Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Randwick was host to 14 trials on Monday morning, with three of those contested by 2-year-olds.
In Heat 10 - a 2-Year-Old Open Trial over 740 metres - there was plenty of interest in the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Dominetta (Zoustar). The filly is from the winning Anabaa (USA) mare Debonnaire (GB), making her a half-sister to the brilliant Hartnell (GB) (Authorized {Ire}) - a winner of eight stakes races, including four in top company.
Having finished third behind stablemate Madrina (Street Boss {USA}) at her first trial (at Randwick on November 20), Dominetta got the better of another Tulloch Lodge juvenile, Fully Lit (Hellbent), to prevail by 0.72l in a time of 43.41s under Rachel King. John Sargent’s Runjeet (Shalaa {Ire}) was third.
Debonnaire herself is a half-sister to the stakes performers Dramatic Quest (GB), Zafonic {USA}) and Proceed With Care (GB) (Danehill {USA}), and she has also produced the Listed victress Roz (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) and the 2-year-old winner and Listed placegetter Ursula (USA) (Tapit {USA}).
Dominetta as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Bred by Mt Brilliant Farm, Dominetta was consigned by Arrowfield Stud at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, with Paul Messara Racing signing for her for $500,000.
Per Incanto filly a narrow winner
In Heat 11, another 740-metre 2-Year-Old Open Trial, the Sargent-trained Photographics (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) ran 44.09s, touching off the Tulloch Lodge-trained pair Format (Frankel {GB}) and Buckingham Palace (Written By).
Photographics, a filly from the winning Fast ‘N’ Famous mare Los Vargas (NZ), was bred by Brown Thoroughbreds and Fusion Thoroughbreds, before being offered by Little Avondale Stud at the 2023 NZB Karaka Yearling Sale (Book 1). She was passed in after failing to meet her NZ$100,000 reserve.
Los Vargas is a half-sister to the stakes winners Karavali (NZ) (Nadeem) and Sir Nate (NZ) (Nadeem).
Photographics (NZ) as a yearling | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
Little Avondale Stud will offer a sister to Photographics as Lot 818 at the 2024 NZB Karaka Yearling Sale (Book 2).
Format, meanwhile, is a colt out of the 2012 G1 Coolmore Stud S. heroine Nechita (Fastnet Rock), making him a half-brother to the stakes winners Harpo Marx (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Forbearance (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).
Evergreen Rich paid $650,000 for Format the Coolmore Stud draft at the 2022 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale.
Straight Charge a Millions contender?
Talented juvenile Straight Charge (Written By), another youngster from the Waterhouse/Bott yard, showed he has no shortage of ability when a close second behind the hugely impressive Espionage (Zoustar) in the G3 Breeders’ Plate at Randwick on September 30.
The colt was tipped out, before returning to the trials at Randwick on November 28, where he posted a dominant win over 742 metres.
In Heat 12 on Monday, the third of the 740-metre 2-Year-Old Open Trials, Straight Charge proved too good for stablemate Trunk (Snitzel) in the run home, scoring by 1.21l in a slick 42.72s in the hands of Tim Clark.
The first two home are both raced by Yulong Stud, and they cleared out from another Tulloch Lodge 2-year-old, the Dundeel (NZ) colt Sea Of Galilee.
Straight Charge fetched $160,000 at the 2022 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale, with Paul Moroney Bloodstock / Pegasus Bloodstock buying him from the Twin Hills Stud consignment. Yulong Investments then paid $270,000 for him from the Lime Country Thoroughbreds draft at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Gallery: Straight Charge proved too good for stablemate Trunk in Heat 12, images courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
The colt is out of the winless I Am Invincible mare Matryoshka and she is a half-sister to the Listed scorer and Group 2-producing sire Winning Rupert and the Group 3 victress Tycoon Evie (Written Tycoon).
Trunk is extremely well-related, with stakes winners such as Hips Don't Lie (NZ) (Stravinsky {USA}), Ennis Hill (Fastnet Rock) and Acrobat all featuring prominently on his page.
The colt is from the stakes performer Acquired (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}), making him a half-brother to the Group 2 scorer Splintex and the Listed winner Invictus Salute (Exceed And Excel).
Harron looks to have a talented Capitalist colt
Earlier, the Team Snowden-trained Customized (Capitalist) was victorious in Heat 4 over 1050 metres. Partnered by Tommy Berry, he scored by 1.15l in 1:04.75, with Les Bridge’s Scorching Legend (Too Darn Hot {GB}) second and Pierant (Pierro) - a stablemate of the winner - third.
It was the third time Customized has been seen at the trials and he has been impressive on each occasion.
The colt was bred by Belinda Bateman, before James Harron Colt Partnership paid $400,000 for him from the Newgate Farm draft at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Customized is out of the winning Not A Single Doubt mare Single Sapphire and the colt is closely related to the Group 2 scorer Twilight Royale (Testa Rossa) - the dam of the recent G2 Sandown Guineas heroine Serasana (Snitzel).
Newgate Farm will offer a brother to Customized as Lot 197 at next month’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Well-related Godolphin colt does it again at Cranbourne
Cranbourne hosted a couple of 2-year-old trials on Monday morning, and the promising Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained Eject (Street Boss {USA}), who won his first trial at the same track by 2.75l in September, was again victorious, this time by 0.75l.
Eject faced just three rivals in the 800-metre heat, including stablemate Sociable (Yes Yes Yes).
The Godolphin-owned Eject beat home Frankie Stockdale’s Lovely Sam (Rothesay), with the Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained River Point (Blue Point {Ire}) third and Sociable fourth.
Gallery: Some of the runners against Eject at the 2-year-old trials hosted by Cranbourne, images courtesy of Magic Millions
Eject is from the four-time scorer Banish (Lonhro) - the winner of the G2 Moonee Valley Classic in 2017. Banish has three named foals, two have raced and Exile (Fastnet Rock) is her lone winner.
The colt’s second dam, Meidung (Bernardini {USA}) is also a stakes winner; she took out the Listed Twilight Glow S. in 2012. Meidung is a half-sister to the Group 2 victress Gamay (Pierro) and the two-time scorer Maidel (Ad Valorem {USA}) - the dam of the Group 2 winner-turned sire Dirty Work, who stands at Widden Stud.
The 12-time winner and dual Group 2 victor Pinwheel (Lonhro) also features on Eject’s page.
Earlier, Phillip Stokes’ Cosmic Force colt Stay Focused won Heat 1, also by 0.75l.
The Kingstar Farm-bred Stay Focused was consigned by Sledmere Stud at this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. He was knocked down to Bennett Racing for $250,000.
The colt is out of the two-time winner Coral Reef (Galileo {Ire}) and she is a half-sister to the Listed scorer Chevauchee (High Chaparral {Ire}). Coral Reef has done a good job as a broodmare, producing the stakes performer Miss Moana (Uncle Mo {USA}), Hollywood Mo (Uncle Mo {USA}), as well as, among others, the Annabel Neasham-trained Beauty Rising (Deep Field) - a winner at Sandown-Lakeside in March that was also bought by Bennett Racing.
Stay Focused is closely related to the stakes winners Riyadian (GB) and Charles The Great (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), and his third dam is the 1990 G1 Irish Oaks heroine Knight’s Baroness (GB) (Rainbow Quest {USA}).
Second behind Stay Focused was a trio of Team Freedman-trained juveniles - Velocity Mirage (Flying Artie), Appointed (NZ) (Super Seth) and Markdel (Snitzel).
