The track was a heavy 9 at Warwick Farm on Monday morning for a big set of trials with seven of them won by juveniles that included the highest priced yearling from the first crop of Prague and a Lonhro colt from a G1 winner.
Trained by Annabel and Rob Archibald, Prague filly Straight Sets was having her first ever trial and did everything right for Zac Lloyd to lead and win narrowly albeit well held together.
Straight Sets was a $375,000 Magic Millions purchase for Annabel Neasham Racing Pty Ltd/William Johnson Bloodstock from the Kia Ora Stud draft and runs for a big ownership group that includes Throsby Racing in whose colours she runs.
A good looking bay like her sire Prague, she is a half-sister to stakes-placed Fire Star and is well named being from Group II winning Street Cry (IRE) mare Sabatini.
Bjorn Baker trained juveniles usually begin fast and keep going, but Tassort filly Diacon hasn’t read the play book. She stood in the gates at her first trial on May 9 and virtually took no part running a distant last and was slow again to leave this time, although it was an improvement.
She was able to muster for Tommy Berry and recovered to tack on to the field and quickly joined in the race to be second turning for home. Green as grass coming up the straight she was still good enough to win and when the penny does drop, Diacon might have a bit to offer.
A homebred for Trilogy Racing, Diacon is from Sutton Forest, a winning Pierro daughter of stakes-winner Pinezero.
The Waterhouse Bott stable produced a big strapping Justify (USA) filly called Layla for the first time in her heat and she led all the way for Adam Hyeronimus, albeit sitting wide, to win by a couple of lengths.
Layla runs in the Trilogy Racing colours, the same as the previous filly Diacon, although she was purchased as a yearling for $280,000. She is from stakes-placed Exceed and Excel mare Belhamage, who has had four foals to race and all are winners and it’s not hard to see Layla adding to her success.
Quickest heat winner was the James Cummings trained unraced Lonhro colt Cabriole, who warmed to the task nicely late to win by half a length at his second trial start, but keep an eye on promising filly Horseshoe Hill.
The Bjorn Baker trained daughter of All Too Hard had one start last December when third to O’Ole and Memo in the Listed Wyong MM 2YO Classic and this was her first appearance since then and it was an eye-catcher. She was cuddled all the way by Rachel King and might need another trial before she races, but she’s got something!
Cabriole is the first foal of Group I MRC Thousand Guineas winner Flit, a half-sister to the dam of Champion 2YO and four time G1 winning colt Broadsiding, so he’s bred in the purple!
Additional winners were: Big Papa (Astern), Watson (Capitalist), Vincetio (Astern).
Click here for all the trial results at Breednet with Sale Mail and at Racing NSW with video.
