Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Randwick hosted nine trials on Friday morning on a Soft 7 surface. Heat 1, held over 1200 metres, was won by the John Sargent-trained Outlandos (Dissident). With Molly Burke in the saddle, the 7-year-old narrowly defeated the Group 1-winning Lion’s Roar (NZ) (Contributer {Ire}). Meanwhile, Take Me To Church (Churchill {Ire}) was a further 4.76l away in third.
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Surprise Valley (Deep Field) took out Heat 2. The lightly raced 3-year-old, ridden by Rachel King, beat Too Much Caviar (NZ) (All Too Hard) and Tristate (Headwater). Surprise Valley’s Group 3-winning stablemate, Raf Attack (NZ) (Satono Aladdin {Jpn}), finished fourth.
Surprise Valley as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Surprise Valley has won two of her five starts and was a $150,000 purchase by First Light Racing, Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott Racing, and Kestrel Thoroughbreds from the draft of Ashleigh Thoroughbreds at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
The daughter of Deep Field is from the unraced Lonhro mare My Goodness, who is a half-sister to Hong Kong’s Horse of the Year Fairy King Prawn (Encosta De Lago), Group 1 winner Easy Rocking, and the Listed-winning Crevette (Danehill {USA}), who is the dam of Group 1 winner Cosmic Endeavour (Northern Meteor).
Gai Stars in Heat 3
Showing sustained speed in Heat 3 was the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Unite The Stars (Unite And Conquer). Under Louis Beuzelin, the unraced filly was sent to the lead and stayed there. Although she was ridden in the straight, she kept up to the task, posting a margin of 1.19l over King Of Thunder (NZ) (Tivaci), Floral Legend (Deep Field), and Forrest Gump (Alabama Express), who finished in a bunch.
Catching the eye on the outside was the unraced colt Golden Straand (Snitzel). The grey ran home strongly without much persuasion. Golden Straand, trained by Matthew Smith, is from the Falvelon mare Kryptelon, who won nine races, including the Listed Gai Waterhouse Classic.
Heat 3 also included Unite The Stars’ stablemate Fabulism, who faded to fifth. The filly is a daughter of Written Tycoon and the first foal from star filly Miss Fabulass (Frankel {GB}).
Unite The Stars was purchased for $8,000 by Blueblood Thoroughbreds from the draft of Kingstar Farm at the 2023 Inglis HTBA Yearling Sale. She is from the first crop of Kingstar Farm’s Unite And Conquer and the third foal from Intastella Magic (Magic Albert).
Intastella Magic is from the family of Champion Australian 2-Year-Old Filly Victory Vein (Mr Henrysee {USA}), Group 3 winner Sookie (Casino Prince), and her dual Group 1-winning son Shadow Hero (Pierro).
Freedman double
Randwick-based horseman Michael Freedman posted back-to-back trial victories in Heats 4 and 5. Magic Leprechaun (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) ran home strongly to defeat Vos Savant (Denman), while Ex Wife (Exosphere) arguably finished best of the pack.
Magic Leprechaun has yet to translate his trial form to raceday, with his best efforts being a pair of fourths at Canterbury and Hawkesbury from four starts. The son of Per Incanto (USA) is from the O’Reilly (NZ) mare Irish Magic (NZ), who is also the dam of Heez Born Lucky (NZ) (Ustinov), a seven-time winner and placegetter in the G3 Tasmanian Derby.
“Randwick-based horseman Michael Freedman posted back-to-back trial victories in Heats 4 and 5. Magic Leprechaun ran home strongly.”
The 4-year-old gelding was withdrawn when due to be offered by Ardsley Stud at the 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale.
Freedman was then represented by House Of Cards (Exceed And Excel) in the following heat, held over 740 metres. The 3-year-old gelding, with Tommy Berry in the saddle, showed a good turn of foot to reel in Way To The Stars (Reward For Effort).
Edited By (Written By) was third, narrowly beating The New Sinatra (Russian Revolution), who flashed home ahead of Countyourblessings (I Am Invincible).
House Of Cards was a $120,000 purchase by Vinery Stud from the draft of Tyreel Stud at the 2022 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. The son of Exceed And Excel is the seventh foal from the Show A Heart mare Couredge. House Of Cards is a half-brother to the G2 Light Fingers S. and G3 Gimcrack S. winner Every Rose (Choisir).
Shangri back in action
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained juveniles were dominant on Friday morning, winning three of the four heats for 2-year-olds. In Heat 6, the stable was represented by Southern Charm (Shalaa {Ire}).
Ridden by Tim Clark, she went through the motions in a cruisy fashion, defeating Runranirun (Press Statement) by 2.22l, with Boomtown Chat (Spirit Of Boom) in third. Ofcourseiam (Pierata) caught the eye running home, while Not A Worry (NZ) (Almanzor {Fr}) and Powers Of Opal (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) were doing their best work late in the Think Big silks.
The daughter of Shalaa (Ire) is already a winner, having broken her maiden at Warwick Farm. She was a $180,000 purchase by Henderson Racing and Breeding from the draft of Arrowfield Stud at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Southern Charm is from the winning Redoute’s Choice mare In A While, who is a close relation to the stakes winner Wee Nessy (Snitzel) and the Group 2-placed Snapback (Snitzel). In A While’s Maurice (Jpn) colt was sold for $220,000 to Cheltenham Stables at this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. She has a filly by Pinatubo (Ire) and was served by Dundeel (NZ) last spring.
Later on, in Heat 8, Shangri La Express (Alabama Express) returned to action. With Tim Clark in the saddle, he led and held on from a fast-finishing Miss Judas (Microphone), with Enriched (I Am Invincible) in third.
There was a sizable gap to the rest of the field. The fourth-placed Lugarno (Rubick) was 7.69l away, followed by Matera (Extreme Choice) at 9.76l and Wild Ruler’s full sister Sakanta (Snitzel) at 10.19l.
Shangri La Express has had five starts, winning twice and placing on two occasions. He won the Golden Gift and the James Squire Kirkham 2YO Plate and has already earned $729,950 in prize money. Additionally, he was placed in the G2 Todman S.
The son of Alabama Express was a $220,000 purchase by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott Racing and Kestrel Thoroughbreds from the Yulong draft at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
He is from the Lonhro mare Sent From Above. Her Written Tycoon colt sold for $360,000 to Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott Racing, Kestrel Thoroughbreds, Cunningham Thoroughbreds and Jim Clarke Bloodstock (FBAA) at this year’s Inglis Classic Yearling Sale. Sent From Above foaled a filly by Alabama Express and returned to the Group 1-winning son of Redoute’s Choice last spring.
Blueblood takes out Heat 7
The Peter and Paul Snowden-trained How Rude (Snitzel) may not have won by a large margin, but the manner in which she secured victory in Heat 7 was impressive. Wearing the Go Bloodstock silks and ridden by Andrew Adkins, the homebred filly showed determination in the 740-metre contest.
Adkins didn't push How Rude completely out, but she managed to hold off Indecisive (Brazen Beau) and Super Nui (Super One). Fast Track (So You Think {NZ}) was only 0.85l away in fourth, with Seascape (I Am Invincible) just 1.22l behind. The close finish was further highlighted by the fact that the eighth-placed Melodia Legend (Snitzel) was only 2.72l off the winner.
Snitzel | Standing at Arrowfield
How Rude is the fifth foal from the Bernardini (USA) mare Ruud Awakening, who was crowned New Zealand's Champion 2-Year-Old after winning the G1 Diamond S. and the R. Listed Karaka Million. Ruud Awakening is also the dam of G3 Pago Pago S. winner Rise Of The Masses (Russian Revolution) and Kundalini (I Am Invincible), who was placed in the R. Listed Inglis Millennium.
Following How Rude, Ruud Awakening has produced a filly by Extreme Choice and was served by I Am Invincible last spring.
