Cover image courtesy of Racing Photos
Half Yours stretches legs round Flemington
Reigning G1 Melbourne Cup champion Half Yours (St Jean {Ire}) headed to Flemington on Thursday morning for his second jump-out of the preparation, cruising to an easy victory over Denmark (GB) (Camelot {GB}) in the 1000-metre heat.
Also the winner of the G1 Caulfield Cup for Tony and Calvin McEvoy last preparation, the 5-year-old gelding has now won eight out of his 15 starts. He is being set for the G1 All Aged Stakes on April 18 as his likely resumption.
“We think he’s going really well,” Calvin McEvoy told racing.com after the jump-out. “This was his second jumpout for the prep. He had one a fortnight ago which was nice and cruisy on the course proper. This morning over 1000 metres we just asked a little bit more of him, Jamie (Melham) couldn’t have been happier.
“To the eye, it looked very, very good and the horse pulled up bouncing off the track, happy as Larry. I think he’s in a perfect spot.”
The gelding will likely have three runs over the winter carnival in Queensland in the G2 Hollindale Stakes, G1 Doomben Cup, and the G2 The Q22, before a hopeful tilt at the G1 Cox Plate.
Calvin McEvoy | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everyting
“He’ll follow that plan and then he’ll have a sweeten up in Queensland as he did last year and then he’ll come down,” McEvoy said. “All roads lead to the Cox Plate here at HQ.”
Classique’s little sister a winner
Fiaba (I Am Invincible), a half-sister to Everest hero Classique Legend (Not A Single Doubt), was smart coming home in the first juvenile trial at Rosehill on Thursday morning. Trained by Chris Waller, she was able to overtake stablemate Air Of Solace (I Am Invincible) to win by a head.
Video: Watch Fiaba at Rosehill trials, video courtesy of Racing NSW
Retained to race by Tyreel Stud, Fiaba had a full sister sell in Vinery Stud’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale draft earlier this week for $650,000 to the bid of the Ridgmont Fillies Partnership and Clarke Bloodstock (FBAA). Her dam Pinocchio (Encosta De Lago) visited Too Darn Hot (GB) in 2025.
Seven-figure Nations League impresses in hit-out
Fashion Faux Pas (USA) (Flatter {USA}) produced her third million dollar yearling this past weekend at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, where her Extreme Choice filly sold for $1.1 million, and subsequently her second seven-figure foal Nations League (Snitzel) was a smart trial winner at Rosehill on Thursday. The juvenile colt led home a Chris Waller trifecta, defeating stablemate Your Colour (Maurice {Jpn}) by two and a half lengths.
Video: Watch Nations League at Rosehill trials, video courtesy of Racing NSW
Tom Magnier went to $1.7 million to secure Nations League at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. Fashion Faux Pas was a dual Listed winner in the States and sold for $1.15 million in an Inglis Digital sale last January to Justin Carey. She subsequently foaled a filly by Snitzel, before being mated to Shinzo.
Wild Atlantic smart in second trial win
A winner of his first trial back in November, Wild Atlantic (Exceedance) resumed with a smart trial win at Rosehill on Thursday for Hawkes Racing. The colt pulled away in the home pack with only $2.7 million yearling St Gotthard (Snitzel), full brother to Switzerland, able to keep up and finish second by a neck. Over four lengths separated them from third place.
Video: Watch Wild Atlantic at Rosehill trials, video courtesy of Racing NSW
A $320,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase from Vinery Stud for his trainers, Wild Atlantic is a half-brother to the multiple stakes winners Brown Ben (Big Brown {USA}) and Aspect (Pluck), out of Innishbeg (Lonhro) who is a half-sister to the stakes winners Sexy Eyes (Written Tycoon) and Tina Melina (Jet Spur). Innishbeg had a colt by Hawaii Five Oh in the spring.
Capital Illusion too sharp for rivals
Smart Michael Freedman-trained 2-year-old Capital Illusion (Capitalist) dominated her rivals at Rosehill on Thursday. The chestnut filly overtook a wandering Cosmo Girl (Home Affairs) to win by two and a half lengths.
Video: Watch Capital Illusion at Rosehill trials, video courtesy of Racing NSW
Hunter Valley Bloodstock bought Capital Illusion for $45,000 at last year’s Inglis Classic Yearling Sale. She is a daughter of winning Fastnet Rock mare Heat Haze from the family of Northern Meteor and gun juvenile Tornado Valley (Too Darn Hot {GB}). Heat Haze foaled a filly by King’s Gambit last year and returned to the same stallion.
Savvy Hallie half-sister shows improvement
Katoto (Wootton Bassett {GB}), a half-sister to dual Group 2 winner Savvy Hallie (Hellbent), chalked up her first trial win at the second time of asking on Thursday morning at Rosehill. The Chris Waller-trained juvenile overcame stablemate Rocket Girl (I Am Invincible) in the home straight to prevail by a short head.
Video: Watch Katoto at Rosehill trials, video courtesy of Racing NSW
Katoto was a $450,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast purchase for Waller Racing and Mulcaster Bloodstock. Her dam Rose Of Savannah (Fastnet Rock) delivered a filly by Reliable Man (GB) in 2025 before visiting I Am Invincible. Her Home Affairs yearling colt was bought by Pike Racing at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale for NZ$200,000.
