Gai Waterhouse will be looking towards the Melbourne Spring Carnival with more enthusiasm than ever after her stable stars dominated at the Randwick trials on Friday including a win by defending Caulfield Cup winner Descarado.
Descarado started their 2011 Caulfield Cup campaign with a trial win at Randwick
Waterhouse trialled 27 of her spring-bound horses at Royal Randwick this morning, Sydney’s leading lady of racing coming away with 10 wins from the 17 heats run.
In the opening heat Waterhouse had six of the seven starters, the 1200 metre open trial won by last year’s Caulfield Cup champion Descarado from stablemates Light Brigade and Stratofortress.
High Chaparral five-year-old Descarado claimed an upset victory as a $16 outsider in the $2.5 million Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) last year on a bog track.
The stayer went on to run a brave second behind dual Cox Plate victor So You Think in the Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on Victoria Derby Day, but was found out over the two-miles of the 150th Melbourne Cup failing to see out the distance.
During the autumn in Sydney Descarado had three Group 1 assignments, their best finish being a narrow second when defeated a nose by $101 roughie Zavite in the Ranvet Stakes.
This morning’s barrier trial was their first serious bit of work since finishing four lengths away sixth behind Cedarberg in the Group 1 The BMW (2400m) at Rosehill on April 2, and showed Waterhouse they were getting ready for a big spring programme.
Descarado will be back in the Caulfield Cup field on October 15 to defend their title, current Caulfield Cup odds rating them a $26 chance at claiming back-to-back wins in the feature.
Waterhouse’s other notable Randwick heat winners on Friday morning included classy mare Flying Success who won by three lengths over stablemate More Strawberries in the third over 1050 metres; emerging Group 2 winner Fast Clip in the fifth over 1050 metres; lightly-raced filly Cape City Flyer who was able to beat home John O’Shea’s Golden Slipper third placegetter Elite Falls in a 728 metre sprint heat; and Shared Reflections.
Umatilla filly Shared Reflections was one of last season’s most promising juveniles and is this spring targeting the $1 million Group 1 Golden Rose (1400m) at Rosehill on September 10 during the Sydney Spring Racing Carnival.
Today she easily accounted for four fellow three-year-old fillies in a 105 metre trial, defeating the Anthony Cummings-trained Houston Benefactor by three lengths.
A Group 3 winner in the Sweet Embrace Stakes (1200m) in March, Shared Reflections is expected to have come on since her back-to-back Group 1 starts in April when she finished sixth to Sepoy in the Golden Slipper and a close fourth beaten just over a length by Helmet in the AJC Sires Produce Stakes.
The Peter Snowden’s star colt Sepoy is the $4 early favourite in the Golden Rose 2011 odds at Luxbet while Shared Reflections is rated a $21 chance.
Another top elect in the Golden Rose betting is Smart Missile ($4.60), the Anthony Cummings-trained galloper also winning a Randwick trial this morning.
For the full 2011 Golden Rose futures odds and to back the Waterhouse contingent in the Melbourne Spring Carnival Group Ones, head to Luxbet today.
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