Spring was definitely in the air at Warwick Farm on Friday morning with a big set of trials featuring potential spring WFA stars Mo’Unga and Think It Over, plus Cups contenders such as Duais, Francesco Guardi, Soulcombe, Major Beel and Goldman and of course some promising three year-olds.
Click here to see all the trials at Racing NSW with heats won by Mo’Unga, Goldman and Cylinder’s half-sister Parisal all worth a look and below we’ve highlighted some of the more interesting three year-olds.
Heat 3
Godolphin would have to be happy with the way Exceed and Excel colt Cylinder has come back after his Golden Slipper second. This was his second trial back and he looked awesome again, trucking to the line to win under a hold for Zac Lloyd in a heat that also featured Group I winner Hinged and Group I placed Osipenko as well as stakes-winning filly Autumn Ballet.
Cylinder has the depth of pedigree to suggest he could be a lot more than a speedy 2YO and comes from the same female family as Lonhro, so don’t be surprised to see him go far this spring.
Heat 10
There’s always a smart winter filly that comes to the early spring stakes races with a fitness edge and that looks like being the Waterhouse Bott trained Written Tycoon filly Taormina, who is two for two and was kept ticking over with this length and a half win with three metro winners following her in Griff, Kimochi and Oz Empress.
Lurking back in the field and finishing nicely under a hold was undefeated Kingman filly Zardozi, who is three for three up to 1400m, but her pedigree suggests a mile and probably a bit more will be to her liking this season.
Heat 11
Joe Pride bought three year-old Tavistock colt Ceolwulf (NZ) at the NZB Ready to Run for $170,000 last year and has been very patient with him as this was just his second trial. He improved off his first effort when a soft fifth last month to race on the pace and win this one showing good natural ability for a horse that is realistically bred to stay.
Ceolwulf is from unraced Shamardal mare Las Brisas, who comes from the family of Group I winning stayers Cerulean Sky and Moonstone, as well as champion Ausbred HK sprinter Wellington, although he's a fruit out of season in this family.
Heat 16
The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace stable have an army of horses gearing up for spring and a filly set to make her mark in the Princess Series could be Tiz Invincible, who had just two runs last season striking wet tracks both times for a fourth in the Canberra Black Opal and then a second to Kristilli in the Group II ATC Percy Sykes Stakes. This was her second trial back and she travelled deep before surging clear and was quite clearly a class above.
A $550,000 Inglis Easter purchase from the Segenhoe draft for Bahen Bloodstock / Ciaron Maher Racing / Eric Lucas, Tiz Invincible is the second foal of Amuletum (GB), a winning half-sister by New Approach to Anamoe, so she’s another filly with pedigree to suggest a mile should hold no fears.
Click here for all trial results at Breednet with Sale Mail.