This will be our last Juvenile Trial Watch of the season with these babies about to turn three and they were out in force with eight heats won by two year-olds including proven performers Platinum Jubilee and Café Millennium, while three unraced youngsters caught our eye.
The first three heats were for Group and Listed horses with wins for Group I winners Golden Mile and Alligator Blood, while Perfect Thought could easily find himself a Group I winner come the end of spring.
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained Zoustar filly Platinum Jubilee was having her second trial back and was made to work by Capital Heart, who won’t be a maiden for a long after placing three times behind quality colts in his first campaign during the autumn.
Platinum Jubilee only missed a place in the Golden Slipper from five starts so far and will be well primed for the Princess Series, while her older half-sister by I Am Invincible, Queen of the Ball, also looked good at this set of trials finishing second to Alligator Blood in her heat. Both fillies should be followed closely when the new season begins.
John O’Shea has a big opinion of giant Not a Single Doubt colt Café Millenium, who was made to get to the line by James McDonald after his usual tardy getaway and casual attitude to the business of racing saw him out the back and wide to make his run. The day this colt takes his job seriously, he’s going to take a power of beating.
A homebred for Ron Finemore, Café Millenium is a three-quarter brother-in-blood to Group II winner Gypsy Diamond, who was effective to 2000m, so expect this colt to excel when he gets to a mile, but he does need a dry track to get that massive stride going to full advantage.
Peter and Paul Snowden produced a Zoustar gelding called Xidaki having his first ever trial at 1045m and he did a great job jumping straight into the bridle to lead and find the fence where he settled and allowed a couple to come around and pass him. When asked to get going again by Tom Sherry he lengthened out to retake the lead and cruised to the line to win by more than a length.
Xidaki was not offered for sale and is a half-brother to three winners from Athanea, a winning General Nediym mare from the family of Dual Group I winner Hallowed Crown and champion sire Zabeel.
It was the second trial in a new preparation for the Michael Freedman trained filly Write This Way and she won again, but this time the daughter of Written By was allowed to find her feet early and work home to win by half a length after pushing forward in her previous trial over a shorter trip.
A $320,000 Magic Millions purchase for Mick Wallace As Agent For Freedman Brothers from the Widden Stud draft, Write This Way is a half-sister to three winners from Totally Sure, a winning half-sister to Group III winner Tuscan Sling.
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott won the last heat with Exceed and Excel filly A lot a Lip, who was having her first ever trial and flew out of an outside gate for Regan Bayliss to charge across and lead. She was well held together on the line with experienced winning colt Butch Cassidy taking ground off her late to grab second beaten a head.
A $475,000 Inglis Easter purchase for Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott / Kestrel Thoroughbreds from the Emirates Park draft, A lot a Lip is a half-sister to Group III placed Tass from German stakes-winner Dynamic Lips (IRE), a half-sister to Champion 3YO German Miler Dragon Lips.
Additional winners were: Key Legend (Churchill (IRE), Critique (Written Tycoon) and Queen of the Mile (Written Tycoon).
Click to see all the results at Breednet with Sale Mail and at Racing NSW with video.
