3 minute read
All eyes will be on where Chris Waller places Rosehill Guineas winner Lindermann first-up after his star turn at Tuesday’s Canterbury trials.
Sydney's 13-time premier trainer flexed some spring muscle at the session with 34 runners across the morning – including his superstar colts Shinzo and Militarize – but it was Lindermann who showed he's in fine touch to start his four-year-old season.
Chris Waller had five of the seven runners in the 902m heat, and provided the first four, and in his second trial for the prep the son of Lonhro sat on stablemate Princess Grace's tail before overhauling her in a nice piece of work.
It was a leisurely enough run trial, it must be said, but as a springboard it would no doubt please connections.
So far Lindermann hasn't won first-up but each attempt has been at 1200m or less and with logical options at 1400m in the coming couple of weeks, including the Group 1 Winx Stakes, it'll be interesting to see where he lands.
Group 1 winner Madame Pommery ran a nice enough third in the trial while Slipper hero Shinzo, who did dip noticeably at the start, was quietly ridden to run fourth. Montefilia, now also with Waller, followed them around.
Still on the leading stable and Extremely Lucky is another recent addition and the ex-SA gelding backed up his closing first trial last month with another eye-catcher as he ran into third behind Wingardium.
He turned with Militarize but the dual Group 1 winning colt wasn't exerting himself in his first trial back and we'll judge him next time around.
Olentia was a Group 3 winner of the James Carr Stakes (1400m) back in April and she prevailed in what was a very handy heat over 899m.
Kerrin McEvoy settled her in a trailing position fourth and allowed the mare to pick up Fire Lane and Piercing Arrow to score by half a length with merit in each performance.
Behind them were the boom colt Kandinsky Abstract and talented Godolphin colt Barber, who didn't get a look at them at any stage in the run home after settling behind the lead.
It's worth writing down the name Carrazana and following him wherever he turns up after a super impressive second trial by the unraced three-year-old.
After sitting back early he was taken wide by James McDonald around the bend and once balanced up he swept on by like a horse with plenty of talent. The time was good compared to the other maiden over 1100m and he has to be competitive wherever he steps out.
Pericles gave Lindermann a run for his money in the Rosehill Guineas and the Godolphin four-year-old appears to have come back nicely enough on the evidence of his trial win, albeit in slow time.
He gave away a start to Tancred Stakes winner Arapaho but sprinted too well in what was his second trial. He was effective up to 2000m in the autumn and has performed in both fresh runs.
Hasty Honey from the Brad Widdup yard might slip under the radar a little but there was something to like about her late work in an 899m gallop that was run in good time.
She's only raced once and was beaten under 1-1/2 lengths in a stakes race at the Scone carnival.
