Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
An exciting Tuesday morning at Warwick Farm saw some bona-fida stars and some rising ones contest the 20 heats.
Star fillies Tiz Invincible (I Am Invincible) and Learning To Fly (Justify {USA}) reminded onlookers of their talent as they prepare to tackle the autumn riches.
While the Group 1 gallopers Fangirl (Sebring), Think It Over (So You Think {NZ}) and Militarize (NZ) (Dundeel {NZ}) were among those, who stretched their legs in the Heavy 8 conditions.
Gallery: Warwick Farm trials, images courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
There was also plenty of action from a juvenile perspective with the last-start R. Listed Inglis Nursey winner Odinson (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) making his return and a half-sister to the talented North Star Lass (Zoustar) impressing at her second public appearance.
Tiz stars in super trial
A star-studded field of six gallopers returned in the opening heat at Warwick Farm over 900 metres. It was Ciaron Maher and David Eustace’s brilliant filly Tiz Invincible, who returned to the trials in good fashion with a soft victory, beating Chris Waller’s Buckaroo (GB) (Fastnet Rock) by 0.19l.
Finishing down the outside strongly was another Waller runner in the G2 Sweet Embrace S. victress Lazzago (Capitalist), and the G1 Queen Elizabeth S. hero Think It Over.
Rounding out the trial was the Waller-trained Group 1 pair Fangirl and Militarize.
Learning To Fly back with a bang!
Annabel Neasham's star filly Learning To Fly made a big statement on Tuesday morning at Warwick Farm as she works towards a much-anticipated return in the G2 Light Fingers S.
The daughter of Coolmore’s Justify (USA) had not raced since sustaining an injury in the G1 Golden Slipper, where her jockey Chad Schofield was displaced. Tuesday’s performance with Schofield in the saddle indicated the classy proposition had lost none of her sparkle when she ranged up to last year’s Caulfield Guineas winner Griff (Trapeze Artist) and went past him with ears pricked.
Given an easy time and making nice ground on the outside was Waller’s G1 VRC Derby victor Riff Rocket (American Pharoah {USA}), followed by the classy Encap (Capitalist), Atishu (NZ) (Savabeel) and Espiona (Extreme Choice) who were asked to very little.
Yulong’s high-priced Zousain dominates
The murky conditions didn’t lend to good viewing on Tuesday at Warwick Farm, but it mattered little to Chateau Miraval (Zousain). Despite the Heavy 8 conditions, the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained filly ran out a 2.49l winner of Heat 11.
Godolphin’s Diamond Firetail (Epaulette) caught the eye. Not only was the filly running strongly to the line, but her effort after it indicated a step up over 796 metres would suit. Diamond Firetail was beaten into second by Tequila Baby (Capitalist), who saved ground on the inside of the track.
Chateau Miraval, a daughter of Widden Stud’s exciting first-season sire Zousain, was a $650,000 purchase by Yulong, Kestrel Thoroughbreds, Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott Racing from the draft of Rosemont Stud at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
The filly is from the Group 3-placed Shelia’s Star (Snitzel), who has already produced the brilliant filly North Star Lass. North Star Lass claimed the G2 Furious S. and was placed in the G1 Flight S. before a premature retirement.
Chateau Miraval as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Offered by her connections through the Inglis Digital September Sale, North Star Lass was sold to Yulong for $1,525,000 and was served by the operation’s G1 All-Aged S. winner, Pierata.
Nursery winner thunders
Sticking hard against the rails, the last-start R. Listed Inglis Nursery winner Odinson, ridden by James McDonald, saved all ground to narrowly claim Heat 8 over 799 metres from a fast-finishing Excelindeed (Exceed And Excel) as Pick Up The Tab (NZ) (Savabeel) and Pro Forma (Capitalist) also made nice ground.
Odinson, trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, bears the colours of Ozzie Kheir and his partners and has already tagged himself as one of the leading 2-year-olds with a record of two starts, one win and one placing.
The son of Darely’s Night Of Thunder (Ire) was bred by Qatar Bloodstock and offered on their behalf by Widden Stud at the 2023 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, where Ciaron Maher Bloodstock paid $320,000 to secure him.
His dam is the classy Due Diligence (USA) mare Good Vibes (GB), won the G3 Cornwallis S. at Newmarket and was placed in the G2 Lowther S. at York.
Widden Stud offered Good Vibes’ yearling colt by Zoustar at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale but failed to meet his $200,000 reserve at the time of writing. She was served by Coolmore’s St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) this season.
Odinson as a yearling, trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, winner of Heat 8 | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
The well-related Excelindeed, stamped himself as one to follow with his strong finish. Trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, the son of Exceed And Excel, is a half-brother to the talented Glenfiddich (Fastnet Rock), who won the G2 Bill Stutt S. and was placed in the G1 Champagne S.
Excelindeed’s dam Nothin' But A Dream (USA) (First Defence {USA}) boasts relatives such as the recently retired multi-million-dollar earner Eleven Eleven (Fastnet Rock). Yulong paid $325,000 to add Nothin' But A Dream to their esteemed paddocks of broodmares at the 2023 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.
Given the colt’s first-rate pedigree and fine physique, he was sold for $800,000 to Kia Ora Stud, TFI and Dermot Farrington Bloodstock from his breeder’s Ian Smith’s Edinburgh Park draft at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Excelindeed, trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Found finds the line
Rounding out the juvenile heats on Tuesday was Heat 12 for the 2-year-old fillies. It was won by the James Cummings-trained and-Godolphin-owned And Found, a daughter of Darley’s Microphone.
The filly, ridden by Chad Schofield, sat wide during the run but showed plenty of tenacity and scope in the home straight when she comfortably found another gear to close on Timbourella (Lonhro) and leave that filly behind.
Running through the pack and catching the eye in the conditions was John O’Shea’s Howler (Hellbent), while nothing else made much of an impression.
And Found is from the first crop of Microphone, a Champion 2-Year-Old, with victories in the G1 Sires’ Produce and the G2 Skyline S. He was also placed in the G1 Golden Slipper before returning as a 3-year-old to win the G2 Autumn S.
The filly is from the Street Cry (Ire) mare Abduction. A classy conveyance, she won the Listed Reginald Allen Quality H. and placed in the G2 Wakeful S. she is the dam of the promising Sequestered (Pierro), who won four races.
And Found, trained by James Cummings, winner of Heat 12 | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Abduction also boasts a fine pedigree, being a half-sister to Retrieve (Rahy {USA}), who won 11 races, including the G3 Gloaming S., the G3 Norman Robinson S. and the Listed Godolphin S. at Newmarket.
Abduction has a 2-year-old by Darley’s Too Darn Hot (GB) and was served again by Microphone.
China Horse Club colt stars again
Trial watchers will be anticipating the raceday debut of the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Russian Roulette, as the son of Russian Revolution impressed again at the trials on Tuesday morning in Heat 9.
Russian Roulette was partnered by the in-form Adam Hyeronimus, who won the R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic last Saturday on the colt’s stablemate Storm Boy (Justify {USA}). Running on a Heavy 8 track, the field moved to the grandstand side of the rail as they entered the home straight; Russian Roulette was asked for an effort and coasted away by 1.41l from the field.
The colt was a $360,000 purchase by China Horse Club, Newgate, Go, and Trilogy from The Chase draft at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. He is the fourth foal from Dubawi (Ire) mare Bethsaida (Ire), who has a filly by Justify (USA) and was served by Newgate Farm’s G1 Moir S. winner Wild Ruler.
Holding ground in second was the Godolphin-bred-and-owned Blue Illusion, a son of Darley’s Blue Point (Ire). A race veteran of two starts, the James Cummings-trained colt was favoured on debut in the Listed Maribyrnong Trial but failed to rise to the occasion. Returning to Sydney, he was much better when he finished third in the Kirkham Plate behind Shangri La Express (Alabama Express).
The China Horse Club colour bearer Embassy (I Am Invincible) also prevailed in Heat 10, defeating the fellow colour bearer Vassos (Russian Revolution).
Embassy, trained by Peter and Paul Snowden, showed early speed to control the 796-metre heat and hold the charge of Vassos, while True Amor (I Am Invincible) held on for third from an eye-catching Mellifluent (Exceed And Excel).
Embassy was a $625,000 purchase by China Horse Club, Newgate, Go and Trilogy from the Yarraman Park Stud at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. The colt is the third foal from Dendee, a Listed-winning daughter of Denman.
