The retirement of Nature Strip and Eduardo heralds a changing of the guard in the elite sprinters division in Australia and the trials at Rosehill on Tuesday morning offered some insight if you are on the lookout for an Everest contender and we also liked the look of an unraced blue-blood filly by Pierro.
Heat 1 1030m
The first four home in the opening heat over 1030m would all be under consideration as possible Everest horses with third place-getter Mazu already in the picture as the nominated horse for The Star / Arrowfield slotholder.
I Am Invincible stallion Hawaii Five Oh looked awesome leading all the way to win and while his best form so far has been at 1400m, Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott will no doubt have a crack at shortening him up in trip with a $20million race up for grabs and as a four year-old, he is also in the hunt for the $10million Golden Eagle at 1500m.
Winner of the Group I Robert Sangster Stakes at 1200m, Ruthless Dame might be by Tavistock, but she’s lethal when fresh in a sprint race and powered to the line for second ahead of Mazu, who was third in the Everest last year.
Three year old I Am Invincible colt King’s Gambit recovered well in his heat after stumbling at the start and he could also enter the Everest picture if he can convert potential to elite performance.
Heat 5 900m
This was a tick over trial for the Matthew Smith trained four year-old Supido stallion Buenos Noches, who won brilliantly first up in the Group III ATC Show County Stakes last month. He cruised to the line locked together with the speedy Group winning Godolphin mare Zapateo and will be primed for his next appearance.
Heat 7 900m
Five year-old Vancouver gelding Overpass took giant strides last season running sixth in the Everest and later winning the inaugural $4million Quokka in Perth before a fighting second to Giga Kick in the G1 Doomben 10,000. Bjorn Baker will have him ready to fire first up and he was totally dominant in this trial scoring by more than a length.
Heat 8 900m
Another trained by Bjorn Baker, unbeaten Zoustar colt Ozzmosis caught the attention of the Newgate / China Horse Club partners after winning his first two starts last season at Gosford and Randwick and they now share in the ownership. He did everything right in his first trial back and the Group I Coolmore Stud Stakes in Melbourne looms as a target race.
Heat 11 900m
Unraced Pierro filly Pajanti was having her second lifetime trial and first this preparation and the Geray Ryan and Sterling Alexiou trained filly showed good natural talent to race on the pace and was held together to the line to score a narrow win.
She was a $500,000 Inglis Easter purchase from the Sledmere Stud draft for Kia Ora and is a half-sister to Group I placed Meritable from winning Encosta de Lago mare Crystal Flute, who comes from the Monsoon Wedding branch of the Shantha’s Choice family featuring Group and stakes-winning fillies Precious Lorraine, Lucky Raquie, Summer Monsoon, Meuse and Sangria.
Click here for all the trial results at Breednet with Sale Mail and at Racing NSW with video.
