Chris Scholtz reviews Sydney trials at Hawkesbury on November 17 and Rosehill on November 18.
ROSEHILL November 18
Inside Grass – Good 4
12 Heats – 3 x 1030m (1 Open; 2 Maiden); 9 x 900m (2 Open; 4 Maiden; 3 2YO)
A veteran sprinter who has raced only twice in 12 months showed stunning form to win his trial by almost 15 lengths!
WAY TO THE STARS (Matthew Smith): He is now a 7YO and raced only twice in the autumn before an enforced spell but showed he has lost none of his speed by clearing out to win his 900m heat by a massive 14.2 lengths. Unsurprisingly it was the quickest time of the session (53.67; 33.28) and suggests he will race boldly fresh, being a four time winner when first-up.
DR HOOK (Hawkes Racing): All three 2YO heat winners showed good potential but this Too Darn Hot colt is as an obvious talent after his strong win in good time (54.87; 35.42). He was last after 150m before working around the field from the 600m and building momentum all the way to the finish with his best work through the line. His stablemate WILD ATLANTIC, a colt by Exceedance, also impressed winning his heat by a good margin of more than three lengths in slower time (55.29; 35.29).
IRISH WITCHY (Mick Price/Michael Kent): Unraced 3YO colt by Farnan showed good improvement off his first trial to win his 900m heat in quick time (54.01; 34.06). Travelled easily from start to finish, extending under no pressure over the last 200m to score by 3.5 lengths.
ICE KOOL (David Pfeiffer): A maiden win on debut will not surprise from this 3YO gelding by Zoustar after three promising trials. Took the eye in his Warwick Farm trial on October 31 and was better here, travelling easily in the lead and striding away under a hold to score by an impressive 5.5 lengths in time that nearly equalled the best of the session (53.71; 33.97).
NOTED TRIALS
XX Dr Hook; Ice Kool; Irish Witchy; Way To The Stars
X Althoff; Attractiveness; Contemplates; Farside; Sacrosanct; Tigroni; Wild Atlantic
HAWKESBURY November 17
Inside Grass – Good 4
15 Heats – 1 x 1250m (Open); 6 x 1000m (2 Open; 4 Maiden); 8 x 800m (1 2YO; 2 Open; 5 Maiden)
Bjorn Baker's team for the summer looks strong with his runners winning six heats. The session also featured a number of previously noted trial runners confirming their talent with good performances.
Baker likes to see horses run in their trials and that was the case with some smart efforts by a mixture of proven performers and promising maidens.
Baker opened with a free running win in the 1250m heat by PENTAGON, a former Kiwi maiden with three placings from four starts in NZ. He has a definite future on the local scene.
Baker's 1000m heat winners were headlined by SNACK BAR and the previously noted BIG PAPA.
SNACK BAR (Bjorn Baker): He's now a 4YO and maturity may be his asset as he looked in fine form recording a strong win in his 1000m heat in fast time (58.10; 32.55). He's now trialled twice since his spell and can be followed with confidence.
BIG PAPA repeated his recent Rosehill trial win with another impressive piece of work to dominate his trial from start to finish (58.67; 32.51). Baker also won two maiden heats over 1000m with the unraced Lonhro colt MONOTONE (60.73; 33.91) and ONE RUN WON (59.52; 33.60).
Baker won the 800m heat for 2YOs with smart Street Boss youngster EURIPEDES. He repeated his recent Rosehill trial win with another strong performance (47.44; 32.66) to beat INTERNAL AFFAIRS, another promising type who also trialled well at Rosehill on November 5.
David Pfeifer has a nice prospect in SPARKLING FIRE, an unraced Trapeze Artist gelding who made an impression with a big win in his first trial, opening a big lead under no pressure and holding a 4.5 lengths margin to the line (58.71; 32.94).
Blake Ryan is another trainer who sends his horses out to run fast and that was the case in the maiden heats over 800m where he won two trials.
CONTRADICTION (Blake Ryan): Asian agents will be hot on the tail of this unraced Anders gelding after he sped over 800m in the quickest time of the session (45.01; 31.04) to win his heat by almost nine lengths. He had not been seen since an impressive trial win in February and the fact that no other 800m heat winner went under 46 seconds or 32 seconds for the last 600m speaks volumes for his natural speed.
Ryan also won an 800m maiden heat with SILK LACE (47.35; 32.73) a new addition to his team after winning a country trial at Scone last month.
Other maidens to take the eye in the 800m heats included ALL STAR, ROMA GREEN, SEVEN DAYS, PERFORMANCE and MIND YA BIZZ.
NOTED TRIALS
XX Contradiction; Snack Bar
X All Star; Big Papa; Euripedes; Happy Bellie; Hellbent On You; Internal Affairs; Mind Ya Bizz; Monotone; Pentagon; Performance; Roma Green; Royalify; Seven Days; Silk Lace; Sparkling Fire; Unleeshing
