Darby has high hopes for trialling five
Syndicator’s juveniles to step out at today’s official two-year-old Randwick trials
Scott Darby believes the new season two-year-old barrier trial session is the most exciting of the year and he cannot wait for today’s official program at Randwick, where his operation will unveil five juveniles, including a colt he hopes can live up to the early hype placed on him.
The Darby Racing syndicator’s silks will be sported on Queen Of The Mile (Written Tycoon) (heat two), Legolas (Capitalist) (heat three), Mercury Rose (Pariah) (heat four), Stockholm (Bull Point) (heat ten) and Ozzmosis (Zoustar) (heat seven), a Bjorn Baker-trained colt who “could be one out of the box”.
Ten 850-metre barrier trials will be conducted at Randwick this morning, six for colts and geldings and four for fillies, one more heat than was held last year, which will be the key lead-up form for the ATC Breeders’ Plate (Gr 3, 1000m) and Gimcrack Stakes (Gr 3, 1000m) at the same course on October 1.
“If you’re a lover of two-year-old racing – which I am; I am very passionate – it’s the most exciting time of the year to unwrap these babies and see what you’ve got,” Darby told ANZ Bloodstock News yesterday.
“You could be unearthing the next Golden Slipper winner or even, because the pool of horses is so small, you can get some really forward horses who may not go on beyond their two-year-old careers, so it’s very important that you’ve got them running at this time.”
The most expensive of Darby Racing’s quintet of two-year-olds having a public hit-out this morning is Ozzmosis, a China Horse Club-bred $250,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale graduate from the Sledmere Stud draft, who is the second foal out of New Zealand Group 3 winner No More Tears (Darci Brahma).
“He’s from a real two-year-old family. He’s an athletic type, not your obvious hulking, muscley, early two-year-old type but he has impressed, from the breakers right through,” Darby said.
“He could be pretty special, and obviously you don’t want to put too many raps on him, but he’s certainly the clear pick from what we’ve seen so far.
“We’re hoping he’ll trial really, really well and we’re expecting that. He’s done everything right by his times on the track, what he did in his jump-out, by the feel he gives, he could be one out of the box.”
If the colt trials up to expectations the Breeders’ Plate looms large.
“There’s no signs of shin soreness with him, so touch wood, we get through [today],” he said.
“You never know exactly what they’ve got until you put them under that pressure, but every indication from what we’ve seen suggests he’s one who is right up there.”
The Baker-Darby Racing partnership will also combine with Bull Point (Fastnet Rock) colt Stockholm, a $24,000 Inglis HTBA May Yearling Sale graduate from Kingstar Farm who is still in his first preparation, as well as Legolas, a Mullaglass Stud-bred $140,000 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale graduate.
“He has really come on this preparation. He’s a strong type who is well bred,” Darby said.
“Rachel King’s done a fair bit of work on him and she really likes him, he’s a real professional and he’ll trial well.
“He won his jump-out, it wasn’t in the fastest time that morning, but he has certainly got a heap of upside, that’s for sure.”
Last year’s trial session unearthed Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m) winner Coolangatta (Written Tycoon), Kibou (Maurice), a last-start winner of the Up And Coming (Gr 3, 1300m), and the Golden Gift (1100m), ATC Breeders’ Plate (Gr 3, 1000m) and Todman Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m)-winning colt Sejardan (Sebring), who is prepared by Gary Portelli.
The trainer of the syndicator’s 2017 Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) winner She Will Reign (Manhattan Rain), Portelli will send two juveniles around this morning for Darby Racing. Starting in heat two, the combination send out Queen Of The Mile, a three-quarter sister to Golden Slipper winner Capitalist (Written Tycoon), a stallion who put himself on the racing public’s radar with a barrier trial win on this day seven years ago.
After paying $180,000 for the Nick Vass-bred, Newgate Farm-sold filly at this year’s Magic Millions sale, Queen Of The Mile’s sister, Tyresa, has since won the Tattersall’s Life Member Stakes (Listed, 1400m) at Eagle Farm in June for trainer Kelly Schweida.
Darby revealed the filly had surprised connections by her precocity.
“She wasn’t really forward at the sales, but the mare Stresa, a half-sister to Capitalist, hadn’t thrown a winner at the time but now she’s produced a stakes winner (Tyresa). She’s done everything right, she’s very sharp, although she’s got plenty of maturing to do,” he said.
“It’s hard to line her up because Gary doesn’t go to those jump-outs up the straight (at Warwick Farm), so he’s only basing it on trackwork, but he thinks she goes quite well.
“She is that typical Written Tycoon; athletic and a bit lighter, but certainly she’s got a motor, that’s for sure. Whether she shows up this time in or not, we’ll find out [today].”
Portelli also trains Mercury Rose, a $180,000 Inglis Classic filly from the second crop of Arrowfield Stud’s young sire Pariah (Redoute’s Choice), who is out of Streep (Animal Kingdom), a half-sister to the Group 2 winner Look To The Stars (I Am Invincible).
“She is one who excited us at the Inglis Classic sale, she’s a good type from a good family, and it’s a family that we know well. We had Look To The Stars, who went on and won a Group 2 and she was Group 1-placed,” he said.
“She’s certainly gone in the right direction. This preparation she’s really put it together and, again, Gary’s rapt with her, so we are expecting her to trial very, very well.”
The first of ten Randwick barrier trials is scheduled to jump at 8.45am.
“In these early trials, you’ll find the ones following the fence – the one in front and the one behind the leader – usually wins them by doing everything right,” Darby said.
“I find if there’s a horse winning those trials, or any early two-year-old race, coming from well back, showing a turn of foot, they are generally very, very good because a lot of them don’t know how to do that, they follow the fence and they’re the natural runners who hang on.”