Written by Jessica Owers
Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Rosehill Gardens played host to a busy morning of trials on Tuesday and, among a pair of Everest-bound runners in Heat 9, there were two results for the juvenile watchers across the morning.
Heat 6 was won by the Pride Of Dubai gelding, 2-year-old Maharba for trainer David Payne, and Race 7 by the Deep Field filly Her Excellency, trained at the Snowden yard.
Both events were open trials over 900 metres, with the boys posting a slightly better time of 54.23s over the fillies’ 56.41s. Maharba was a 0.08l winner over the Zoustar colt Gitalong, while Her Excellency was convincing with a 2.46l win over the Kris Lees filly Penny For (Zoustar).
Half to Unencumbered
Two-year-old Maharba was having his very first appearance on Tuesday when he pinged the gates impressively to take an early lead. He wasn’t headed throughout the 900 metres, with just Gitalong getting close in the finish.
Maharba | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
The field also contained the Coolmore colt Fightertown (Snitzel), who was third, and the James Harron-owned Gun, a son of Extreme Choice from Murtle Turtle (Murtajill) and a $750,000 graduate of this year’s Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
In fact, this pair has decent fire power, Fightertown costing Tom Magnier $1.1 million at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in January.
Also in the field was the Trapeze Artist colt Groundrush, who was fifth for the Hawkes team in a relaxed debut. This horse is a grandson of the great producer Bollinger (Dehere {USA}) and he was a $220,000 yearling in January when sold by Westbury Stud.
The winner, Maharba, was bred by Newhaven Park Stud from the More Than Ready (USA) mare Blizzardly, making this gelding a half-brother to the late sire Unencumbered, who died at Three Bridges Thoroughbreds in March 2018.
Unencumbered was a Group 3 winner and victor of the R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic, a stallion that managed only four crops before his premature death, and from those crops have come eight stakes winners, including the G2 Euclase S. winner Beau Rossa and this year’s G3 DC McKay S. winner, Free Of Debt.
Pride Of Dubai | Standing at Coolmore
Maharba wasn’t offered for sale as a yearling and he’s owned by the sporting Wagga couple Garry and Marianne Towzell, who owned Melbourne Cup winner Just A Dash (Whiskey Road {USA}) at one point.
Maharba comes from the fourth crop of runners by Coolmore resident Pride Of Dubai.
Half to King Of Sparta
Among the fillies, 2-year-old Her Excellency came with a pedigree depth of her own on Tuesday morning.
She is the second named foal from the Lonhro mare Laugh A Little, herself a daughter of the brilliant producer Chuckle (Danehill {USA}) and, as such, a half-sister to the three-time Kiwi Group-winner Crack Me Up (NZ) (Mossman) and that horse’s full brother, the Listed winner Hoofit (NZ).
Her Excellency as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Her Excellency was consigned by KBL Thoroughbreds to the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale on behalf of Stanley River Thoroughbreds and Bowcock Bloodstock. She made the good sum of $310,000 when selling to Trilogy Racing and CB Bloodstock.
Her opposition on Tuesday morning at Rosehill was significant.
Second to her, Penny For is a half-sister to the G3 Bletchingly S. winner this year, King Of Sparta (I Am Invincible), and this Kris Lees filly was initially entered by Yarraman Park into the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, but later withdrawn.
Everlong (Capitalist), who was third to Her Excellency and Penny For, races in the same ownership as the winner, and this chestnut filly was also purchased by Trilogy on the Gold Coast last January, fetching $240,000 for vendor Kitchwin Hills.
Everest contenders go round
Tuesday’s trial meeting at Rosehill also held a captive audience by way of The Everest, with Heat 9 going the way of Joyful Fortune (Nicconi) for Mark Newnham.
Last week, Joyful Fortune was confirmed as a contender in the Aquis slot, and the 6-year-old gelding was joined on Tuesday by Shades Of Rose (Rubick), the second of The Everest runners for Bjorn Baker and the choice of slotholder Bon Ho.
Joyful Fortune is a sharp trial horse, and he’s undefeated now in both trials and races since joining Newnham’s yard.
He won impressively at Flemington on September 18 and, on Tuesday, he had a narrow finish with Juan Diva (Snitzel), a last-start Group 3 winner, ahead of Shades Of Rose. The winning time for the 900-metre open trial was 53.93s, putting Joyful Fortune right on song for his big ask on October 15.
Joyful Fortune | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Juveniles for Rich Enuff, Boom
At Eagle Farm, the 2-year-old activity was also ongoing in a full morning of trials.
In Heat 10, the Robert Heathcote filly Abounding posted a 2.25l win for her sire, Rich Enuff, and her ownership group, First Light Racing. She was a $75,000 purchase for that outfit at this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, selling from the draft of Telemon Thoroughbreds.
Abounding as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
It was Abounding’s first appearance on the track and she was convincing for Heathcote, winning the 800-metre event in 46.17s. It was fractionally slower than the second of the day’s juvenile trials, Race 11 won by Miss Coota (Spirit Of Boom) in 46.08s.
The Chris Munce-trained Miss Coota was an equally convincing winner, surging away by 4.25l from Risky Investment (Power {GB}) and stablemate Payline (Shooting To Win). She’s a daughter of the Fastnet Rock mare Rock Garden, who boasts a strong, stakes-winning and stakes-producing family through her grandam Furlough (USA) (Easy Goer {USA}).
Miss Coota as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Miss Coota was consigned by Raheen Stud to the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale where she was bought by Gerald O’Toole and Arthur Hoyeau for $140,000.
