The
Rosehill barrier trials on Tuesday morning offered an insight into the coming
Sydney Autumn Carnival with a number of key horses on show including established
star three year-old Manawanui and rising star Moment of Change.
Already a Group I winner of the ATC Golden Rose, Manawanui was trialling for
the second time and strode clear to win his 1030 metre hit out by two and a
half lengths.
A modest $45,000 purchase from the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale from the
Goodwood Farm draft, Manawanui has already won six races and $1.2 million for
astute trainer Ron Leemon, with a lucrative preparation looming for the gelded
son of Coolmore bargain basement sire Oratorio (IRE).
Manawanui (pictured) is nominated for the Group II ATC Expressway Stakes this Saturday, but may wait a week and go to to the Group II ATC Royal Sovereign Stakes instead.
Exciting talent Moment of Change is yet to taste defeat, recording two ultra
easy wins at Murtoa and Sandown in the spring, before being sent to the paddock by Peter Moody
to strengthen and develop.
A $50,000 MM Perth purchase for Slade Bloodstock from the draft of Sovereign
Thoroughbreds, Moment of Change is in Sydney preparing for the Group II ATC
Royal Sovereign Stakes at Warwick Farm on Saturday week and impressed track
watchers when leading throughout to win his 900 metre trial in 53.24 seconds, which
was the fastest trial at that distance.
"Very impressive horse, excellent," said Blake Shinn, who was aboard the
three year-old and will also partner him in the Royal Sovereign Stakes.
"He jumped very well and led comfortably. Hot Snitzel was on my outside
and we travelled beautifully, with his ears pricked, and got around the track
comfortably.
"I didn't open him right up in the straight because the track was a
genuine slow, but he gave me a very good feel.
"He's a very exciting horse."
Moment of Change (pictured) is potentially the best horse sired to date by Cornerstone
Stud's Barely a Moment, a Group I winning son of Gilded Time (USA), whose lone stakes-winner
so far has been Group II MRC Sandown Guineas winner So Swift.
Moment of Change was bred by WA based Sovereign Thoroughbreds and is the first
winner from the Metal Storm (Fr) mare Europium, a half-sister to stakes-winner
Mr Diagnosis.
Europium was sent back to Barely a Moment last spring and was one of 23 mares
covered at a fee of $6,050, so Tracy Knotts and her team at Sovereign
Thoroughbreds will be cheering Moment of Change on during the autumn.
Click here to see the full set of trial results, which also features wins by prominent
two year-olds Pierro, Snitzerland and My Shabella.
