In Brief
- Lacerate the quickest of the five trial winners.
- Hamer targets first 2YO race at in Hobart for his youngster.
- Two-year-olds professional and well behaved.
Spreyton trainer Rowan Hamer has only one two-year-old in work at his stables, but it just might be enough to win the first juvenile event of the season in Hobart next month.
Lacerate, by former Group 1-winning sire Charge Forward from the Dehere mare Maisie Lou, led and had just enough in reserve to hold out the Graeme McCulloch-trained Wheeling (Holler-Sierra Gypsy).
Lacerate registered the best time of the five 2YO trial winners of 47.69 over the 800-metre scamper.
“He was professional and did everything right,” Hamer said after the trial.
“He was probably getting a bit tired at the finish but other than that it was a solid trial.
“This is about his fourth prep, and he’s been back in work about eight weeks.
“If he pulls up all right, he will go to the first 2YO race at Elwick (on 15 November).”
It was one of the best turnouts of juveniles in years with 29 two-year-olds strutting their stuff over 800 metres across five trials.
They were all well-behaved in the mounting yard as they paraded for the first time in public, although some reacted only fairly in the barriers with more than a few missing the starts.
Geegee Lucky Jess (Siggy Carr) won her trial clocking a tick over 48 seconds and went on to score from trial leader French Kiss that also showed plenty of spirit.
Carr described the youngster by Wordsmith from Geegee Pretty Jess as a well-educated filly with plenty of natural speed.
“This filly is typical of a Stuart Gandy-trained two-year-old,” Carr said.
“She is well educated, takes everything in her stride and responded to what I asked of her in the trial.”
Cressy trainer Cameron Thompson looks to have a couple of handy youngsters in his yard with Coeur De Lyon (Lionhearted-Guyra Gay) winning his trial convincingly and French Kiss (Ready for Victory-Parisian Lush) finished a game second to GeeGee Lucky Jess.
Coeur De Lyon impressed the way he attacked the line and looked to have a well-balanced action.
Patrick Dargan has only had his trainer’s license for six month and has only three horses in his care, but one is two-year-old Fighting Styx (Fighting Sun-River Styx) that delivered a very professional trial win.
Fighting Styx motored home to win her trial ahead of Turk Warrior that shared the lead to the home turn.
“I’ve been more than pleased with this filly’s progress and hopefully we can keep her together for the first two-year-old race next month,” Dargan said.
The final 2YO trial was won by the Team Wells-trained Gee Gee Enuf Speed that led and showed plenty of character over the concluding stages to defeat Feisty Lion (Lionhearted-Feisty Rose) by a length.
The first two-year-old race of the season will be held in Hobart on 15 November, which is a maiden over 900 metres that carries a $20,000 Tasbred Bonus that will give the winning owner a dividend of almost $28,000.
Watch Lacerate win his trial from Wheeling in Launceston yesterday.