Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Hot out of the gates in Heat 1 at Rosehill’s Monday morning trials was the promising colt Bodyguard (I Am Invincible), in his first public outing since finishing at the rear of the field in Lady Of Camelot’s (Written Tycoon) G1 Golden Slipper.
The Peter Snowden-trained colt showed a clean pair of heels to the pack within the first furlong and, under the urging of Tommy Berry, extended his lead down the home straight to win by 6.19l in the 1030-metre contest.
A $1.6 million yearling purchase for the James Harron Bloodstock Colts Partnership from Emirates Park, Bodyguard won both of his first starts, both at stakes level, before running fourth behind fellow hot property Switzerland (Snitzel) in the G2 Todman S. The son of Tumooh (Fastnet Rock) is a descendant of Slipper-winning Mossfun (Mossman), and holds a nomination for the G1 Golden Rose S. later this month. Other Golden Rose nominations for the lucrative Colts Partnership include Listed winner Aardvark (Capitalist) and G1 Champagne S. placed Fearless (Pierata).
Bodyguard | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Overpass cruising
Another eye-catching run in Heat 4 came from Overpass (Vancouver), returning after defending his $5 million The Quokka title. Looking like he was just out for a spot of pacework, the 6-year-old gelding, who has been quite the lucrative moneyspinner for Darby Racing Syndications, hit the front early and widened his lead round the home turn. Only Passeggiata (Winning Rupert) seemed able to make ground on him to finish 2.99l away.
This time last year, Overpass was gearing up to run in the G2 The Shorts, one of the feature races this coming Saturday, where he ran second to Private Eye (Al Maher) on his The Everest journey. No such nomination comes his way this year, but the spring offers plenty of action for the handy sprinter. Costing a mere $75,000 during lockdown affected yearling sales in 2020, he has returned that investment to his owners a hundredfold in over $7.6 million in prizemoney.
Overpass is easily the best offspring from Walkway (Exceed And Excel), as well as the best son of Woodside Park Stud-based Vancouver, but greatness springs from his third dam, North Bell (Bellwater {Fr}), who produced three stakes winners. Best among these was the great Northerly (Serheed {USA}), dual winner of the G1 Underwood S., G1 Australian Cup and G1 Cox Plate. Overpass follows in Northerly’s footsteps by venturing to Western Australia, where the 19-time winner started his career and claimed his first top-flight win.
High quality female families to the fore at Cranbourne
More excitement down south as juveniles stepped out for the first time this season at Cranbourne on Monday. The first of two heats was won by well-bred filly Hiatus (Snitzel), her dam Albanilla (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) a descendant of blue hen Alouette (GB) (Darshaan {GB}). While only a Listed winner herself, Alouette left a glittering array of stakes winner and stakes producers among her offspring, highlighted by full sisters Albanova (GB) (Alzao {USA}) - Champion Older Female Stayer in Great Britain and Germany, and Champion 3YO Filly in Ireland Alborada (GB) (Alzao {USA}) - dual winner of the G1 Newmarket Champion S.
This pedigree stands Hiatus in good stead, should those genes reignite in her. She was a $350,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase from the draft of Arrowfield Stud for trainers Tony and Calvin McEvoy and Belmont Bloodstock (FBAA).
A head behind her was stablemate Xtreme (Exceedance), who was a $160,000 purchase for the McEvoys and Belmont Bloodstock at the same sale as Hiatus. Xtreme’s dam Sharpness (Wanted) was a multiple city winner, including victory over subsequent G2 Guy Walter S. winner Dawn Dawn (All Too Hard), and is a three-quarter sister to Fast Talker (Fastnet Rock), dam of three-time Group 1 winner Zougotcha (Zoustar). Clearly impressed by the strength of her now 2-year-old and unraced 3-year-old full brother Eternal One (Exceedance), Sharpness returned to the stallion last spring.
The McEvoy partnership dominated the second juvenile trial as well, saddling the first five runners home, led by Odessa (Zoustar), with Far More Radiant (Farnan) hot on her trail. A homebred for Victorian heavyweights Rosemont Stud, Odessa shaved over two seconds off the previous trial’s time to come home under Jamie Kah in a blistering 46.13s. Odessa is the only foal of Group 3 winner Aryaaf (Epaulette), half-sister to freshman Rosemont stallion Doull. Aryaaf has missed to both Zoustar and Street Boss (USA), before being exported to France last year. According to the IFCE (French Stud Book), she was covered by Siyouni (Fr) last spring.
Far More Radiant is also partially owned by Rosemont, who sold the filly in Melbourne at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale this year for $270,000. She is out of More Radiant (More Than Ready {USA}), making her third dam Shalt Not (St Covet), the dam of Amelia’s Dream (Redoute’s Choice), whose scintillating 6.3l G2 Silver Slipper win would tragically be the last time we saw her greatness on the track. She has left her mark in the breeding barn with eight winners to date, and a So You Think (NZ) yearling filly to follow.
More Radiant was purchased by Rosemont for $210,000 in 2021, in foal to Vinery Stud’s Exceedance, and last spring produced a colt by Rosemont sire Hanseatic, who’s first juveniles hit the trials this month.
Further back in the field was the full sister to last season’s G3 Pago Pago S. victor Dublin Down (Exceedance). Dalkey (Exceedance) was a successful pinhook for the Alma Vale-Kitchwin Hills partnership, purchasing her for $100,000 as a weanling, before presenting her at this year’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale where she was knocked down for $520,000 to the Ladbrokes Racing Club and Newgate Bloodstock. Being out of Dublin Lass (O’Reilly {NZ}), she is named for a small town 15 kilometres southeast of Dublin.
Dalkey as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Not to be missed later in the morning was an easy win for Bjorn Baker’s Caballus (I Am Invincible), the 4-year-old entire looking none the worse for wear for his defeat in the G1 Moir S. earlier in the month. He closed off well to defeat She’s Bulletproof (Shooting To Win) by a short neck, with Jennilala (Shalaa {Ire}) in third. A million-dollar yearling purchase by Coolmore, Caballus rewarded Darby Racing’s shrewd purchase last October with victory in the G3 Eskimo Prince S. earlier this year, defeating two proven Group 1 winners in the process.
First-season sires ready to fire
Farnan was not the only first-season sire represented that morning; Horseback Heaven (Tagaloa), Blackjack (Bivouac), and Child’s Play (Graff) all stepped out as their sires’ first trial representatives. Hello Youmzain (Fr) was also represented in Australia for the first time by Betrand (NZ). The Cambridge Stud shuttle sire has 10 winners from his first Northern Hemisphere crop, highlighted by Group 3 winner Misunderstood (Fr).
Blackjack was a weanling investment for Belmont Bloodstock (FBAA), purchasing the son of Viviette (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) for $275,000 from Three Bridges Thoroughbreds last year. The Godolphin-bred mare has had two runners for two winners, and a Toronado (Ire) filly to follow, with a foal by Blue Point (Ire) expected this spring.
Gallery: Some of the first-season sires represented at the trials on Monday
Coming in a little cheaper for the McEvoy stable at $60,000 at this year’s Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, Child’s Play comes from the first crop of Kitchwin Hills-based sire, Graff, who won the G3 San Domenico S. before finishing 1l behind The Autumn Sun in a sire-producing edition of the G1 Golden Rose S. The first six past the post now stand at stud around Australia and New Zealand. Child’s Play is out of Childhood (USA) (Lonhro), making him a half-brother to Listed winner Infancy (Wandjina). Childhood produced another colt by Graff last spring, before slipping her pregnancy to Bivouac earlier this year.
The most economical purchase of the morning goes to son of Yulong Investments sire Tagaloa, Horseback Heaven, who cost $1000 online in April this year. Owned and trained by Pakenham trainer Frankie Stockdale, who was in the headlines earlier this year when his tough galloper Dubai Moon (Pride Of Dubai) notched up four wins in less than two weeks, his dam Total Belief (Not A Single Doubt) is a half-sister to Novel Dancer (Written Tycoon), dam of dual Listed-winning Pancho (Dissident).
Juvenile action continues out west
West Australian trainers jumped in on the action at Belmont on Monday with a juvenile trial headlining the morning. Popular young trainer Dion Luciani saddled the first four home in the 400-metre contest, led by Swift Fix (Safeguard), followed by Writing Songs (Written By). Swift Fix is a homebred by Mogumber Park resident Safeguard for Loloma Farms, who also purchased the runner up for $3000 from Widden Stud last year. Loloma Farms have had a long and successful relationship with Luciani, most recently tasting high-level success with Oscar’s Fortune (Rich Enuff), who beat tough mare Amelia’s Jewel (Siyouni {Fr}) in this year’s G3 Roma Cup and was a close second to Overpass in the G1 Winterbottom S.
Swift Fix is a son of winning mare Lyfsabuz (He’s A Decoy {Ire}), from the family of Hong Kong high roller All Gee - Starlit Knight (Fath), who amassed over HK$3.5million in prizemoney. The mare produced a filly by King Of Athens (USA) last year and is due to foal to All American next month. Producing a respectable 68.1 per cent winners to runners, Safeguard stands at Mogumber Park this year for a fee of $4,400.
A daughter of five-time winner Adalita (Congrats {USA}), Writing Songs descends from a prolific female family, with her third dam being Group 3 victress Miss Lenora (USA) (Theatrical {Ire}). At stud, Miss Lenora produced triple Group 3 winner Stylish (USA) (Thunder Gulch {USA}), and the dams of stakes winners Lady T (USA) (Into Mischief {USA}) and Multiplayer (USA) (Giant’s Causeway {USA}). She is a daughter of Joint Champion 3YO Filly in Ireland L’Attrayante (Fr) (Tyrant {USA}), making her a full sister to Longchamp Group 1 winner Madeleine’s Dream (USA) (Theatrical {Ire}), who numbers two stakes winners in her direct descendents.
