Godolphin send out three trial winners
Godolphin’s youngsters were to the fore in the trials at Warwick Farm on Tuesday with the operation responsible for the winners of three of the five heats confined to two-year-olds.
Novara, a filly by Epaulette (Commands), got the ball rolling for James Cummings when the homebred took out a 797-metre contest in a time of 0:47.30. Having her third trial, she beat Perfumist (El Roca), a $190,000 NZB Ready To Run Sale graduate who is now in the care of Bjorn Baker, by 0.1 lengths.
Stablemate Night Sky (Exosphere) has plenty to live up to, being a sister to Edward Manifold Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m) winner Thermosphere and she clearly knew what was required of her first-up, catching the eye with a strong finish to beat the more experienced Graceful Artist (Trapeze Artist) by 0.05 lengths. Night Sky covered the 794 metres in a time of 0:46.68.
Like her two stablemates earlier in the day, the third Godolphin youngster to strike was another homebred. Exceed And Excel (Danehill) filly Obscure built on her recent fourth in a trial when beating Gun Control (All American) in a time of 0:47.57 for the 794 metres.
The following heat, also over 794 metres, went the way of the Baker-trained Blue Point (Shamardal) colt Point And Shoot, who powered to the line to beat Omnic (Proisir) by 1.4 lengths in 0:47.07.
A $240,000 Inglis Premier purchase from Mill Park for Bjorn Baker Racing/Clarke Bloodstock, Point And Shoot was bred in partnership by Harry Perks, who has kept a share in the colt. He is the second named foal out of the winning Sepoy (Elusive Quality) mare Watchmespin, from a family that has delivered plenty of success over the years for Mill Park producing Group 1 winners Serious Speed (Royal Academy) and Run Fox Run (Foxwedge), as well as the dual Group 2 winner Majestic Music (Al Maher).
Peter and Paul Snowden found themselves in familiar territory, sending out a winner of a two-year-old trial, when Lonhro Plate (Listed, 1100m) runner-up Embassy (I Am Invincible) illustrated his well being with a 1.2 length defeat of Midnight Dynamite (Pierata), covering the 794 metres in a time of 0:46.51. Bought by China Horse Club/Newgate/Go/Trilogy for $625,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Embassy was last seen in competitive action when finishing fourth in last month’s Silver Slipper (Gr 2, 1100m).
While he may have narrowly missed out on running in Saturday’s Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m), the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Espionage (Zoustar) showed he was at the top of his game when getting the better of eight older rivals in a heat over 1200 metres. The Breeders’ Plate (Gr 3, 1000m) winner had the Group 1-performed four-year-old Call Di (Frankel) 1.8 metres behind in second as he hit the line in a time of 1:11.63.