Written by Kit Gow
Cover Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
Take note of G3 Gimcrack S. runner-up Memo's (Capitalist) return to the trials at Canterbury Park on Tuesday morning, amongst a host of juveniles having hit outs. A pair of Trapeze Artist juveniles turned heads, and a close relation to Farnan won his debut outing.
Pair of smart juveniles for Trapeze Artist
Widden Stud’s Trapeze Artist delivered the winners of two of the five juvenile trials at Canterbury Park on Tuesday morning. His offspring were victorious in the first and last of the 2-year-old trials, with his daughter Artistic Venture winning the first heat, in the second fastest time for the juveniles.
Offered by Widden Stud on behalf of Trapeze Artist’s breeders Vieira Group at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, Artistic Venture was purchased for $50,000 by Tricolours Racing, and sent to John O’Shea and Tom Charlton. She is the third named foal from Secret Venture (Sebring), an unraced daughter of G1 Thousand Guineas winner Serious Speed (Royal Academy {USA}). Secret Venture delivered a full sister both last spring and this season, with the yearling going through the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in January as Lot 1368.
Winning son Southern Prince (Trapeze Artist), trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, had the flashing light turned on from his last trial, finishing eighth last month behind Buckeye (Zoustar). Bred and retained by Vieira Group, Southern Prince is out of Listed Chairman's S.-placed Southern Venture (Zabeel {NZ}), making him a half-brother of How Sweet It Is (Foxwedge), dam of G3 San Domenico S. winner Sweet Ride, who stood his first season at Widden this spring. Southern Venture delivered a full brother to Southern Prince this season.
Farnan relation debuts a winner
Tulloch Lodge unveiled another potential star in the bottle green and white colours of Yulong Investments on Tuesday morning, when Willingham (Justify {USA}) won his debut trial over equally well bred Farset (Farnan). Just 0.1l separated the pair with a gap of 1.41l back to the rest of the pack.
Bred by Kitchwin Hills and Summertime Holdings, Willingham is the first foal from Yolanda (Shamus Award), a half-sister to G3 Vanity S. victress Tallow (Street Cry {Ire}), dam of rising star stallion Farnan and his three-quarter brother Sandbar, whose 2-year-olds also debut this spring. Yolanda delivered a Home Affairs colt this spring. Willingham was a $180,000 purchase for Yulong as a weanling from the Magic Millions Gold Coast National Weanling Sale and has been retained to race since passing in at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Gimcrack placegetter on track for return
G3 Gimcrack S. third place finisher Memo (Capitalist) returned to the trials on Tuesday morning at Canterbury Park for Peter Snowden, and fought Sequista (D’Argento) to the line, ultimately coming out on top.
A $350,000 purchase for Snowden Racing from Newgate Farm’s draft at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Memo is the second foal that Love Racing have bred from G3 JC Tibbie S. runner-up Notation (Fastnet Rock), a daughter of G1 Allan Robertson Championship-winning Chocolicious (SAf) (Kahal {GB}). Notation was not served in 2023 after delivering a colt by Stay Inside.
Baker filly all too hard to catch
Bjorn Baker’s Horseshoe Hill (All Too Hard) posted the fastest last 600 metres of Tuesday morning amongst the juveniles, clocking 35.86s on the soft surface that has copped a reasonable amount of rain over the last few days. She was fourth to Sapphire Rose (Blue Point {Ire}) on debut last month at Warwick Farm, and found her footing at Canterbury Park to pull 1.48l ahead of the competition.
A $200,000 purchase for Bjorn Baker Racing, Clarke Bloodstock (FBAA), and Cunningham Thoroughbreds from Widden’s Gold Coast draft, Horseshoe Hill was bred by Mr BL McRostie from multiple Group winner Miss Rose De Lago (Encosta De Lago), a granddaughter of G1 Moyglare Stud S. winner Mail The Desert (Ire) (Desert Prince {Ire}). Miss Rose De Lago has a yearling colt by St Mark’s Basilica (Fr), and missed this season to Trapeze Artist.
Time Test colt stops the clock fastest at Pukekohe
Geneva (NZ) (Time Test {GB}) was the fastest 2-year-old home across three juvenile heats at Pukekohe on Tuesday, stopping the clock at 46.97s for his 800 metres. The Kylie Hoskin-trained colt beat Velvet Blue (Cosmic Force) by 0.05l in the first heat of the day.
Bred and retained by Jomara Bloodstock, Geneva is the second foal of Charli Rose (NZ) (Pierro), a daughter of Listed Northland Breeders' S.-placed La Scala (NZ) (Bahhare {USA}), making her a half-sister to Listed Anzac Mile winner Mr Mojo Risin’ (NZ) (Deep Field). She foaled a filly by Ardrossan last spring, and is due to foal to him again this year.
