Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Overpass given easy winning ride
Returning for his first hit-out of the autumn, multi millionaire Overpass (Vancouver) was given a quiet ride from Joshua Parr to win his heat at Rosehill on Tuesday morning. The Bjorn Baker-trained 7-year-old made his win by two thirds of a length look easy when cruising home to beat Catch The Glory (Zousain).
Video: Watch Overpass in Heat 7 at Rosehill trials, video courtesy of Racing NSW
A winner of $12.4 million who cost Darby Racing and Will Johnson Bloodstock (FBAA) $75,000 as a yearling, Overpass is nominated for the G1 TJ Smith Stakes this autumn. His half-brother by Stay Inside passed in at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale earlier this year, where he was offered by Corumbene Stud.
Briasa turns up heat ahead of TJ Smith defence
En route to defending his G1 TJ Smith Stakes title this autumn, Briasa (Smart Missile) put in another strong trial victory at Rosehill on Tuesday morning. The Hawkes Racing-trained gelding jumped smartly and extended his margin with ease in the home straight to beat G1 Goodwood Handicap winner Reserve Bank (Capitalist) by six lengths.
Retained to race by his breeder, Briasa is the best of four winners from Listed Mona Lisa Stakes winner Mary’s Grace (Twining {USA}), whose last foal is currently an unnamed 3-year-old colt by Sensei.
Skyhook sharp ahead of autumn resumption
Listed Rosebud winner Skyhook (Written Tycoon) dug his toe into the turf at Rosehill to win his heat by a margin on Tuesday morning. The Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou-trained colt travelled well near the front of the pack before reeling in pacemaker Miss Orth (Exosphere) and sailed past her to win by a margin just shy of a length and a half.
Last start G3 Manfred Stakes winner Space Rider (Zoustar) finished fifth by three and a half lengths, without coming under pressure.
Video: Watch Skyhook in Heat 11 at Rosehill trials, video courtesy of Racing NSW
Skyhook’s trainers secured him for $575,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, and Monarch Racing, Paul Moroney, and Catheryne Bruggeman purchased his Dundeel (NZ) half-brother at the recent Inglis Premier Yearling Sale. His dam Madame Pauline (Redoute’s Choice) is a half-sister to the stakes winners Anders, Ostraka (Pariah), and Caffe Florian (Snitzel), and is in foal to Castelvecchio this season.
Skyhook is nominated for the TJ Smith Stakes and the G2 Arrowfield 3YO Sprint this autumn.
Closer To Free winds up for Slipper assault
Last start second in the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes, Closer To Free’s (Street Boss (USA)) connections have declared that they will pay the late fee to enter the G1 Golden Slipper Stakes, and the Danny O’Brien-trained colt put his hand up to be a real contender after a strong trial win over 1030 metres at Rosehill on Tuesday.
With Jamie Melham making an appearance in the saddle, the colt led the pack into the home straight and easily kept his lead over Fireball (Snitzel) to win by a length and a half, with almost six lengths stretching back to Grafology (Graff) in third.
Video: Watch Closer To Free in Heat 3 at Rosehill trials, video courtesy of Racing NSW
A $60,000 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale graduate before being purchased by his trainer after a trial win, Closer To Free is the first runner for Listed Cinderella Stakes winner Lady Naturaliste (Choisir), whose half-brother Tanker (Pride Of Dubai) won the Listed Debutant Stakes. Trilogy Racing bought Closer To Free’s Justify (USA) half-brother for $60,000 from Milburn Creek at last year’s Inglis Australian Weanling Sale, and Lady Naturaliste delivered a Pierata filly in 2025 before crossing the Tasman to visit Auguste Rodin (Ire).
Closer To Free is also nominated for the G1 Sires’ Produce Stakes.
Vatican strong in second autumn hit-out
Fifth in the R. Listed Inglis Nursery in the spring, $1.2 million yearling Vatican (Wootton Bassett {GB}) showed an impressive turn of foot to win his second trial of the preparation at Rosehill on Tuesday. Travelling mid pack for much of the run, James McDonald found him a gap on the fence upon straightening and the colt stretched out to win by a length and a quarter over G3 Gimcrack Stakes winner Shiki (Too Darn Hot {GB}), who remains in the running for the G1 Golden Slipper Stakes.
Video: Watch Vatican in Heat 9 at Rosehill trials, video courtesy of Racing NSW
Purchased from Ridgmont’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale draft by Tom Magnier, Vatican is the first live foal out of winning Smart Missile mare Egyptian Missile, a half-sister to multiple Group winner Egyptian Symbol (Stratum) out of New Zealand Champion Older Female Sprinter Our Egyptian Raine (NZ) (Desert Sun {GB}).
Egyptian Missile's So You Think (NZ) yearling filly has not been entered in a sale this year, and she delivered a colt by Home Affairs in 2025 before visiting Anamoe. Vatican is entered in the G1 Inglis Sires’ Produce Stakes.
Russian juveniles impress at Rosehill
Fresh from producing his third Group 1 winner in impressive unbeaten juvenile Lara Antipova at the weekend, Russian Revolution unleashed a pair of eye-catching 2-year-olds at the Rosehill trials on Tuesday morning. Moscow Maid kicked off the action with a sharp two and a half-length win over 900 metres for the Hawkes Racing team. Having her second career trial, the filly led the pack into the home straight before extending her lead over Lafite (Zoustar) to win.
Video: Watch Moscow Maid in Heat 8 at Rosehill trials, video courtesy of Racing NSW
Nominated for the G1 Sires’ Produce Stakes and the G2 Percy Sykes Stakes, Moscow Maid passed in at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale where she was offered by Widden Stud, and has been retained to race by breeder Bangaloe Stud.
Dam Lady Sharapova (Fastnet Rock) is one of three stakes-performed offspring of Perfect Persuasion (Encosta De Lago), a stakes-placed full sister to Champion 3YO Filly Alinghi. One of Lady Sharapova’s half-sisters is the dam of Listed Merson Cooper Stakes winner Eternal Warrior (Extreme Warrior). Lady Sharapova is in foal to Bivouac this season.
Two heats later, Getsmybloodrussian stepped out for Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr for the first time, and the filly put in a gritty performance to win by a long head over The Thorncaster (Farnan) after leading from the jump. The same trial also saw the first appearance of Lady Resolute (I Am Invincible), the $1.6 million daughter of Avantage (Fastnet Rock), who was given an easy first hit-out to finish eight lengths off the winner.
Video: Watch Getsmybloodrussian in Heat 10 at Rosehill trials, video courtesy of Racing NSW
Bought by her trainers for $60,000 at the Gold Coast, Getsmybloodrussian is the first live foal from winning Zizou mare Smoodge, a granddaughter of G1 Emirates Stakes winner Sky Cuddle (Snippets). John Foote Bloodstock (FBAA) paid $200,000 for her All Too Hard half-brother at the Gold Coast this year, where he was offered by Kenmore Lodge. Smoodge had a colt by Don Corleone in 2025 before visiting Tassort.
Well-bred Snitzel filly posts first trial win
Down At Kilmore, juvenile filly Star Je Taime (Snitzel) was a smart winner at her first official trial after having two jump-outs at Flemington. Trained by Danny O’Brien, the filly skipped away to post a three-quarter-length victory over Coming To America (Royal Meeting {Ire}) in the 1000-metre heat.
Video: Watch Star Je Taime in Heat 6 at Kilmore trials, video courtesy of Racing.com
Withdrawn from last year’s Inglis Easter sale, Star Je Taime is the first foal of G2 Kewney Stakes winner Starelle (More Than Ready {USA}), a daughter of multiple Group winner Star Of Giselle (Reset) from the close family of Kaphero. Widden Stud will offer a full sister to Star Je Taime at this year’s Easter sale as Lot 121. Starelle has a Stay Inside filly at foot and visited Too Darn Hot (GB) in 2025.
