by Anthony Manton
Despite the Sydney Autumn Carnival drawing to a close the quality in the 2-year-old ranks is still strong with some high-profile youngsters on display at Canterbury trials on Tuesday morning worth including in our trial watch.
Denise Martin and Star Thoroughbreds appear to have a nice filly on their hands in the shape of Joliette (NZ) (Charm Spirit ({Ire}), after the filly impressively won heat seven.
Joliette showed professional racing manners to settle just off the pace racing between horses before taking a late split and diving through to win the trial in good style. Tuesday morning was her third official outing. She has improved at each of her trials and now looks ready to go to the races.
Joliette was a $205,000 purchase at the 2018 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. She is out of the dam Burlesque (NZ) (Thorn Park), a half-sister to Group 1 winner Star Satire (NZ) (Volksraad {GB}), the dam of stakes-winners Satin Shoes (Flying Spur) and Zarzuela (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}).
Joliette as a yearling
Heat eight featured Egyptian Missile (Smart Missile), the filly out of Group 1 winning mare Our Egyptian Raine (NZ) (Desert Sun {GB}) and half-sister to multiple stakes-winner Egyptian Symbol (Stratum).
Trainer Bjorn Baker who has had success with the family, Baker paid $240,000 for the filly at the 2018 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Egyptian Missile was having her third trial on Tuesday morning and settled outside the leader before sprinting away to fight the finish out with Cloud Spirit (NZ) (Wandjina), putting a gap in their rivals and running a smart time.
Expect to see Egyptian Missile lining-up for her debut in the near future on the strength of the trial.
Egyptian Missile as a yearling
Heat nine saw the first public appearance of Maddi Rocks (Fastnet Rock) a filly out of the dam Savannah River (Encosta de Lago) and from the family of Savannah Success (Success Express {USA}), Savabeel (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) and Black Heart Bart (Blackfriars). A pedigree littered with black-type.
Maddi Rocks was a $325,000 purchase at the 2018 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for BK Racing & Breeding and Guy Mulcaster.
The filly trained by Chris Waller did everything right sitting outside the leader before showing an impressive turn of foot in the straight to quickly sprint away and win by a widening 3.3 lengths at the finish.
Despite only having her first official trial, Maddi Rocks has been very well educated and is likely to race at Canterbury on May 8 in a maiden over 1200 metres.
Heat ten featured some high-profile yearlings also worth mentioning.
Soul Soldier (Written Tycoon) trained by Peter & Paul Snowden was a $625,000 purchase at the 2018 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. He is the first foal of Show Affection (Show A Heart), a half-sister to the prolific-winner Mitanni (Danewin). Mitanni won a staggering twenty races and over a million dollars in prize-money in Queensland in the early to mid-2000’s.
Soul Soldier as a yearling
After settling outside the leader Soul Soldier was pushed-out to finish second in his heat alongside another Written Tycoon colt in Axe.
Trained by Bjorn Baker, Axe was a $340,000 purchase at the 2018 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for Spendthrift Australia and is the third foal to race from unraced mare Exselva (Exceed And Excel), with a strong European and American pedigree behind him.
Axe as a yearling
It was very encouraging work from Axe, tracking the leaders into the straight before being allowed to find the line strongly under his own steam, positive signs for his first official trial.
Finally, heat eleven was won in good style by the colt Equities (I Am Invincible) trained by Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott.
A $280,000 purchase at the 2018 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Equities is from stakes-winning mare Rich Megadale (Armidale), and is a half-brother to dual city-winner Good Time Charlie (Myboycharlie {Ire}).
Equities as a yearling
Equities showed good improvement from his first trial at Newcastle on April 5, settling just off the pace before finishing best to claim the heat under riding from jockey Adam Hyeronimus.
Keep an eye out for Equities in a provincial maiden over the next few weeks as a likely starting point.
