Cover image courtesy of Australian Turf Club
Caballus bolts home at Rosehill
Bjorn Baker-trained Caballus (I Am Invincible) bolted home in heat 1 at Rosehill on Thursday morning, winning by 12.58 lengths from the rest of the field, who were all trained by Chris Waller. With Tommy Berry on board, Caballus covered the 1000 metres in 1:00.56 doing his final 600 metres in 34.26 seconds.
The last start G3 George Moore Stakes winner has won six of his 18 starts. Behind him, essentially in a different trial, was Lord Penman (NZ) (Contributer {Ire}) with Group 2 winner Lazzura (Snitzel) in third.
The extreme result was mimicked at Caulfield in heat 1, which gives punters something to contemplate as we head into the autumn.
Treasurethe Moment steps out at Caulfield
Matt Laurie-trained four-time Group 1 winner Treasurethe Moment (Alabama Express) began her autumn campaign with a tidy third in the first heat at Caulfield. The trial was won easily by former Hong Kong galloper Nervous Witness (Star Witness) who put ten lengths on the rest of the field.
“Yeah, I was really happy. Obviously, the horse out in front is very quick,” Laurie said.
“I love the way she left the gates… the feedback from Damian was really good, so, yeah, very happy with that. She’ll have one more trial and then we’ll be away.
“I love the way she left the gates… She’ll have one more trial and then we’ll be away.” - Matt Laurie
She will run in the G1 Futurity Stakes at Caulfield on February 21 with her main target being the G1 All-Star Mile at Flemington on March 7. “She’ll pretty much have a replica lead-in to what she had for the Memsie. I’d like to keep her here for The All-Star Mile… after that, we’ll just play it by ear.”
Nervous Witness won five times in Hong Kong for trainer David Hayes, and was seventh in the G3 National Day Cup in October 2024 at his final start there. He’s now with the Hayes brothers at Lindsay Park.
My Gladiola beats home Giga Kick
Giga Kick (Scissor Kick) will resume in the G1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes at Flemington on February 14, and was a nice second in heat three at Caulfield behind John McArdle-trained 3-year-old filly My Gladiola (I Am Invincible).
“Yeah, it was nice work. He looked nice and fresh,” Giga Kick’s trainer Clayton Douglas said.
“He began good, travelled nice and strong and finished off lovely. That trial will bring him on… it’s perfect timing. He’ll head to the Challenge Stakes second-up, then the TJ Smith, and all going well the All Aged.”
The pair will face off again in the Lightning with McArdle pleased with his filly’s effort. “She needed a hit out and the best part of it was that she relaxed during the run. She quickened well, and floated a bit at the front and ran out of fitness a bit,” McArdle said.
“She needed a hit out and the best part of it was that she relaxed during the run.” - John McArdle
“She’ll kick off in the Lightning, or possibly the Oakleigh Plate if we aren’t happy with the barrier for the Lightning. That will tell us where we are heading, whether it be the Newmarket or to Adelaide for the Sangster. She is in good order and I think she can be competitive against those horses.”
Caulfield’s juvenile trials
Stakes class juveniles Eternal Warrior (Extreme Warrior) and Stretan Ruler (Wild Ruler) ran second and third in heat 11 behind Adrian Corboy-trained colt Closer To Free (Street Boss {USA}).
Closer To Free hasn’t debuted at the races yet. He’s the second foal of Listed winner Lady Naturaliste (Choisir), and was sold by Milburn Creek to Polaris Bloodstock at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale for $60,000.
Eternal Warrior, trained by Lloyd Kennewell, won the Listed Merson Cooper Stakes in November at his only start, while Stretan Ruler was second in that same race at his only start.
Video: Watch Closer To Free at Caulfield trials, video courtesy of Racing.com
Mark Walker-trained Harry Met Sally (Yes Yes Yes) won heat 12. He had a jump out a fortnight ago, his first public outing since his debut ninth in the Listed Maribyrnong Trial Stakes back in October. Clayton Douglas-trained filly Fly Baby (Hanseatic) pushed him to a nose, with two lengths back to Phillip Stokes-trained filly Rebel Tuesday (Rebel Dane).
Heat 13 was not unlucky for Ben Brisbourne-trained filly Grinzinger Heart (Toronado {Ire}) who has yet to be seen at the races. She recorded a half-length win over fellow unraced filly Aroused (Snitzel) who is trained by Grahame Begg. The pair were three lengths ahead of the rest of the field.
Rosehill’s juvenile trials
Peter Snowden’s colt Short Sea (Ole Kirk) won heat 4 for two and 3-year-olds over 1030 metres with a tidy run down the centre from mid-field for jockey Sam Clipperton. He is yet to make his debut at the races and was a $170,000 purchase from North Bloodstock’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft. It was a nice effort from Paul and Martha Cave-trained pair of 3-year-old filly Ouragan (Yes Yes Yes) and 3-year-old filly Quadria (American Pharoah {USA}) to finish in second and third.
Video: Watch Short Sea at Rosehill trials, video courtesy of Racing NSW
Ole Kirk added a second 2-year-old trial winner in heat 9 when Terry Croft-trained filly Thrill Hunter won by three-quarters of a length from Chris Waller-trained Lorax (Zoustar). Thrill Hunter won the Kirkham Plate on debut during the spring.
In heat 7 over 900 metres for juveniles, John O’Shea and Tom Charlton-trained filly Coco Affair (Home Affairs) beat home Chris Waller-trained colt Campiona d’Italia (Snitzel) by a nose with the Snitzel colt’s stablemate Siumai Knight (Toronado {Ire}) five lengths in arrears in third. None of the trio have raced yet.
Coco Affair was sold to her trainers by Mill Park Stud for $270,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and is a half-sister to Group 3-placed Written Swoosh (Written Tycoon).
Snitzel provided the quinella of heat 8, over 900 metres with race day experience showing out for Brad Widdup-trained colt Tenenbaum who beat home Chris Waller-trained Attorney General by three-quarters of a length. Tenenbaum’s only start came in the Max Lees Classic during the spring.
