Cover image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
It was a busy morning at Randwick on Monday, as owners, trainers, agents, and auction house representatives turned up for a chance to see an exhibition of some precocious 2-year-olds ahead of the first premier juvenile races of the season.
Across the nine trials, 60 youngsters faced their first public test, and it was the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott team who dominated, winning six of the nine heats. Hawkesbury trainers Mitchell and Desiree Kearney won two heats, and Bjorn Baker won the other one.
Six of the nine heats were won by progeny of proven sires; Yes Yes Yes, Farnan, Zoustar, I Am Invincible, Too Darn Hot (GB), and Hellbent. The first three heats of the day went the way of first season sires, two to Home Affairs and one to Stay Inside.
Six winners went through the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, and the other three were found at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
Home Affairs, winner of the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes and G1 Lightning Stakes at three, stands at Coolmore Stud and began the day winning the first two heats on the card.
“Home Affairs is obviously a stallion we’ve had huge expectations of, and his yearlings sold very well. We’ve had positive reports for a number of months, especially about I’m Ya Huckleberry, who has been a real talking horse,” said Coolmore’s Tom Moore.
Tom Moore | Image courtesy of Inglis
“We saw footage of a jump out where he looked very professional, and he backed that up today by doing everything right. He showed a huge amount of natural speed like his sire, and he’s a promising horse to follow. He seems to resemble his sire with a number of common characteristics as he was parading, and it looks like the hype is justified on him.
“Similarly with the filly, Home Invasion, she’s one that Scott Darby has been giving us positive reports on for a number of months now. Like the colt, she showed natural speed and won impressively. Hopefully, if she pulls up well, we’ll see her in the Gimcrack.
“We couldn’t have hoped for a better start. He’s had two close seconds in New Zealand too, from only four runners, so he’s on the right path.”
G1 Golden Slipper winner Stay Inside stands at Newgate Farm, alongside his sire Extreme Choice. “It’s all positive. We couldn’t have been happier with Stay Inside’s debut morning at the trials. Eviction Notice was a real standout, and Stay Inside had another four 2-year-olds run second or third,” said Newgate Farm’s Henry Field.
“He had a big number of runners who showed themselves well. All bar one trialled really nicely, and the key when you are trying to assess a first season sire at these trials is to look for a consistent number of above average horses. Plus, he had, arguably, the star of the show as well.”
Too Darn Hot’s filly Shiki ran the fastest time of the day, while Stay Inside’s Eviction Notice won by the largest margin.
Please note: All heats were over 850 metres on a Good 4 surface
Heat 1 - Colts and Geldings
Overall time: 49.54s
Last 600 metres: 33.28s
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained colt I’m Ya Huckleberry (Home Affairs) lived up to his $400,000 price-tag in the first heat. He jumped and led with Bjorn Baker-trained colt Paradoxium (Extreme Choice) joining him. They led the field by a few lengths for most of the run, putting distance between the pair and the rest of the runners.
At the line, I’m Ya Huckleberry scooted clear to win by 2.39 lengths from Paradoxium. Of the rest, Peter Snowden-trained The Machine Gun (Stay Inside) finished off strongly to pass Whip Cracker (Farnan) and gain third place.
Sold by Kia Ora Stud at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, I’m Ya Huckleberry was bought by Waterhouse, Bott, and Kestrel Thoroughbreds. He is the second foal of Key (Exceed And Excel), who is a stakes-placed full sister to Listed winner Oz Empress. Both Oz Empress and Key were best at three, as was Home Affairs, so this colt should improve further with time.
Heat 2 - Fillies
Overall time: 50.63s
Last 600 metres: 33.71s
In a repeat of the first trial, it was again Home Affairs combining with Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott to win with filly Home Invasion who bolted in by 1.92 lengths under a hold. In second was the John Thompson-trained Legaselli (King’s Legacy) who was pushed along a bit more. Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained Gwendeling (Street Boss {USA}) finished strongly to overtake Michael Freedman-trained Satin Summer (Written Tycoon) on the line for third.
Darby Racing purchased Home Invasion from Segenhoe Stud’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft for $220,000. She is the third foal of Catwalk (Foxwedge) who won in Sydney as a June 2-year-old and is a full sister to Listed winner Fox Swift.
Heat 3 - Colts and Geldings
Overall time: 49.53s
Last 600 metres: 33.19s
The Waterhouse Bott team made it three from three in the third heat with their colt Eviction Notice. The colt jumped well with Spring Ruler (Wild Ruler) tucking in behind him, but it was all Eviction Notice who kept putting distance between himself and the rest of the field. Bjorn Baker-trained King Of The Nile (I Am Invincible) ran on well for second as did third-placed Threads (Snitzel) for Ciaron Maher.
“Today you saw a very smart colt. Flies the gates, travels beautifully and extends, leaves his rivals for dead,” said Waterhouse.
Another Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale graduate, Eviction Notice was purchased from Newgate Farm by Waterhouse, Bott, and Kestrel Thoroughbreds for $375,000.
Eviction Notice is a half-brother to American stakes winner High Class (USA) (Into Mischief {USA}), and his dam, Euroboss (USA) (Street Boss {USA}) placed in the G3 Woodbine Whimsical Stakes.
Heat 4 - Fillies
Overall time: 50.58s
Last 600 metres: 34.09s
Gooree Stud will be giving their new stallion acquisition Yes Yes Yes extra carrots tonight after his filly Oh Yes She Did won the fourth heat at Randwick. Trained by Mitchell and Desiree Kearney, she only jumped fairly and sat behind the leading group of Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Ignition Code (Stay Inside) and Michael Freedman-trained Mayflower (Capitalist) with Denim Wynen-trained Magic Storm (Cool Aza Beel {NZ}) out wide.
Ignition Code looked to have it all wrapped up, but Oh Yes She Did stormed around the leading pair to win by 1.6 lengths with Mayflower finishing up in second and Ignition Code in third.
Tyreel Stud sold Oh Yes She Did at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale for $240,000 to Kearney Racing and D Springfield. Oh Yes She Did is a half-sister to Listed winner Kalino (Pierro) and a full sister to juvenile stakes-placed Maili. Her dam, city winner Lanikai (I Am Invincible) placed at two and ran in the G3 Magic Night Stakes.
Heat 5 - Colts and Geldings
Overall time: 50.22s
Last 600 metres: 33.15s
The Waterhouse and Bott team dominated heat 5 with a tight quinella. On the line only 0.04 lengths separated Knightsbridge (Farnan) and Our Emperor (Stay Inside). Our Emperor jumped the best and was joined by Knightsbridge and Annabel and Rob Archibald-trained Half Pipe (Extreme Warrior) who made a line of three for most of the running with Half Pipe on the outside.
Our Emperor hugged the rail and travelled well, with Knightsbridge pushed along but he dug deep when asked and just popped his head in front of Our Emperor who cruised home. Half Pipe ran third, two lengths back.
Knightsbridge was sold by Lime Country Thoroughbreds at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale to James Harron Bloodstock Colt Partnership and Tony Fung for $750,000. He’s a half-brother to Group 3 winner Semana (Winning Rupert) and last season’s Listed Morphettville Guineas winner Gala Queen (Deep Field) who won again on Sunday at Flemington.
Heat 6 - Fillies
Overall time: 50.23s
Last 600 metres: 33.65s
Bjorn Baker-trained filly Masvingo (Zoustar) won heat 6 by 1.38 lengths, having jumped well and ridden in the middle of the track. Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Lilandra (St Mark’s Basilica {Fr}) clung to the rail and the two had a good battle down the straight until Masvingo pulled away to win.
Lilandra ran fifth in a blanket finish with four horses across the line together - those being the Gary Portelli-trained Handloom (Exceed And Excel), John Thompson-trained Give Her Strength (Farnan) and Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained Semantics (Exceed And Excel).
Sold by Silverdale Farm at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale to Ridgmont Fillies Partnership and Clarke Bloodstock (FBAA) for $580,000, the Zoustar filly is the second foal of Rotator (Not A Single Doubt). Rotator placed in the G3 Widden Stakes on debut at two, and is a half-sister to Group 2 winner Positive Peace (Stratum).
Heat 7 - Colts and Geldings
Overall time: 50.57 s
Last 600 metres: 33.82 s
Having won heat 4 with Oh Yes She Did, trainers Mitchell and Desiree Kearney won their second heat of the day with colt Iambubb (I Am Invincible). John Thompson-trained I’m Relevant (Written By) jumped well and led the field into the home turn, doing a bit wrong, with Ciaron Maher-trained Gratifying (Bivouac) on his outside. Iambubb sat behind the leaders, ridden quietly, then shot up along the fence under a solid ride to win by half a length from Gratifying with I’m Relevant fading into third.
Video: Watch Iambubb in Heat 4 at Randwick trials on Monday, vision courtesy of Racing NSW
Kearney Racing and D Springfield bought Iambubb from Yarraman Park Stud’s Inglis Classic Yearling Sale draft for $270,000. The son of Champion Sire I Am Invincible is the third foal of Black Champagne (Denman) who was a winner on debut at two and ran fourth in the Listed Cinderella Stakes at her second start.
Heat 8 - Fillies
Overall time: 49.46s
Last 600 metres: 33.46s
Outstanding juvenile trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott added another winner in heat 8 with Too Darn Hot (GB) filly Shiki. Her stablemate The Wildling (Wild Ruler) jumped best and lead along with rail with Shiki on her outside. Bjorn Baker-trained Better Off Alone (Better Than Ready) stuck with them and the trio split away from the rest of the field. Shiki finished off the strongest in the middle of the trio, with Better Off Alone in second by 0.59 lengths with The Wildling in third.
Video: Watch Shiki in Heat 8 at Randwick trials on Monday, vision courtesy of Racing NSW
Cornerstone Stud sold Shiki at the Inglis Sydney Weanling Sale for $150,000 to Riverstone Lodge and Suman Hedge Bloodstock (FBAA) who pinhooked her into the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale where she was purchased for $420,000 by Kurinda Bloodstock and her trainers.
Shiki is the fourth foal of Jest Excel (Exceed And Excel) who is a winning half-sister to Group 2 winner Jiang (Testa Rossa) and stakes-placed Rock Jester (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}).
Heat 9 - Colts and Geldings
Overall time: 50.38s
Last 600 metres: 33.48s
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott made it six wins from the nine heats in the last of the day with colt Revengeance (Hellbent) winning by 0.28 lengths. Revenegeance jumped and led with Bjorn Baker-trained Artaneous (Trapeze Artist) on his outside. Michael Freedman-trained Incognito (Stay Inside) sat in behind the pair then loomed up wide with Artaneous taking the lead. It looked like Incognito would win, but Revengeance dug deep and lifted again to pull away and win.
Video: Watch Revengeance in Heat 9 at Randwick trials on Monday, vision courtesy of Racing NSW
The third winner to go through the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, Revengeance was sold by Davali Thoroughbreds to Darby Racing for $100,000. He is the first foal of unraced Havasu (NZ) (Sacred Falls {NZ}), a half-sister to Group 3 winner Miss Federer (NZ) (Swiss Ace) and stakes placed Starlight Angel (NZ) (Swiss Ace).
