There were four heats for juveniles at Warwick Farm on Friday morning and they featured the first appearance of the new year for highly rated unraced Wootton Bassett (GB) colt Wodeton and while he did not win his heat, he certainly did all that was required on this occasion.
The Chris Waller trained Wodeton was having his second trial following a second to West of Swindon back in October and had James McDonald to ride. He was ridden quietly in the early stages to settle back in the field while the eventual heat winner Namaste was driven forward to lead and stayed there.
A Bjorn Baker trained son of Savabeel, Namaste went around at the official 2YO trials at the start of spring and is obviously a speedier type for his champion sire and showed it again here when kicking on to win by a long head over a surging Wodeton, who was always well held together with Kerber, the full brother to dual Group I winner In Secret in fourth place.
A $525,000 Karaka Book 1 purchase, Namaste is from a famous Gooree Stud nurtured speed female family with his dam Alam Mo Na, a winning daughter of Group III winning sprinter Queen of the Hill, a half-sister to Group I winning sire Northern Meteor.
Wodeton was a $1.6million Magic Millions purchase from Segenhoe making him the highest priced colt from the first Australian crop of Wootton Bassett and is the second foal of stakes-winning Exceed and Excel mare Fiera Vista. Her third foal is a colt by I Am Invincible that will be offered by Segenhoe at Magic Millions as Lot 396.
Godolphin won the previous trial with unraced Bivouac colt Beiwacht, who trialled twice during the spring before a short break and was having his first outing in a new prep and looked the professional this time around. He did everything right to win by three-quarters of a length over Fierceness, a son of first season sire Fierce Impact (Jpn) trained by Matt Smith, who also trained his sire and flashy black colt Crossbow was an eye-catcher in third place.
Star Thoroughbreds have already had some fun with his sire Better Than Ready through $1million earner Chrysaor and Crossbow looks a likable colt in the making.
Beiwacht is a half-brother to stakes-winner Gravina from Group III winner Metastasio, a half-sister by Street Cry (IRE) to dual Group I winner Colette.
The only filly to win a heat was the Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald trained Giddy Girl, who reversed the form of her only previous outing at Hawkesbury last month. On that occasion, the daughter of Written Tycoon was slow to begin, reluctant to get going and was ultimately pulled up failing to finish. This time she jumped well, sat outside the leader and worked strong to the line to win by half a length over Farnan colt Iniesta, who won his only previous trial.
Giddy Girl was a $300,000 Magic Millions purchase from Coolmore for Annabel Neasham Ladies/William Johnson Bloodstock and is the third foal of stakes-placed Denman mare Kanga’s Eye, a grand-daughter of Group II winner Sky Watch.
Click here for all the trial results at Breednet with Sale Mail and at Racing NSW with video.
