}) last year, and he won the opening heat at Geelong well.

Ridden by Jaime Kah, he settled midfield early and ranged up in the straight to be strong on the line. He was clear by over 1l at the finish ahead of a bunched finish that included the four-time Group 1 hero and fellow All-Star Mile contender Alligator Blood.

“He was fantastic,” said Kah after the win, the leading rider having not piloted I’m Thunderstruck since July 2021. “He’s really matured since I rode him. He used to do a lot wrong back in the day, he was quite immature, so it was fantastic to give him the spin around Geelong this morning (Tuesday). I couldn’t have been happier with him.”

Kah will partner the 5-year-old OTI gelding in the upcoming G1 CF Orr S. at Sandown on February 11. It will be the first time I’m Thunderstruck will race since his fifth to old nemesis Zaaki in the G1 Champions S. during Cup Week.

“I’ll ride him first-up in the CF Orr and we’ll go from there,” Kah said. “I’ve got the open book with him where we cannot commit yet for anything with him, but so far I’m really happy with how he’s going.

“He was always a really nice horse, but he just did a lot wrong back in the day. He used to lay in terribly and miss the start, which gave his rivals a lot more benefit over him. But today he jumped really well and he did everything right. He’s getting on a bit older now and he’s really hitting his form, so I’m really excited about riding him.”

Following I’m Thunderstruck, Heat 2 at Geelong was won by Mr Brightside in another good show for The All-Star Mile. The 1000-metre sprint included Callsign Mav (NZ) (Atlante), who was a last-start second in the Listed Cranbourne Cup and who is also among the contenders.

Mr Brightside weaved a passage through the field to finish well for jockey Craig Williams. The pair eased up 2l clear of Callsign Mav and Phoenix Global (All Too Hard), and their final time over the distance was near identical to that of I’m Thunderstruck.

Mr Brightside is trained at Flemington by Ben and JD Hayes for Lindsay Park Racing. He was last seen third to Alligator Blood in the G1 Champions Mile in the spring.

In the third heat of the morning, the Lindsey Smith-trained Tuvalu, a 5-year-old son of Kermadec (NZ), was victorious over a field that included the G1 Melbourne Cup winner Vow And Declare (Declaration Of War {USA}) and Young Werther (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}).

Tuvalu is a possible entrant in The All-Star Mile, meaning the first three heats on Tuesday morning were fodder for form fans.

Tuvalu finished about 1l ahead of the interesting mare Sparkle (Jpn), an imported daughter of Epiphaeneia (Jpn) who is Group-performed in Japan. She is trained by Danny O’Brien and is yet to race in Australia. Keats (Ire), a 6-year-old son of Galileo (Ire) for Gavin Bedggood, was third.

Tuvalu has won eight of 14 starts for Lindsey Smith and has never been unplaced. His last appearance in silks was in the Champions Mile behind Alligator Blood when he was second.

Rosemont juveniles shine

Geelong’s morning of trials featured three events specifically for the 2-year-olds, and the Victorian-based Rosemont Stud enjoyed a good double for its former resident Starspangledbanner.

The stallion had two winners, both in the Rosemont colours, and they came in the shape of Treasurway in Heat 10 and Forever More in Heat 12.

Heat 11 – A Treasur pedigree

The 2-year-old filly Treasurway was having her very first trial for trainer Jason Warren in this event. Previously, she’d had two jump-outs for the Mornington stable, finishing third and fourth.

This trial was the second of the juvenile heats over 1000 metres, and Treasurway jumped handily from the inside stall. She remained just off the speed and was a little clumsy into the straight.

However, the daughter of Starspangledbanner got going to post a just-under 1l win from Extreme Threat (Extreme Choice) and Galactical Harmony (Deep Field).

Treasurway is a homebred for Rosemont Stud. She’s the first foal from the Toorak Toff mare Miss Toorak Flyer, who was a four-time winner during her career. The second dam on this page is Rosemont Flyer (Bel Esprit), who was a half-sister to the Secret Savings (USA) dual-stakes winner Secret Flyer and the stakes-placed Hell’s Kitchen (Choisir).

This is also the family of four-time Group winner Luvaluva (NZ) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}).

Heat 12 – Forever More

The 2-year-old filly Forever More was the second of Rosemont’s juvenile winners, another homebred from a family fostered well by the breeding operation.

Forever More is a daughter of Shake That (Toorak Toff), also bred by Rosemont and herself a daughter of the imported American mare Meet My Sis (USA) (Prized {USA}). As such, Shake That is a half-sister to Schilling (Bianconi {USA}), the G2 Sandown Guineas winner, and Estonian Princess (Snitzel), the latter a winner of the G3 James HB Carr S.

Meet My Sis was imported to Australia in 1999 and sold to Rosemont in 2010 for $48,000. She is no longer among its broodmare band, her last foal being Forever More for the operation before her sale last year.

Forever More is trained at Geelong by Leon and Troy Corstens and, up until Tuesday’s trial, she’d been handy in a pair of jump-outs. The latest was at Flemington over 800 metres, which she won, and she trialled on Tuesday from barrier two.

She stayed along the rail for the 1000 metres and was hurried along in the straight to post a narrow victory over Freak Of Nature (Thronum), Roguery (Into Mischief {USA}) and Vandemoer (Encryption).

Heat 9 - Hellish leads home Little Brose

Aside from the Rosemont pair, Geelong’s juvenile winners also included the Hellbent colt Hellish, who is trained by Danny O’Brien at Barwon Heads. Two-year-old Hellish has had two preparations so far, and in this latest one he’s recorded a jump-out win and a second, which is promising form for the unraced youngster.

At Geelong, Hellish kept early company with Little Brose (Per Incanto {USA}), the Listed Merson Cooper S. winner for Lindsay Park. The pair was side-by-side towards the back of the pack until Hellish was hustled along in the straight.

The colt eased clear to win by 0.75l to Little Brose, who was untouched and coasted to the line down the middle of the track in a promising reappearance.

Hellish was bought by O’Brien at the 2022 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, consigned by Yarraman Park. He’s from the Charge Forward mare Andromache (NZ), herself a stakes-placed racehorse, and her colt is a half-brother to the stakes-placed filly Pageantry (I Am Invincible), who was placed in the Listed Cindarella S.

This is the family of the South African Champion 3-Year-Old Mythical Play (NZ) (Defensive Play {USA}), who is the second dam on this page, while the third dam is Kate’s Myth, also a Champion 3-Year-Old but this time in New Zealand, and the dam of two stakes winners.