Cover image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
Quiet trial to springboard Ninja into autumn
G3 Vo Rogue Plate victor Ninja (Farnan) was only out at Rosehill for a quiet hit-out on Thursday morning, but the Michael Freedman-trained gelding was still too slick for his rivals. Sent out under Tommy Berry in the trial morning opening Group heat, the 3-year-old travelled comfortably midfield until into the home straight, where a little urging from Berry’s hands sent him sailing past pacemaker Way To The Stars (Reward For Effort) to win by a neck.
Myracehorse, Michael Freedman Racing, Gandharvi, and Belmont Bloodstock Agency (FBAA) secured Ninja for $380,000 out of Segenhoe Stud’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft. Ninja’s dam Impulsive (So You Think {NZ}) is a city-winning daughter of Group 3 winner Procrastinate (Jade Hunter {USA}), making her a half-sister to five stakes winners including five-time South African Group 1 winner Laisserfaire (Danehill {USA}).
Ninja’s Siyouni (Fr) yearling half-brother has been catalogued as Lot 348 in the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, and his dam produced a filly by Anamoe in the spring before visiting Harry Angel (Ire).
Yorkshire returns in fine form
Nine weeks ago, Yorkshire (Snitzel) took his record to eight wins in 11 starts with a win in the G2 The Ingham, and on Thursday morning, he led home a strong Group trial as he prepares to return for the autumn. Trained by John O’Shea and Tom Charlton, the 5-year-old gelding led from the kick and fended off a challenge from King Of Roseau (Capitalist) in the home straight to win by a nose.
Two and a half lengths behind him was G3 Spring Stakes winner Green Spaces (Street Boss {USA}), a neck ahead of Sir Delius (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the latter’s second trial of the preparation.
The G1 Doncaster Handicap looms for Yorkshire, who earned ballot free entry to the race with his Ingham win.
A $575,000 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale purchase for PR Funds, Yorkshire is the first foal of G3 Keeneland Franklin County Stakes winner Chanteline (USA) (Majesticperfection {USA}), who delivered an Extreme Choice filly this season.
Raging Force roars home to trial win
The third Group trial of the morning at Rosehill went the way of G3 San Domenico Stakes winner Raging Force (Cosmic Force), who was having his second trial of his autumn preparation. The Peter Snowden-trained 3-year-old was quick to take up the lead and demonstrated an authoritative turn of foot in the home straight to win by three and a half lengths over Group-performed Bauhinia (Hellbent).
Darby Racing went to $150,000 to secure Raging Force from Mullaglass Stud’s Inglis Classic Yearling Sale draft, and Snowden Racing bought his Zousain half-brother for $180,000 at this year’s Classic sale. His Listed Debutante Stakes-placed dam Miss Loren (Stryker) produced a third winner in the spring with juvenile Vantorix (Captivant), and she returned to Cosmic Force this past spring.
Gringotts stretches legs around Newcastle
Ciaron Maher’s $6 million-earning superstar Gringotts (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) had a stroll around Newcastle’s Beaumont track on Thursday morning, nine weeks after his run in the Ingham didn’t quite go to plan. Mollie Fitzgerald was in the saddle to give the gelding a look around the track, travelling comfortably in midfield before easing down to pass the leaders and win by a nose over Miss Busslinger (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}).
G2 Roman Consul Stakes winner Hidden Motive (Capitalist) was given a similarly soft hit-out to run fourth after establishing the lead and went to the line under no pressure from Ashley Morgan.
Moonlit Wings matures in third trial
Tulloch Lodge-trained juvenile Moonlit Wings (Maurice {Jpn}) took out the first 2-year-old trial at Rosehill on Thursday morning - and the only one over 1030 metres - and demonstrated that the pieces were starting to fall into place for the filly at her third career trial. Sent straight to the front by Tim Clark, the filly put a length lead on her rivals and maintained it to the line, winning by a length and a quarter over Axhro (Lonhro).
Video: Watch Moonlit Wings at Rosehill trials, video courtesy of Racing NSW
Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Racing and Kestrel Thoroughbreds secured Moonlit Wings for $700,000 from Arrowfield Stud’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft last year, and at the same venue this year, Alexander Racing paid $425,000 for her full sister. She is the first foal of G3 Widden Stakes winner Mallory (Not A Single Doubt), a half-sister to Listed-winning Sassy ‘N’ Smart (Smart Missile), dam of G3 Winx Guineas winner The Three Hundred (I Am Invincible).
Mallory has a colt at foot by Dundeel (NZ), and was served by Anamoe in the spring.
Debutant Crescent King triumphs at Rosehill
Juvenile Written Tycoon colt Crescent King was having his first official hit-out on Thursday morning at Rosehill, and he proved that the careful preparation of Peter Snowden had paid off with an emphatic trial win. Travelling behind the pacesetter Dark Matter (Cosmic Force), he was given a push by Tommy Berry once into the straight. The two colts pulled away from the pack before Crescent King ultimately triumphed by a short head.
Video: Watch Crescent King at Rosehill trials, video courtesy of Racing NSW
$250,000 Magic Millions The Debut victress Lumbini (Russian Revolution) was third by just shy of a length and a half, well held by Adam Hyeronimus.
Bought for $200,000 from Yulong’s Gold Coast draft last year by Wei Jiaoqi, Crescent King was reoffered at the Magic Millions Horses In Training Sale where he was a $300,000 purchase for Amy Feng.
Dam True Moonlight (Not A Single Doubt) is a juvenile winner from the close family of Group 2 winners Colorado Claire (Hussonet {USA}) and Moonovermanhattan (Manhattan Rain). Her Lucky Vega (Ire) yearling colt was withdrawn from Inglis Classic this year. She delivered a Pierata filly in the spring before visiting More Than Looks (USA).
Dr Hook returns smartly ahead of autumn
Seen once in the spring where he was fifth behind subsequent R. Listed Inglis Millennium winner Fireball (Snitzel), Dr Hook (Too Darn Hot {GB}) took an authoritative stance in his trial return at Rosehill on Thursday morning. The Hawkes Racing-trained colt spent most of the run sat several pairs back behind Biripi Perfection (Capitalist) and Lorax (Zoustar), before finding a gap on the rail to sneak through and capture victory by a length and a quarter.
Video: Watch Dr Hook at Rosehill trials, video courtesy of Racing NSW
Retained by his breeders the Crosbys, Dr Hook is a half-brother to Listed Exford Plate runner-up Wise Inlaw (Wootton Bassett {GB}), out of dual Group 3 winner Sylvia's Mother (Snitzel). From the close family of Bel Merci (Extreme Choice), Sylvia's Mother's Home Affairs yearling was withdrawn from this year's Inglis Classic Yearling Sale. She has a colt at foot by Anamoe, and was covered by Storm Boy in the spring.
Malua Bay too good for Baker stable
Typical of Bjorn Baker’s triallers, Pierro juvenile Malua Bay was sent to the front in his debut trial at Rosehill on Thursday and the colt held his spot to win at his first outing. A serious scuffle happened over second place, with early contender Selfish (Russian Revolution) fading to fifth and Stunning Future (Admire Mars {Jpn}) filling the spot, finishing three quarters of a length behind.
Video: Watch Malua Bay at Rosehill trials, video courtesy of Racing NSW
Mr KA Pertab and Mr C Cole paid NZ$50,000 for Malua Bay at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale last year, then onsold her to Darby Racing for NZ$270,000 at the subsequent New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale. She is the second foal out of Bateman’s Bay (Exceed And Excel), an unraced half to the dam of Listed Durbridge Stakes winner Prairie Flower (Star Turn). Her half-sister by Home Affairs will be offered as Lot 130 at this year’s Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale.
Big finish promises more from Euripedes
In the following juvenile trial, another Bjorn Baker trainee in Euripedes (Street Boss {USA}) took a little longer to hit the front, but once given the kick by Rachel King, the colt looped round early leader By Choice (Written By) and kicked away to win by the same margin as his stablemate. A further three lengths separated By Choice from $1 million Golden Gift fourth Anthropoid (Prague) in third.
Video: Watch Euripedes at Rosehill trials, video courtesy of Racing NSW
A homebred for Godolphin, Euripedes is out of G3 How Now Stakes winner Manicure (Exceed And Excel), a full sister to G3 Blue Diamond Prelude (colts & geldings) winner Barber. Manicure has a yearling filly by Pinatubo (Ire) still to come, and was covered by Harry Angel (Ire) in the spring.
Rachini makes it three on the trot for Baker
To round out Rosehill’s juvenile trials on Thursday morning, Rachini (Zoustar) stepped out for the first time for the Baker stable and put on a sizzling performance to claim victory by four lengths. The filly went toe to toe with pacesetter Mount Atlas (Tassort) before being given the signal by King, at which point she raced away to victory. Tenenbaum (Snitzel) powered home to second.
Baystone Farm purchased Rachini at the Gold Coast for $200,000, then onsold her at the Inglis Ready2Race Sale in absentia - just after the filly had her first start in the Listed Debutant Stakes, where she was fifth - for $500,000 to Bjorn Baker Racing and Clarke Bloodstock (FBAA).
She is the only runner to date from Ordos Honor (Fastnet Rock), a winning half-sister to the Group winners Timbourina (Timber Country {USA}) and Media (Gilded Time {USA}), the latter of whom is the grandam of recently retired Cool Archie (Cool Aza Beel {NZ}). Ordos Honor’s Zoustar colt will be offered as Lot 245 in this year’s Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, and she visited Ozzmosis in the spring.
Flying Scarlett lives up to name in Beaudesert sizzler
Trapeze Artist juvenile Flying Scarlett proved that she was aptly named in her second career trial, taking place at Beaudesert on Thursday. Trained by Adam Campton, the filly flew home to win by five and a half lengths over Syrinx (Fastnet Rock), running two and a half seconds faster than the other 1050-metre juvenile heat on course that morning.
Retained to race by breeder Neil Werrett and Whitby Bloodstock, Flying Scarlett is out of Oh Miss Scarlett (All Too Hard), an unraced daughter of dual Group 1 winner Scarlett Lady (NZ) (Savabeel). She has a Time To Reign colt at foot, and was covered by Exceedance this season.
