Having hibernated through the cold winter and now with the spring less than four weeks away, the key ‘spring contenders’ are starting to make their way through various trials and jump outs around the country as they progress towards their respective carnival kick offs. It’s an exciting time to be watching these performances for connections dreaming of spring success.
Hezashocka (3rd G1 Champions Stakes 2022) made his first venture to the racetrack since the autumn in a 1300m trial at Casterton on Monday. He won the trial comfortably (yellow silks) and looked in super order. He will trial again prior to a race return in the 1700m Listed Heatherlie Handicap and will be nominated for all the feature spring races. He has proven to be up to WFA standard in the past and we hope to see him at his best this coming spring for the team at Price Kent Racing.
Full of Sincerity (3rd G1 NZ Derby 2023) remained in Australia for Andrew Forsman following his NZ and Sydney campaigns earlier this year. Based at Forsman’s stables in Macedon, Full of Sincerity stepped out at Bendigo late week for a 1000m ‘breeze’ around. Over the short journey for a staying type, we were more than happy with his progression and look forward to him progressing further from here (trial link here).
Another trial next week will top him off for a race return over a mile later in August. We hope to see him progress through to the either/both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups in October and November.
Green Fly (1st BM84 at Ballarat in Nov ‘22) has proven himself somewhat a wet-track specialist since arriving in Australia. He didn’t quite get those suitable conditions in a late autumn/early winter campaign and, now gelded, we hope to find such tracks through the remainder of the winter and into the early spring.
A positive trial at Cranbourne on Monday (last 400m below, OTI silks) gives us confidence that further wins are in store in the month or two ahead in Melbourne and/or Sydney for Anthony and Sam Freedman.
A little left field perhaps, but we couldn’t help but be super impressed by the return trial of Daiquiri (1st BM70 at Ballarat in Apr ‘23) at Cranbourne on Monday. We had to class him as ‘one to watch’ for the spring, in the hands of the Busuttin & Young team. While there are no set plans for him, you would think that various Country Cups and city-class races will be on his agenda in the forthcoming campaign (OTI silks).
The countdown to an exciting spring continues…