First-season sires shine at Randwick’s Official 2YO Trials

Monday saw the Official 2YO Trials held at Randwick, and there were plenty of talking points to emerge from the morning with wins from the progeny of first season sires Home Affairs and Stay Inside.

It was a busy morning at Randwick on Monday, as owners, trainers, agents, and auction house representatives turned up for a chance to see an exhibition of some precocious 2-year-olds ahead of the first premier juvenile races of the season.

Across the nine trials, 60 youngsters faced their first public test, and it was the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott team who dominated, winning six of the nine heats. Hawkesbury trainers Mitchell and Desiree Kearney won two heats, and Bjorn Baker won the other one.

Six of the nine heats were won by progeny of proven sires; Yes Yes Yes, Farnan, Zoustar, I Am Invincible, Too Darn Hot (GB), and Hellbent. The first three heats of the day went the way of first season sires, two to Home Affairs and one to Stay Inside.

Six winners went through the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, and the other three were found at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.

Home Affairs, winner of the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes and G1 Lightning Stakes at three, stands at Coolmore Stud and began the day winning the first two heats on the card.

“Home Affairs is obviously a stallion we’ve had huge expectations of, and his yearlings sold very well. We’ve had positive reports for a number of months, especially about I’m Ya Huckleberry, who has been a real talking horse,” said Coolmore’s Tom Moore.

“We saw footage of a jump out where he looked very professional, and he backed that up today by doing everything right. He showed a huge amount of natural speed like his sire, and he’s a promising horse to follow. He seems to resemble his sire with a number of common characteristics as he was parading, and it looks like the hype is justified on him.

“Similarly with the filly, Home Invasion, she’s one that Scott Darby has been giving us positive reports on for a number of months now. Like the colt, she showed natural speed and won impressively. Hopefully, if she pulls up well, we’ll see her in the Gimcrack.

“We couldn’t have hoped for a better start. He’s had two close seconds in New Zealand too, from only four runners, so he’s on the right path.”

G1 Golden Slipper winner Stay Inside stands at Newgate Farm, alongside his sire Extreme Choice. “It’s all positive. We couldn’t have been happier with Stay Inside’s debut morning at the trials. Eviction Notice was a real standout, and Stay Inside had another four 2-year-olds run second or third,” said Newgate Farm’s Henry Field.

“He had a big number of runners who showed themselves well. All bar one trialled really nicely, and the key when you are trying to assess a first season sire at these trials is to look for a consistent number of above average horses. Plus, he had, arguably, the star of the show as well.”

Too Darn Hot’s filly Shiki ran the fastest time of the day, while Stay Inside’s Eviction Notice won by the largest margin.

Please note: All heats were over 850 metres on a Good 4 surface

Heat 1 – Colts and Geldings

Overall time: 49.54s
Last 600 metres: 33.28s

Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained colt I’m Ya Huckleberry (Home Affairs) lived up to his $400,000 price-tag in the first heat. He jumped and led with Bjorn Baker-trained colt Paradoxium (Extreme Choice) joining him. They led the field by a few lengths for most of the run, putting distance between the pair and the rest of the runners.

At the line, I’m Ya Huckleberry scooted clear to win by 2.39 lengths from Paradoxium. Of the rest, Peter Snowden-trained The Machine Gun (Stay Inside) finished off strongly to pass Whip Cracker (Farnan) and gain third place.

Sold by Kia Ora Stud at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, I’m Ya Huckleberry was bought by Waterhouse, Bott, and Kestrel Thoroughbreds. He is the second foal of Key (Exceed And Excel), who is a stakes-placed full sister to Listed winner Oz Empress. Both Oz Empress and Key were best at three, as was Home Affairs, so this colt should improve further with time.

Heat 5 – Colts and Geldings

Overall time: 50.22s
Last 600 metres: 33.15s

The Waterhouse and Bott team dominated heat 5 with a tight quinella. On the line only 0.04 lengths separated Knightsbridge (Farnan) and Our Emperor (Stay Inside). Our Emperor jumped the best and was joined by Knightsbridge and Annabel and Rob Archibald-trained Half Pipe (Extreme Warrior) who made a line of three for most of the running with Half Pipe on the outside.

Our Emperor hugged the rail and travelled well, with Knightsbridge pushed along but he dug deep when asked and just popped his head in front of Our Emperor who cruised home. Half Pipe ran third, two lengths back.

Knightsbridge was sold by Lime Country Thoroughbreds at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale to James Harron Bloodstock Colt Partnership and Tony Fung for $750,000. He’s a half-brother to Group 3 winner Semana (Winning Rupert) and last season’s Listed Morphettville Guineas winner Gala Queen (Deep Field) who won again on Sunday at Flemington.

Article c/o TTR Aus NZ