This season promises to be an exciting one for the team at Newgate Farm with the first two year-olds to race by our outstanding young sires Deep Field, Wandjina and Dissident with barrier trials in Sydney and Melbourne on Monday giving a hint of what’s to come.
The official Sydney two year-old trails at Randwick on the Kensington track featured 14 heats and Snitzel’s Group I winning son Wandjina had the honour of providing the fastest of all fillies to compete on the day.
A flashy chestnut prepared by Anthony Cummings, Honey Go Lightly dashed to the line in her 850 metre heat to score a narrow win over expensive I Am Invincible filly Catch Me in the slick time of 49.14 seconds and will now head to the Group III ATC Gimcrack Stakes on Saturday week.
A $250,000 Magic Millions purchase for her trainer out of the Glastonbury Farm draft, Honey Go Lightly is a lot like her mother, Group III winner Maslins Beach, who was also trained by Anthony Cummings.
Wandjina also had two promising placegetters at Randwick with the Richard Freedman trained colt Vaporizing finishing a close third and Russian Revolution’s three-quarter brother Autocratic also placing third in his heat.
Trained by Peter and Paul Snowden for a syndicate headed by Newgate Farm and China Horse Club, Autocratic made $335,000 as a weanling at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale and was not asked for a great deal in his trial, so will take good benefit from the outing.
Northern Meteor’s record breaking son Deep Field was in the frame at Randwick with the Sun Stud homebred King’s Champ scoring for the Gerald Ryan stable.
The third foal of triple Group I winner Yosei, he accelerated to the line from off the pace to score a neck win in 49.42 seconds with some six lengths back to the next horse.
A strong powerful individual like his sire, King’s Champ is expected to progress to the Group III ATC Breeders Plate at Randwick on Saturday week.
Deep Field also had a second place-getter at the Randwick trials in Redicon and a heat winner at Cranbourne in Victoria where Aerozoom was successful for Anthony Freedman.
A$100,000 Inglis Premier purchase from the Aquis Farm draft for his trainer, Aerozoom won his 800 metre by more than a length in an encouraging performance and is a half-brother to stakes-winners Metallic Crown and Snitzepeg from good producer Pegasus Queen.
Not to be left out, Australian Horse of the Year Dissident had just the one runner at the Randwick trials, but still made his presence felt.
The Gary Portelli trained colt Disruptor was a little slow in jumping from a wide gate and was a clear last after a furlong, but mustered speed thereafter and made good ground down the straight to be second behind the Victorian visitor Dubious trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace.
A $150,000 Inglis Classic purchase for Darby Racing De Burgh Equine from the Segenhoe Stud draft, Disruptor is from stakes-placed Snitzel mare Sweetener, a three-quarter sister to Group I winner Secret Agenda.