There was a mini Everest at the Canterbury trials on Thursday morning, plus some serious Golden Eagle contenders, a Willinga watch horse and a blue blood filly.
Bjorn Baker can savour this trial as it may be the only time Overpass will ever finish in front of Nature Strip, but that won’t worry him as the two will be on very different paths when they head to the races.
Four year-old Vancouver gelding Overpass will be headed towards the $10million Golden Eagle, while Nature Strip is looking to defend his Everest crown.
Another likely candidate for the Golden Eagle will be the Hawkes Racing trained Snitzel stallion Mr Mozart, who hit the line hard in his trial.
He won his last three starts in succession during the autumn, all in stakes races, and no reason to think he can’t pick up where he left off.
Mark Newnham had the quinella in this heat with lightly raced four year-old Dundeel gelding Willinga Rufio, thoroughly enjoying his trial, free wheeling in front and coasting home, while his stablemate Money From the Sky surged into second.
With two wins and a second from three starts, Willinga Rufio is very much a young horse on the up and will no doubt look to progress through the grades to Black Type.
.A giant son of Frankel, Money From the Sky has always promised to be a nice horse and may finally have grown into his big frame, so will be keen to see him back in a race.
There were a number of trials for up and comers with I Am Invincible filly Tajneed winning her trial narrowly, albeit not asked for a big effort.
A homebred for Emirates Park trained by Peter and Paul Snowden, Tajneed was having her second trial this prep and looks reay to go to the races.
She is the first foal of Roudha (IRE), an unraced Galileo mare from dual Australian Group I winner and $1.9million earner Melito. The I Am Invincible x Galileo nick has produced seven winners from eight runners, two of them stakes-winners Invincibella and Nettuno.
Click here for all the trials with Sale Mail at Breednet and at Racing NSW with video.
