There will be plenty of interest at the Royal Randwick barrier trials on Friday morning, with plenty of 2014 Spring Racing Carnival contenders set to trial.
The Offer is one of several Group 1 winners that are set to trial at Royal Randwick on Friday morning. Photo by: Steve Hart
2014 Melbourne Cup favourite The Offer has not been seen at the races since his dominant win in the Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) at Royal Randwick on April 19, but is down to contest the opening barrier trial of the morning over 1200 metres.
The Offer has been set for both the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield on October 18 and the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 4, but Waterhouse is yet to decide when he will begin his spring campaign.
Diamond Drille was another Waterhouse-trained galloper that had success during The Championships and she will make her first public appearance this preparation in the third barrier trial over 1050 metres.
The Al Maher mare scored her maiden black type win in the Group 3 The Aspiration (1600m) at Royal Randwick on March 15 during the 2014 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival before scoring an upset win over the likes of Red Tracer, Streama and Catkins in the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) at the same venue on April 19.
The most exciting barrier trial at Royal Randwick on Friday morning is set to be the 11th barrier trial over 740 metres that will include Group 1 winners Sacred Falls and Tiger Tees as well as progressive imported galloper Weary.
Tiger Tees has been competitive at Group level for a number of seasons, but had his best campaign to date during the 2014 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival; with the Dubawi entire taking out the Group 1 The Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 29 before finishing fourth in the Group 1 T.J. Smith Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on April 12 and the Group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) a fortnight later.
Sacred Falls has been set for the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) by Chris Waller and is taking exceptional form into the spring carnival after he finished his autumn campaign with a win in the Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Royal Randwick on April 12 and a second place finish behind It’s A Dundeel in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Royal Randwick on April 19.
Weary was one of the finds of the 2014 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival and he progressed from a benchmark 85 handicap at the start of his campaign to finish in the placings in both the Doncaster Mile and All Aged Stakes.
Waller is confident that Weary will be an ever better horse in his second preparation in Australia, but he is yet to decide what races he will target with the Astronomer Royal gelding.
Other notable horses down to trial include Australian Derby placegetter Hooked, Kris Lees-trained Thump, talented filly Nayali and rising three-year-old Echo Gal.
