Astute trainer Mark Newnham is fast becoming an expert on champion sire Frankel with an impressive maiden winner by the sire at Hawkesbury on Tuesday and the chance of a another winner by him at Randwick on Wednesday.
Three year-old filly Von Trapp has been catching our eye at the trials for the past month and was a close and unlucky seventh when making her debut at Randwick on August 18 and took good improvement from that run to start favourite in the 1300m maiden today.
She raced just behind the leaders for Josh Parr and scored a stylish half length win that will have her well placed to progress further.
Entered for the Group I MRC Thousand Guineas, Von Trapp is a homebred for the Hutchinson family and carries the colours made famous by Australian Horse of the Year Typhoon Tracy.
She was withdrawn from Inglis Easter and retained which may well be a good move.
Von Trapp is bred on the same cross as Frankel’s Epsom Derby winner Adayar being from Chortle (GB), a winning Dubawi mare that is a full sister to triple Group I winner Hunters Light, who was successful up to 2250m.
Chortle was bought by bloodstock agent Neil Jenkinson from the Arqana December Mares Sale in 2016 for 220,000 euros and subsequently sent to Frankel with Von Trapp the result of the mating.
Chortle has a yearling filly by Written Tycoon and is due to foal to Pierro.
The female family is absolutely A grade European Black Type that screams Oaks filly and in Mark Newnham, Von Trapp has the right trainer.
Newnham will saddle another exciting Frankel at Randwick on Wednesday with three year old colt Money From the Sky well fancied to win the 1400m maiden and well capable of improving on his debut second at the same venue two weeks ago.
