Written by Georgie Dennis
After two unplaced runs to start the spring, the Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou-trained Kumasi (Snitzel) returned to the Rosehill trials on Tuesday and took out a 900 metre heat by 2.5l.
The G3 Pago Pago S. runner-up finished fourth in the Listed Rosebud and sixth in the G3 Ming Dynasty, prompting connections to trial him in blinkers for the first time. Ridden by Brenton Avdulla, he settled second on the rails behind the leaders and weaved between horses in the straight to kick away and win.
Alexiou said him and Ryan had expected more of the colt at his last start but thinks the blinkers could see him improve.
“We just decided to sharpen him and put a set of blinkers on him and he had a bit of a send out this morning, Brenton (Avdulla) tried to get him to attack the line a bit better,” Alexiou said.
Watch: Kumasi trial
“I think he’s a horse that’s just going to need racing and that's the only thing that’s going to bring him on. He just doesn’t quite know how to level out yet but I think that’ll come.
“He might show up in the Heritage or the Brian Crowley or one of those. It’s just about getting him there in the right vain of form and making sure he’s on the job.”
Ryan and Alexiou also had stakes winner Villami (Foxwedge) have her first spring trial at Rosehill on Tuesday, and the 4-year-old mare settled outside Belluci Babe (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) in the lead and eventually ran her down to win by 0.2l.
“She’s a lot more settled within herself now,” Alexiou said. “She normally wants to run 100 miles an hour as soon as the gates open and she’s probably raced a bit on fear to some extent, but she relaxed really well in her trial today and sat off one and picked it up in the straight so that’s good to see.
“I think she’s just matured mentally and physically and we’ll probably get to see the best of her this preparation, if the right races are around for her.”
"We’ll probably get to see the best of her (Villami) this preparation." - Sterling Alexiou
Talented mares California Zimbol (I Am Invincible) and Exhilarates (Snitzel) also stepped out in the same trial at Rosehill on Tuesday, finishing second and third respectively.
Having her second trial of the campaign Exhilarates was given a solid hit-out, settling well back in the field and urged home by Hugh Bowman, while California Zimbol was given a slightly easier time sitting just behind the leaders and crossing the line on the bridle.
The Team Hawkes-trained Human Nature (All Too Hard) led from point to post, winning the trial by 1.3l.
“She relaxed beautifully, as she normally does, in the first half of a trial and got to the line brilliantly,” trainer James Cummings said of Exhilarates.
“She looks like she’d be really well suited at 1100 metres, I might stretch her and run her six furlongs first-up Saturday week at Caulfield but we’ll see how she comes through the trial.
“There are plenty of races that are low hanging fruit for her that we can pick off and she might just have a light spring as it is, but she’s come back well and I think she can be competitive in a mares race when we kick her off.”
Gai Waterhouse and Adrain Bott’s progressive colt Dawn Passage (Dawn Approach {Ire}) had his first public hitout of the spring, finishing second to Ryan and Alexiou’s Keiai Tsubaki (Smart Missile) by 2l.
The multiple stakes winner was three back on the fence around the turn and finished off well under a strong ride from Adam Hyeronimus to score second.
“It was a good trial from him,” Bott said. “Very pleasing. He even surprised me with the gate speed he showed.
“He’s still got a lot of improvement coming out of that today. He’s on a Golden Eagle path. The scheduling is going to be a little bit tight getting him there.”
Watch: Keiai Tsubaki and Dawn Passage trial
The 2-year-old jump-outs also continued at Toowoomba with a filly by Newgate first-season sire Flying Artie named Princess Bojack winning her heat by 3l.
The Michael Nolan-trained juvenile led the trip and when asked to go in the straight, she kicked clear with the minimum of fuss to win impressively.
Melbourne Juvenile Jumpouts
Down at Flemington, the VRC staged two juvenile jump-outs over 800 metres down the straight.
The first was taken out by the Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra-trained General Beau (Brazen Beau), who was slightly slow out of the gates but picked up nicely and led the field for the entire trip, winning by 0.5l on the bridle. In the finishing pack was Ginger Creek (More Than Ready {USA}) who is a close relation to Sweet Idea (Snitzel), and Godolphin pair Anamore (Street Boss {USA}) and Ingratiating (Frosted {USA}).
General Beau is out of Phosphorescence (Lonhro), who is a half-sister to Listed Maribyrnong Trial S. runner-up Double Jeopardy (Exceed And Excel).
The second heat was won by Finance Tycoon (Written Tycoon) from the Tom Dabernig and Ben Hayes stable. He was quick out of the gates, settled on the speed and eventually kicked away to win by 1l.
The 2-year-old colt was purchased by McKeever Bloodstock for $150,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from the draft of Eureka Stud and is related to multiple Group winner Gypsy Diamond (Not A Single Doubt).
First season sire Frosted (USA) also had a runner in this jump out, with the Godolphin filly from Mondial (Shamardal {USA}) finishing a close fourth.
