Plenty of intrigue at Rosehill on Thursday morning with seven time Group I winner Alligator Blood cruising around in the first heat for an easy win, while there were five heats for juveniles that featured wins for some expensive youngsters and several of the place-getters were just as interesting as the winners.
The first juvenile heat over the longer 1030m distance produced a close finish between $700,000 Zoustar colt Growing Empire for Yulong and $2.5million I Am Invincible colt Railway Man for Coolmore, both unraced colts trained by Maher and Eustace. Growing Empire won the battle, but Railway Man may well win the war. Debut metro winner Rag Queen had a quiet tick over trial in fourth place.
Growing Empire is the half-brother to Group III placed Dancing Alone from Group II placed Snitzel mare Miles of Krishan, while Railway Man is the first foal of Group I winner Booker, whose second foal is an I Am Invincible filly entered for Inglis Easter by Coolmore as Lot 443.
The fastest of the four heats over 900m was won by the Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou trained Exceed and Excel colt Enhance, who was having his second trial this month after a second to Innervisions, who has accepted for the Blue Diamond Preview. He led all the way and is still quite green, so it was a good effort and the second horse President, a $950,000 Inglis Easter purchase by I Am Invincible, was an eye-catcher in his first trial for a closing second. Also keep an eyey on Christansen, the full brother to Ole Kirk having his first quiet trial.
Enhance was a $300,000 Inglis Easter purchase for TFI from Ridgmont Farm and they will offer his half-sister by So You Think at Inglis Easter as Lot 367. Enhance is the second foal of Urban Rocket (GB), an unraced three-quarter sister by Siyouni to Group I winning sprinter Maarek.
James Harron Bloodstock have an embarrassment of riches in the colts department this season and he was at the trials this morning to watch Russian Revolution’s full brother Everybody Rise win his heat. Trained by Peter and Paul Snowden as was his famous brother, Everybody Rise was third on debut to Spywire last November and was having his first trial since then.
A $1.4million Inglis Easter purchase from Newgate, Everybody Rise is from top producer Ballet D’Amour (USA), who had an impressive maiden winner last week in Ballet D’Esprit (3yof I Am Invincible).
First season sire Pierata has had a flurry of trial winners of late and added another here with the Annabel Neasham trained filly Pushpa improving at her third trial to win by half a length.
A $480,000 Magic Millions purchase from Segenhoe for Kia Ora, Pushpa is the second foal of Group II winner Oregon’s Day, whose third foal is an I Am Invincible filly heading to Inglis Easter as Lot 198 for Segenhoe.
A homebred for Pam and Rob Crosby, who had a lot of success with her mother Dawn Dawn, Trapeze Artist filly Fly Fly looked to have nice ability hitting the line well in her first trial to score a narrow win. Trained by Team Hawkes as was her Group II winning dam, Fly Fly was allowed to settle early and when angled into the clear ran on well as did the second filly Qatar’s Choice.
Fly Fly is the first foal of Dawn Dawn, who was also bred and raced by the Crosby’s. Runner-up Qatars Choice was a $950,000 Inglis Easter purchase and is bred in the purple as a half-sister by I Am Invincible to Group III winner Williamsburg from Group I winner Fenway, who has a yearling half-brother by Maurice (Jpn) going to Inglis Easter for Arrowfield as Lot 27.
Click here for all the trial results at Breednet with Sale Mail and at Racing NSW with video.