The trials for Tuesday at Randwick were switched from the grass to the polytrack resulting in plenty of scratchings but the Group and Listed heat still featured some potential spring stars and we got a look at star colt Best of Bordeaux, while a couple of Russian Revolution 2YO’s impressed and a problem child by Deep Field caught the eye.
Quality All Too Hard mare Forbidden Love was relishing the heavy tracks during the autumn to win a pair of Group I races and a Group II and looks ready to pick right up where she left off judging by this stylish trial win for Hugh Bowman.
Trained by Michael Freedman, Forbidden Love has already won $2.1million and looks set for another good season.
All eyes were on the juvenile heat over 1080m with the Kacy Fogden trained Snitzel colt Best of Bordeaux having his first outing in the navy blue colours of Coolmore, who bought into the colt after his Golden Slipper second placing and now race him with a big partnership of breeders.
Ridden for the first time by James McDonald, Best of Bordeaux was restrained after jumping from a wide gate and travelled deep all the way, working home under a tight hold out wide to be fourth with promising Russian Revolution filly Miss Faberge taking the win.
Bred and retained to race by Sir Owen Glenn’s Go Bloodstock, the John Sargent trained Miss Faberge is still a maiden after four starts, but was most competitive in the Slipper lead up races finishing fourth in both the Group II ATC Sweet Embrace Stakes and Group III ATC Magic Night Stakes behind glamour fillies Fireburn and She’s Extreme.
It&r
squo;s not hard to see her shedding the maiden tag in coming weeks and then progressing to something better given she is a half-sister to Group I stars Criterion and Comin’ Through, plus Group II winner Varenna Miss and stakes-winner Silently being the last foal from now retired blue hen Mica’s Pride.
Russian Revolution is also the sire of good looking colt Insurrection, who appeared very comfortable when surging to the line for Rachel King to win his 780m heat by a length.
Trained by Michael Freedman, he showed nice potential in three starts last preparation finishing on a winning note at Muswellbrook after not enjoying the heavy 9 track when seventh in the Group III ATC Kindergarten Stakes.
A $150,000 Inglis Classic purchase from the Ascot Park draft for Darby Racing / Will Johnson Bloodstock, Insurrection was bred by Bob Hannon and is the first winner for Marple Miss, a metro winning three-quarter sister to Cox Plate winning Group I sire Shamus Award.
Other juvenile heat winners were: King of Naples (Your Song), who beat G2 Reisling Stakes winner Seven Veils, and Time to Boogie (Sooboog).
An interesting trial horse, but not a juvenile, was the flashy grey Deep Field 3YO gelding Diamond Flare from the Mark Newnham stable.
He raced once under the name of Dickson Horse in May last year finishing fifth in a metro maiden won by In the Congo and since then has had a name change to Diamond Flare.
He has also undergone remedial work for his poor barrier behaviour which has earned him several suspensions for being fractious in the gates, but he certainly had no trouble getting in and out of them for this trial.
Diamond Flare was a $400,000 Magic Millions purchase for Patrick Lee from the Lyndhurst Stud Farm draft and is a half-brother to stakes-winner Mildred from speedy stakes-winner Tempest Tost, a half-sister to Group I winning sprinter Notoire. There are a lot of fast grey horses in this family and he looks to be another one!
Click here for all trial results with Sale Mail at Breednet and at Racing NSW with video.