Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Monday morning at Royal Randwick played host to 17 trials. With deluge of rain prior to the first trial, the grass surface was unavailable prompting the club to transfer all trials onto Randwick’s synthetic surface.
Annabel Neasham’s four-time Group 1 winner Zaaki (GB) (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}) returned to the trials on Monday morning at Royal Randwick in Heat 2 over 1080 metres.
It has been well-documented Neasham elected to give the 8-year-old galloper a longer break after a taxing spring campaign which culminated in Zaaki winning the G1 Champions S. at Flemington.
Zaaki (GB) when winning the G1 Champions S. at Flemington | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
With regular rider James McDonald aboard, Zaaki came home in fourth under his own steam with the open-class field posting a time of 33.31s in the final 600 metres.
Meanwhile, in Heat 4 the star colt Jacquinot (Rubick) resumed his autumn preparation in a 1080-metre heat.
With James McDonald taking over in the saddle from regular rider Damian Lane, who begins a lucrative riding contract in Japan this month, Jacquinot cruised around under minimal urgings to finish second, the last 600 metres recorded a time of 34.07s.
The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained 3-year-old was last seen finishing sixth in the G1 Australian Guineas. With nothing much going right in that race, connections elected to give Jacquinot a freshen-up with a view to targeting the G1 All Aged S. on April 15.
Heat 6 - Sly Boots to the fore
The first juvenile heat of the morning saw the Waterhouse and Bott stable quinella with the unraced Toronado (Ire) colt Sly Boots win the event from his stablemate Azula (Maurice {Jpn}), clocking 33.72s for the last 600 metres.
Sly Boots is the second foal from the Bel Esprit mare Miss Softhands. She was a winner five times during her career. This is the family of the ‘Tassie’ iron horse Hellova Street (Helike {USA}), a winner of 20 races and 12 black-type contests.
Sly Boots as a yearling, trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, winner of Heat 6 | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Sly Boots was a $375,000 yearling purchase by his trainers in conjunction with Kestrel Thoroughbreds from the draft of Newhaven Park at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Heat 7 - Vanquished wins again
The win by Sly Boots was followed by Vanquished (Vancouver) maintaining his unbeaten status at the trials. The 2-year-old colt by Vancouver was a previous trial winner at Warwick Farm and put in a professional display to take Heat 7, posting his last 600 metres in 34.28s
Vanquished is the fourth foal from the Giant's Causeway (USA) mare Pocket Power (USA). She hails from a prominent black-type family that includes Group 1 winners Artorius (Flying Artie) and Delectation (Shamardal {USA}).
Vanquished as a yearling, trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, winner of Heat 7 | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Vanquished was a $450,000 yearling purchase by TFI from Vinery Stud at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Heat 11 & 12 - Trilogy fillies impress at Randwick
Waterhouse and Bott combined with Trilogy Racing to send out two promising juvenile fillies in the next two heats. In Heat 11, the combination sent out a daughter of Zoustar for the first time in the Trilogy Silks. Named Zia, the filly is the final foal from the stakes-performed mare Soviet Secret (Eavesdropper {USA}). Zia proved too slick for her rivals in the 780-metre trial, winning from Rhythm Of Love (Grunt {NZ}) and her stablemate Absolute Power (I Am Invincible). Zia ran home the final 600 metres in a time of 33.12s.
She hails from a family that includes Girl In Flight (Commands), a Group 3 winner who was Group 2 placed.
Zia as a yearling, trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, winner of Heat 11 | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
The filly was a $360,000 yearling purchase by her trainers, Kestrel Thoroughbreds and Trilogy Racing from the draft of Glenlogan Park at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
In Heat 12 connections sent out Frenemy (Written Tycoon). The daughter of Written Tycoon was fresh off a 25-week break and did her best work late to claim the 780-metre heat from her stablemate Hyde Park (Spirit Of Boom) carrying the colours of China Horse Club. The field posted a final 600-metre time of 33.28s.
Frenemy is the first foal from the unraced Violence (USA) mare Fairway Lady (USA). Fairway Lady hails from a predominantly North American family that has enjoyed plenty of black-type success, including the third dam, Lotta Dancing (USA) (Alydar {USA}) a Group 3 winner who was placed at Group 1 level.
Frenemy as a yearling, trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, winner of Heat 12 | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
The filly was a $200,000 purchase by Trilogy Racing and CB Bloodstock from the draft of Newhaven Park at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Heat 13 - Harron unveils Heatwave
Waterhouse and Bott achieved another quinella in Heat 13, it was the colt Heatwave (Impending) on debut carrying the colours of James Harron Bloodstock who got the better of the filly Fling (NZ) (Tivaci) carrying the silks of the Chittick family’s Waikato Stud narrowly in the 780-metre contest. Heatwave recorded a time of 33.50s for his last 600 metres.
Heatwave is the second foal from the speedy Sepoy mare She’s Positive. The colt’s second dam Be Positive (Anabaa {USA}) was a winner of the G3 Frances Tressday S. and placed in the G3 Mannerism S.
Heatwave as a yearling, trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, winner of Heat 13 | Image courtesy of Inglis
He was a $220,000 yearling purchase by James Harron Bloodstock from the draft of Blue Gum Farm at the 2022 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
Heat 14 - Starlight Girl super in second trial effort
To round out proceedings on Monday morning Waterhouse and Bott saddled-up another daughter of Zoustar. Starlight Girl was having her second trial for the preparation after winning a trial in March. The effort in the 780-metre heat by the 2-year-old filly could easily have been the most visually impressive of the morning. Under minimal riding from Rachel King, the daughter of Zoustar put over 4l between herself and another by of Zoustar, the colt Pattera, from the John O’Shea stable, while the Snitzel colt Nerano was third for the Michael Freedman stable. Starlight Girl ran her final 600 metres home in a slick 33.09s.
Starlight Girl as a yearling, trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, winner of Heat 14 | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Starlight Girl is the final foal from the Snitzel mare Faustine. She was a winner on the track and is a half-sister to the speedy Zoustyle (Zoustar), a nine-time winner who has won Group 3 level and was placed in the G1 Moir S.
Starlight Girl was a $180,000 yearling purchase by PR Funds from the draft of Widden Stud at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
