Once upon a time the official two year-old trials in Sydney were the biggest show in town to get a first peek at the cream of the new season juveniles, however times change and the trend to produce them later by many of our leading trainers means there will be just eight heats this year, but still plenty of interest.

It is time to pay homage to the Emirates Park Stud stalwart Al Maher with his most accomplished son, Private Eye, striving to break a year-long drought when defending his title in the $1,000,000 Group II Yarraman Park The Shorts (1100m) at Randwick on Saturday.