Plenty of interest at the Rosehill barrier trials this morning with two heats for juveniles, a heat featuring two Everest contenders and an impressive showing for an unraced three year-old Zoustar filly trained by Chris Waller.
Nicconi gelding Joyful Fortune is the horse selected for the Aquis Everest slot and he showed great pace to lead and win his 900m heat by a neck well held together with Rubick mare Shades of Rose cruising home for a soft third.
Both horses will face a massive class rise in the Everest.
Joyful Fortune has never contested a stakes race and has never raced or won beyond 1100m with his overall record three wins from eight starts, two of those wins coming in Hong Kong over 1000m
Selected by Bon Ho for the Everest, Shades of Rose has had one try at a stakes race, the Group II ATC Sheraco Stakes (1200m), which she won on September 10 and she has the impressive record of seven wins and a second from nine starts.
Chris Waller has unearthed a superstar filly by Zoustar this season in Darley Princess Series and G1 Flight Stakes winner Zougotcha and he has another promising unraced filly by the sire in Kazou.
Kazou was slowly away in her first trial last month before catching the eye with a late closing fourth, but this time was sent forward by Hugh Bowman to take the lead and she relished the task, bowling along in front and quickening up down the running to win by six lengths and running slightly quicker time than the Everest horses.
A $200,000 Inglis Easter purchase from the Coolmore draft for Chris Waller Racing / Mulcaster Bloodstock, Kazou is the first Australian bred foal for US Group I winner Cat Moves (USA), a Tale of the Cat mare that left four winners in the US. Sadly, Kazou is her only Australian bred foal as she died last year.
The first of two heats for juveniles over 900m was won by the David Payne trained Pride of Dubai gelding Maharba, who led for home at his first outing and was shaken up to beat Zoustar colt Gitalong.
Maharba bred to be fast and early being a half-brother to Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner Unencumbered from stakes-winning juvenile Blizzardly.
The second heat for the fillies was quite a bit slower and was won by Deep Field filly Her Excellency, who was third at the official trials and showed the benefit of that experience.
Trained by Peter and Paul Snowden, Her Excellency is the second foal of Laugh a Little, a half-sister by Lonhro to Group winners Crack Me Up and Hoofit from former brilliant stakes-winning filly Chuckle.
Click here to see all the trial results at Breednet with Sale Mail and at Racing NSW with video.
