Latest News

Randwick Trials (12/1) Review
By Ray Hickson

Talented colt Addictive Nature was always going to be a better horse in the autumn and so it appears after he stole the show at Friday’s Randwick trials.

In fact, caller Mitch Manners summed it up best remarking “how good’s he gone’’ after the 730m scamper.

It’s hard to argue and while it was a short trial Addictive Nature, winner of the Group 3 Ming Dynasty in the spring, had a neck to spare to the eye but many lengths under the bonnet.

He settled back and ran up behind the leaders on the turn, shaken up by Noel Callow to take a gap and when he did he put paid to them in a stride before being restrained to the short margin.

Plenty would be expected of Addictive Nature this prep by the Bjorn Baker stable and he’s off to a ripper start.

Addictive Nature's impressive trial win at Randwick on January 12

Runner-up Deprive may have been a shade flattered by the narrow defeat but this Godolphin gelding, a winner of his only start back in October, found the line with plenty of purpose.

The take home horse from the Godolphin yard is clearly unraced filly Skagerrak, a closing third in her 730m heat run just 0.2 seconds slower than Addictive Nature.

It was the Dawn Approach filly’s second trial this time in and she had a flashing light on her head once she eased into the clear 200m out and picked up ground under a hold.

Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott won nine of the 13 heats and arguably the most important of those was by $1.2m colt Siege Of Quebec.

His second trial this time in was a much more serious outing than the first and he was ridden conservatively in fourth place before stoking up and drawing clear late.

Only one defeat, to Menari, in three starts says there’s plenty to come from him this campaign.

That 1050m trial could prove to be a significant one as it also contained promising Chris Waller three-year-old Kaonic who was given a quiet hitout in behind them.

Another of the Waterhouse/Bott winners who could take that next step in the autumn is Breeders’ Plate placegetter Santos.

After breaking evenly he took a bit of time to roll to the front but once there he was always in cruise mode and held a clear margin to the line. Wouldn’t surprise to see him pop up in a two-
year-old maiden to shake that status off but he’ll be competitive wherever he surfaces.

Two from the John O’Shea stable to catch the eye were Southern Lad and French import Berdibek.

Southern Lad has had the one start for a sixth at Gosford in October so he still has to prove himself on race day but he was under a very nice hold in a closing fifth in his 1050m heat.

As for the import, it’d be nice to see Berdibek again but he was only getting warm as they drew the curtain down on his heat in a promising first look down under.

Check out the results and replays from Friday's barrier trials at Royal Randwick