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Meet the Gimcrack Stakes field

A look at the field for this year’s Gimcrack Stakes.

Shiki was a $420,000 Magic Millions yearling.
Shiki was a $420,000 Magic Millions yearling. Picture: Magic Millions

The Gimcrack Stakes is the first female juvenile race of the season in Sydney and this year's edition at Randwick has drawn what looks a competitive field.

Below is a look at the field, where they came from and what they've done at the trials.

1 – Better Off Alone (B Baker): A $120,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase by Better Than Ready out of the Not A Single Doubt mare Not A Single Woman. Beaten in her 850m trial on Monday last week, but that was by Shiki in the fastest time of the morning and Better Off Alone was pulling ground off her late.

2 – Doubella (R&W Freedman): Passed in at Inglis Premier after failing to meet a reserve of $100,000, the daughter of Doubtland is out of the Sepoy mare Anthelion who was retired after one start but is from a precocious family that includes Blue Diamond and Coolmore Stud Stakes winner Star Witness. She didn't trial at the main set of heats last week, instead going around over 745m at Randwick last Friday, when she won by two lengths under a hold in 45.25secs.

3 – Give Her Strength (J Thompson): The first of four runners for John Thompson, who won this race last year with Bel Merci, and owns a 3x3 cross to Redoute's Choice being by Farnan out of the Snitzel mare The Promise, whose dam Sunset Coast is a half-sister to Shamus Award. The $90,000 Gold Coast yearling covered more ground than any other runner in her trial but still closed off nicely to be beaten just under 1-1/2 lengths by Masvingo.

4 – Handloom (G Portelli): One of the outsiders of the race at $41, but the Godolphin homebred – by Exceed And Excel out of the Bernardini mare Handspun – finished alongside Give Her Strength in last week's trial but didn't have a lot of room in the first half of the straight and went to the line not fully extended.

5 – Home Invasion (G Waterhouse, A Bott): Showed brilliant early speed to score a dominant win in her trial last Monday and while it was one of the slower times of the day (50.63secs), it was only late that she was really asked. A member of the first crop of boom first-season sire Home Affairs, she is out of the Foxwedge mare Catwalk and cost $220,000 on the Gold Coast in January.

6 – Legaselli (J Thompson): A daughter of King's Legacy who cost $65,000 out of Book 2 in January, she came through the same trial as Home Invasion but was urged along a little more than the winner, who had two lengths on her at the line. Olegaselli is out of the Written Tycoon mare Luiselli, whose dam Pinova is a half-sister to former top colt Star Turn.

7 – Masvingo (B Baker): The most expensive yearling in the race at $580,000, the daughter of Zoustar cost $580,000 on the Gold Coast and is out of the Not A Single Doubt mare Rotator, who is a half-sister to Group 2 Emancipation Stakes winner Positive Peace, who was also trained by Bjorn Baker. Seemed to do it easy winning her trial by 1-1/4 lengths in 50.23secs.

8 – Oh Yes She Did (M&D Kearney): Where most of last Monday's trial winners did so on-speed, this $240,000 Classic buy camped just off the speed and showed a swift turn of foot to score a soft 1-3/4-length. The time of 50.58secs wasn't quick but she looked to have plenty in hand. By Yes Yes Yes, she is out of the I Am Invincible mare Lanikai and traces back to a strong Contract Racing family that includes Oakleigh Plate winner River Dove.

9 – Screen Icon (J Thompson): By Nature Strip's sire Nicconi from a Star Witness mare who is from a family that includes a Golden Slipper winner. Screen Idol's dam Screebe is out of Delphi Lodge, who is a half-sister to Vancouver who won the Breeders' Plate on this day 11 years ago before going on to win the Slipper. An $80,000 Inglis Classic buy, Screen Idol made good ground late under light riding in her trial to finish four lengths off Shiki.

10 – Shiki (G Waterhouse & A Bott): Set the benchmark time at the September 22 trial session when she clocked 49.46secs, defeating Better Off Alone by half-a-length with The Wildling third. Tim Clark riding is generally a good lead when it comes to Waterhouse/Bott two-year-olds. By Too Darn Hot from the Exceed And Excel mare Jest Excel, Shiki was first sold for $150,000 at the Inglis Australian Weanling Sale before going through the ring at this year's Magic Millions January Sale, where she sold for $420,000.

11 – The Wildling (G Waterhouse & A Bott): The $100,000 Gold Coast yearling, who is a member of the first crop of Snitzel's Group 1-winning son Wild Ruler, gave Shiki something to run down in last week's trial and while urging along a little more than her stablemate, she was only beaten three-quarters-of-a-length.

12 – Yvonne's Joy (J Thompson): Completes the quartet of runners for Thompson and was bred by her owner Neville Begg, hence she carries the colours of her sire Written By. Out of the unraced Star Witness mare Ruby Flo, who is a half-sister to Dirty Work and traces back to a strong Darley family including Pinwheel. Finished off nicely under a light ride to come home fourth, beaten 3-1/4 lengths, in the trial won by Oh Yes She Did.


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