The lure of the $1million Group III ATC Golden Gift at Rosehill on Saturday week has drawn out some fascinating two year-olds to the trials in Sydney this week with a pair Wootton Bassett (GB) colts running the quinella at Warwick Farm and a filly we have already seen looking sharp and ready for her next engagement.
From the Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald stable, Trapeze Artist filly Tupakara ran well on debut to finish fourth in the Group III ATC Gimcrack Stakes and looked very professional for Tom Sherry winning her heat by three and a half lengths.
A $150,000 Magic Millions purchase from Sledmere Stud for TFI/ Kia Ora, Tupakara is from Catchulata, w winning Charge Froward mare that is closely related to dual Group I winner Response, the dam of Golden Slipper winner Estijaab.
There is huge anticipation surrounding the first Australian bred two year-olds by Wooton Bassett (GB), who will be crowned the Champion European 2YO Sire for 2025. He had the first two in this heat with the Team Hawkes trained West of Swindon scoring by three-quarters of a length over the Chris Waller trained Wodeton with both colts doing it very comfortably.
West of Swindon was a $350,000 Magic Millions purchase from Widden for Team Hawkes and runs for a syndicate that includes his breeders Qatar Bloodstock in whose colours he runs. He is bred to be more of a classic staying type being from Fife, a winning half-sister by Starcraft to triple Group I winning Caulfield Cup winner Fawkner and $1.1million Group II winning stayer Tanby.
Wodeton was bought for $1.6million at Magic Millions from Segenhoe by Tom Magnier and is bred along speedier lines being from stakes-winning Exceed and Excel mare Fiera Vista, a three-quarter sister to Group II winner Empress Rock from the family of world champion sprinter Silent Witness.
The beauty of Wootton Bassett as a sire is his versatility with his European progeny proving effective over a range of distances and showing the constitution and mental attributes to train on as older horses, so the progress of his progeny is here is going hold a lot of interest.
Click here for all the trial results at Breednet with Sale Mail and at Racing NSW with video.
