Trials at Rosehill on Friday morning featured six heats for juveniles with some quality fillies given a tick over gallop in preparation for next week’s Group II ATC Percy Sykes Stakes, while $1.6million Extreme Choice colt Guardsman looks like he’s getting closer to a race day debut.
Extreme Choice had five colts sell for $1million or more last year including Group I MRC Blue Diamond Stakes winner Devil Night ($1.4million) and the most expensive of them at $1.6million was the Michael Freedman trained colt Guardsman.
He had two trials last year before Christmas placing in both of them and was having his second trial this prep and acquitted himself well, kicking clear for Tommy Berry when asked to do so winning by a length and a half.
Guardsman was bought by James Harron Bloodstock from the Milburn Creek draft and is a full brother to a couple of metro winners from Wanted Lady, a winning half-sister to stakes-winner Missy Cummings, the dam of Group I winner Mizzy.
Spring stakes-winner Trementi was in third place and knocked up after showing pace as you would expect, while Hello Captain in fourth place was notable.
A $425,000 Karaka Book 1 purchase from Cambridge Stud by Waller Racing/ Mulcaster Bloodstock, he is the most expensive yearling to date by Hello Youmzain (Fr) and has a full brother to be offered at Inglis Easter as Lot 192.
Heat six saw the ambitiously named Snitzel colt Beadman looking good again with a win over 1000m.
He’d looked solid at his first trial over 792m on March 21 but is obviously progressing well for the Peter Snowden camp and has clear potential.
A $900,000 buy for China Horse Club/Newgate/Go Bloodstock/Trilogy from Arrowfield Stud at Magic Millions Gold Coast, he is out of the French bred Iffranesia, a Listed winner by Iffraaj.
The runner-up Tiberius also looked impressive and is another promising one for leading first season sire Ole Kirk.
A $160,000 weanling buy for Alter Bridge Equine from Ashleigh Thoroughbreds at the Inglis Australian Weanling Sale, he was passed in at Magic Millions Gold Coast but has found his way into the Darby Racing operation and Bjorn Baker stable. Now a gelding, he’s indicated talent in three trials, two of them in this current campaign.
Heat 11 saw a couple of the established top-drawer fillies Within The Law and Memo limbering up for a crack at the $1million Group II Percy Sykes next week but neither was any more impressive than the winner Sequista which looks to have come back very well.
By D’Argento from I’m A Jewel, she was a $100,000 buy for the Ryan/Alexiou stable from Bowness Stud at Inglis Classic and is from a family made famous by Geoff and Beryl White featuring the top-class sprinter Jetball.
Sequista has had only one start when third to Within The Law in the Inglis Nursery and judging by this trial she’s made great progress so will be a genuine stakes contender in coming weeks.
Within The Law was solid, having stayed in work after going through the running rail and losing the rider in the Golden Slipper, while Memo was also good, having missed the Slipper to be saved for the Percy Sykes.
In Heat 13, expensive Zoustar colt Jet again looked good having won his first trial of this new preparation on March 21.
Trained by the Waterhouse/Bott camp, he was a $1million buy at Magic Millions for James Harron Colt Partnership from Segenhoe Stud as agent for his breeder John Camilleri’s Fairway Thoroughbreds
Jet is the first foal of Listed Foxwedge mare Villami from a family which includes the Group I Oaks winner Personal and Group I Goodwood Handicap winner Lone Rock.
The runner-up is also notable – Explicit (2c Snitzel x Breakfast In Bed), a $420,000 buy for Ryan/Alexiou from Segenhoe at Magic Millions, he’s the three-quarter brother King’s Legacy and showed good improvement at his second trial.
Click here for all the trial results at Breednet with Sale Mail and at Racing NSW with video.
