There were six heats for juveniles at Rosehill on Friday that featured some interesting winners including stakes-placed filly Horseshoe Hill, a couple of unraced youngsters by Zoustar and the highest priced yearling by Prague.
Bjorn Baker must love his All Too Hard fillies thanks to Stefi Magnetica and am tipping he has plenty of time for Horseshoe Hill, who was having her second trial back this prep following a lengthy spell. She was third on debut last year to O’Ole and Memo in the Wyong Magic Millions 2YO Classic and looked a class above in her trial today steaming home for Rachel King under a hold to win by two lengths.
A $200,000 Magic Millions purchase from Widden for Bjorn Baker Racing/Clarke Bloodstock Pty Ltd (FBAA)/Cunningham Thoroughbreds, Horseshoe Hill is from multiple Group winning mare Miss Rose de Lago.
Trained by Bjorn Baker and ridden by Dylan Gibbons, unraced Zoustar filly Pyrolisis had a wing on every foot in her heat, leading all the way to win by a length and a half in 54.11 which was the quickest of the 900m heats. That was her second trial and she looks ready to go racing.
A $210,000 MM Weanling Sale purchase from Widden Stud, Pyrolisis was passed in at Inglis Easter as yearling and runs for Darby Racing. She is from Princess Wildfire, a half-sister to dual Group I winner Star Witness, Group III winner Nostradamus and stakes-winner Embracer, so she does not lack for pedigree.
Another unraced Zoustar filly is the Chris Waller trained Beside the Ocean, who was having her first trial and won by three-quarters of a length for James McDonald, although the time of 56.02 seconds was a bit pedestrian.
A half-sister to Golden Slipper winner Farnan and Group winner Sandbar from Group winner Tallow, Beside the Ocean was bought for just $250,000 from the Vinery draft at Inglis Easter by Cunningham Thoroughbreds Pty Ltd / Clarke Bloodstock (FBAA). She is tiny, which explains the modest price given her pedigree, but this was an encouraging start.
Trained by Annabel and Rob Archibald, Prague filly Straight Sets made it two trial wins from two starts, but in contrast to last time when she was allowed to race forward, this time she was restrained early by Zac Lloyd. She hit the line hard between runners to win by a length and will have learned quite a bit from this outing.
The highest priced yearling from the first crop of Prague, 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.
Additional heat winners were: Clanwilliam (Flying Artie) and Vincetio (Astern).
Click here for all the trail results at Breednet with Sale Mail and at Racing NSW with video.