Trial Report: Bella Nipotina prepares for spring campaign with Warwick Farm trial

Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan

Conducted on the grass over 821 metres, the first heat at Warwick Farm seeing a field of seven with all but one of those being Group winners with three of them having enjoyed success at the elite level.

Four of the runners are members of the Ciaron Maher stable and he had the first three home.

Making the pace was last year's G1 Goodwood H. winner Royal Merchant (Merchant Navy) who was run down late by her two-time Group 2-winning stable mate Tiz Invincible (I Am Invincible), whilst finishing off strongly from the rear was Bella Nipotina (Pride Of Dubai) making her first public appearance since her dominant G1 Tattersall's Tiara victory in late June.

Royal Merchant's trial was also her first this time in whilst it was the second for the winner's campaign, Tiz Invincible having been a close up third behind the Group 3 galloper Ducasse (Trapeze Artist) at Warwick Farm a couple of weeks ago.

Whinchat had stakes winners in pursuit

The six-time (from 12 starts) winner Whinchat (Russian Revolution), trained by David Pfieffer, showed his rivals a clean pair of heels in Heat 2, leading throughout with a couple of stakes winners in pursuit; the G2 Queensland Guineas and G3 Frank Packer Plate winner Kintyre (Hallowed Crown) second and the Listed winner Gringotts (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}), third.

Heat 6 was also won by a horse who really knows how to find the line, the Matthew Smith-trained Frilled (Star Witness) doing a bit of Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) channelling quickly getting up a big lead with her 7.5l victory described by the race caller as being of "sustained speed."

Yet to race in stakes company, Frilled has however won five of eight so far and judging by this trial performance there is more to come.

In her wake was the two-time stakes-placed Jimmysstar (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) having his first trial this time in, whilst out of the placings was the Queensland carnival Listed winner Imperialist (NZ) (Churchill {Ire}) who was not asked for much settling at the rear.

Promising 3-year-olds

There was interest in heat nine with Chris Waller saddling up a couple of lightly raced, promising 3-year-olds in Private Life (Written Tycoon) and Declichy Boulevard (Snitzel); the last-start winners solid in the placings behind the leader Huon (Kermadec {NZ}), a dual city winner for the Richard Litt stable.

Doing her best work late, finishing fourth in that trial was City Of Lights (Deep Impact {Jpn}), the four-time (from eight starts) winner best known as being a half-sister to Winx (Street Cry {Ire}).

The Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald-trained yet-to-race pair Rich Tears (Written Tycoon) and Apollo Ridge (Lonhro) were the first two home in the Trial 10, the former showing good pace and holding off a late dive from the latter.

A flashy chestnut bred on the in-form Written Tycoon/Snitzel cross, Rich Tears is a $200,000 Magic Millions graduate out of the G3 P.J Bell S. winner, Diddums (Snitzel).

Apollo Ridge went through the same sales ring, fetching $450,000. He is a son of the Group 3-placed, multiple city winner Light Up The Room (So You Think {NZ}).

A nice one for Toronado

Another yet-to-race horse showed promise in Heat 12, the Bjorn Baker-trained Greensboro (Toronado {Ire}) always in control after mustering early speed.

A $270,000 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale purchase, he is out of an unraced half-sister to the stakes winners Olentia (Zoustar), Wandabaa (Wandjina) and Malkovich (Choisir).

Second to Greensboro was the Ciaron Maher-trained Force Red (Cosmic Force) who at his debut in the G3 Breeders Plate at Randwick last spring was a close up fifth behind Espionage (Zoustar).

Another 3-year-old to have raced once at two was Yoshinobu (Written Tycoon) and she got the upper hand late to take out Heat 13 for the Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald stable. A $550,000 Magic Millions half-sister to the Listed winner Pretty In Pink (Sebring), she was last at debut but in good company; the G2 Silver Slipper S. won by Straight Charge (Written By).

The following trial was taken by the Darby Racing homebred Dashing Rupert (Winning Rupert), who also won a Warwick Farm trial a couple of weeks ago. Second to him today was the $600,000 Magic Millions graduate Jellicious (Snitzel) who in May ran a game debut second to subsequent stakes winner Clean Energy (Zoustar) at Warwick Farm.

Taking an early lead in the last of the morning's 15 trials was the Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald-trained Idolised (Zoustar) who had two trials at Warwick Farm earlier in the year and one a few weeks ago; on that occasion out of the placings.

Looking professional with that experience under his belt, he is an $800,000 Magic Millions graduate bred by Musk Creek Farm out of the city-winning Personalised (Snitzel) whose dam is the Listed winner Personify (Galileo {Ire}), also dam of the G1 VRC Oaks winner Personal (Fastnet Rock).

Big morning at Doomben for Gollan

There were also trials at Doomben with leading trainer Tony Gollan represented by five of the 18 winners including the first three with the speedy six-time (from 12 starts) winner Hidden Wealth (Better Than Ready), the last-start Listed Wayne Wilson S. winner Freedom Rally (Rubick) and lightly raced and promising Give Giggles (NZ) (War Decree {USA}) who has won four of her first seven starts.

Gollan also won Heat 12 with the yet-to-race Ivy Dexstress (Sidestep), a $130,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast March Yearling Sale buy who had 3l on her unraced stable mate Angelic Boom (Spirit Of Boom); a three-quarter sister to stakes winner Sugar Boom (Spirit Of Boom).

A couple of stakes winners put a space on their rivals in the following trial, last December's Listed Lough Neagh S. winner Far Too Easy (All Too Hard) getting clear late from the last-start Listed Dalrello S. winner Mishani Lily (Kobayashi).

Heat 14 saw the first of the new season's 2-year-olds make an appearance, the Robert Heathcote-trained Seven Oceans (Flying Artie) a close up third after showing pace behind the Lindsay Gough-trained unraced 3-year-old Oscar (Love Conquers All).

Also in winning form were the yet-to-race 3-year-olds Kabukicho (Brave Smash {Jpn}), a Robert Heathcote-trained half-sister to a couple of city winners and Wheeper (Shalaa {Ire}), a Chris Anderson-trained gelding from the prolific Easy Date (Grand Chaudiere {Can}) family,

Stakes winners at Stawell

There were also 11 trials at Stawell in Victoria's Wimmera region with the highlight being the appearance of the stakes-winning mares Wishlor Lass (Mshawish {USA}) and My Bella Mae (Deep Field) who were both soft to the line finishing first and second in Heat 7 over 800 metres.

Last spring's G3 Tesio S. and G3 Ladies Day Vase winner Wishlor Lass was last seen on the track in March as was the dual Listed winner My Bella Mae.