We know spring is really here when the official Sydney 2YO barrier trials arrive and at Randwick next Monday on the Kensington track we will see nine heats over 850m starting at 9am, read on to see full Sale Mail for all heats.
As we would expect the Waterhouse Bott stable have the most runners with 11 spread across the morning and at least one runner in every heat.
First season sires are always interesting and the following sires are represented: Acrobat (1), Captivant (1), Extreme Warrior (1), Home Affairs (2), St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) (1), Standout (1), Stay Inside (6) and Wild Ruler (3).
Golden Slipper winner Stay Inside leads the way among his first season peers in terms of numbers with six entries prepared by various trainers - Gai Waterhouse / Adrian Bott will saddle three of them, Peter Snowden and Tommy Wong one each and Michael Freedman, who trained Stay Inside, has the most interesting one of them all.
We have to wait until the final heat to get a look at Stay Inside colt Incognito, who was purchased for $1million by James Harron Bloodstock Colt Partnership/Tony Fung Colts from the Eureka Stud draft at Magic Millions.
He was the highest priced yearling from the first crop of Stay Inside and is the second foal of a winning half-sister by I Am Invincible to stakes-winner Fox Swift. It’s not really a female family that screams early 2YO so he must be doing everything right so far.
Incognito is the most expensive entry at the trials and the only million dollar yearling on show with other high profile sale horses including Starblitz (C Zoustar x Bonaria) $800,000 Magic Millions, King of the Nile (C I Am Invincible x Giza Goddess) $800,000 Magic Millions and Knightsbridge (2c Farnan x Festivity) $750,000 Magic Millions.
Knightsbridge is the highest priced of seven runners by Golden Slipper winner Farnan, whose first crop hit the ground running last spring and he has more runners at this set of trials than any other sire.
Knightsbridge is also the highest priced of all Farnan yearlings sold in 2025, so expect to see a great type when he walks in the ring.
He was bought from the Lime Country draft at Magic Millions by James Harron Bloodstock Colt Partnership/Tony Fung Colt and is trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, who also prepared Farnan.
Knightsbridge is a half-brother to Group III winner Semana and stakes-winner Gala Queen being the fourth foal of a very smart lightly raced metro winning Nicconi mare called Festivity, who ran unplaced in the Gimcrack Stakes on debut after placing at these early trials back in 2013.
Festivity is one of those mares that has gone to stud with no Black Type, but probably was that class with her overall record three wins (all Sydney metro) and two seconds from six starts with her only unplaced run the Gimcrack.
2YO racing for a new season kicks off next Monday so stay tuned for all the trial results and often it’s not all about the heat winners.
Below are a list of some of the stakes-winners and stakes performers to emerge from last year’s trials:
Horse (trial effort)
G2 winner Beiwacht (unplaced)
G3 Raging Force (winner)
G3 North England (winner)
G3 Memo (winner)
G3 King Kirk (winner)
G3 Bell Merci (placed)
G3 Icarian Dream (winner)
SW O’ Ole (winner)
SW Stardom (unplaced
SW Bellazaine (placed)
SP Tupakara (unplaced)
SP Queen of Clubs (unplaced)
Metro / Stakes potential Aerodrome (unplaced)
Metro / Stakes potential Autumn Blonde (placed)
Metro / Stakes potential Strada Varenna (winner)