Written by Kristen Manning
There is always plenty of interest in the early spring trials and there were some interesting results at Warwick Farm and Beaudesert this morning - including a couple of Group 1 horses in winning form in Sydney.
Warwick Farm: Heat 2 - Sheeza Belter finds daylight
Seeing daylight late after trialling with cover, last year's G1 JJ Atkins S. winner Sheeza Belter (Gold Standard), now trained by Annabel Neasham, found the line well, showing nice improvement on her first trial for this spring when unplaced behind Buenos Noches (Supido) at Rosehill last week.
Whilst out of the winner's circle last time in, she lost no fans with two Group 1 placings from four outings and there looks to be more to come for the 4-year-old who also has a couple of Group 2 races on her resume, the Hot Danish S. and the BRC Sires' Produce S.
Not far behind her, also running in restricted room, was the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Affaire A Suivre (NZ) (Astern), winner of the G1 Australasian Oaks in late April.
Heat 3 - Group 1 return by Think About It
Widest into the straight and looking good swamping his rivals late, Think About It (So You Think {NZ}) impressed at his first public appearance since winning all three of his autumn/winter assignments.
Taking out the Listed Takeover Target S., the G1 Kingsford-Smith Cup and the G1 Stradbroke, the Joseph Pride-trained gelding has tasted defeat only once in 10 starts and fans will be excited to see his spring return.
Think About It | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
This heat should prove to be a good form reference with the lightly raced and promising last-start Listed Oxlade S. winner Namesake (Maurice {Jpn}) finishing second whilst the Listed Princess S. winner Street Gossip (also by So You Think {NZ}) was third.
Heat 7 - Frosted gelding leads from start to finish
One of Australia's most prolific families may have another smart one in the shape of the Gary Portelli-trained Artic Panther (Frosted {USA}) who showed both speed and heart taking the lead and digging deep when challenged late.
The Panthers Bloodstock homebred, who has inherited the grey coat of his former Darley shuttling sire, is out of the city-placed, two-time winner Purringa (Purrealist). She is a great-granddaughter of Song Of Norway (Vain) whose dual Group-winning daughter Scandinavia (Snippets) is the grandam of Black Caviar (Bel Esprit) and Vinery Stud's All Too Hard.
The runner-up Yayoi (I Am Invincible), trained by Michael, Wayne and John Hawkes, tried hard in an improved performance off her first couple of trials. The $800,000 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale graduate, raced by Alan Bell and Kia Ora Stud, is out of the G2 Silver Shadow S. winner Omei Sword (High Chaparral {Ire}).
Heat 8 - well-related Justify filly gets to the line Just In Time
There were three across the track at the finish of this heat with the well-related Just In Time (Justify {USA}) having her nose out on the line. A $220,000 Magic Millions purchase bred by Emmaroo Bloodstock from the first local crop of her sire, she had finished runner-up at her first two trials.
Trained by Richard and Will Freedman her dam is the stakes-placed Pickin' Time (Fastnet Rock), half-sister to the Listed Hobart Guineas winner Reprisal (Galileo {Ire}) from the family of a recent big-race winner - the G1 Winx S. heroine Fangirl (Sebring).
Fighting out the finish with her was Dame Annie (Denman) whose third dam is the record-breaking sprinter Special (Habituate {Ire}) and Serenade Belle (More Than Ready {USA}) who hails from the 'Hula' branch of the prolific La Troienne (Fr) (Teddy {Fr}) family of which her sire is also a member.
Heat 9 - Newgate filly gets soft win
It was a soft all-the-way win for the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Costa Smeralda (Exceed And Excel), a promising type for Newgate Farm, showing good improvement off her first trial.
She is the second foal for the dual Listed-winning imported mare Spanish Pipedream (USA) (Scat Daddy {USA}) whose first foal Latizia (Capitalist) showed good talent at two - winning at Flemington at debut before a G3 Diamond Preview placing.
Costa Smeralda | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
It was somewhat of an Exceed And Excel quinella with the runner-up Energized (Brazen Beau) being out of his stakes-placed daughter Miniature.
Beaudesert: Heat 3 - Kiss And Makeup colt sings
There were 2-year-olds strutting their stuff at Beaudesert on Tuesday morning and the Ben Ahrens-trained Don'tleavemenow (Kiss And Make Up) was fast out of the gates, soon having his rivals strung out.
Getting further in front with each stride in the run home, the homebred for P.H Byers won by an impressive official margin of 10l.
Bred on a 3 X 3 cross of Redoute's Choice, he is out of the placed Allbutblack (Albrecht) who boasts interesting line-breeding patterns including duplications of Eight Carat (GB) (Pieces Of Eight {Ire}) and her own fifth dam Baby Doll (GB) (Dante {GB}), the dam of Eight Carat's sire.
