Interesting set of trials at Rosehill this morning with Golden Rose winner Beiwacht let loose to stretch his legs with a thoroughly impressive well held win, while there were two heats for the 2YO’s featuring a couple of expensive colts by Wootton Bassett (GB) and I Am Invincible.
The Chris Waller trained son of Bivouac is headed to Flemington next month for the Group I VRC Coolmore Stud Stakes and Beiwacht was in cruise control all the way in his heat with Adam Hyeronimus sitting motionless in the saddle.
The first heat for juveniles over 900m produced a win for the Chris Waller trained Wootton Bassett colt Defensemen, who won by a length and a half for James McDonald. He jumped well and took a sit behind the leaders before angling into clear running to score.
Defensemen is a half-brother to G2 Silver Slipper place-getter Direct from well bred import Upfront (USA), a half-sister by War Front to Group II winner Aspray from Group II winner Up, who is by Galileo.
The Galileo factor could be significant as Wootton Bassett is building a great record with mares by the champion sire with that nick producing 10 SW’s, four of them Group I winners!
The second heat went to the Edward O’Rourke trained Capitalist colt Predation, who won by nearly a length over another expensive Waller trained colt in Whitehall, a son of I Am Invincible.
Predation is a half-brother to three winners from stakes-winning Snitzel mare Ygritte, a sister to SW My Sister Lil from the family of NZ Horse of the Year Tycoon Lil.
Runner-up Whitehall is an interesting colt as the first foal of Covent Garden, a winning half-sister by Exceed and Excel to Winx. He was the highest priced yearling colt by I Am Invincible sold in 2025.