The Trial Files 4/1/2021: Simon Says Go
FOLLOW: The Simon Miller stable
After a lean and luckless summer carnival by his usual standards, Simon Miller’s stable is back firing on all cylinders. The Ascot trainer prepared only seven winners from 80 starters in October and November, however, he’s since saddled-up nine victors from 36 starters in the past 30 days. His two-year-old pair in Amelia’s Chant and State Of Power looked very impressive in their Belmont trial heat today, while stablemate Amelia’s Contraire also caught the eye and appears on track for a successful race return in the coming weeks.
FOLLOW: Silentz
Lightly-raced seven-year-old Silentz (20: 8-4-0) has found his fourth home with the Lindsey Smith stable and could be a welcome addition to WA racing if he can recapture his old form. After beginning his career in the care of Danny O’Brien, the Snitzel gelding won six of his next 14 starts for Darren Weir before being transferred to Philip Stokes in February 2019. He hasn’t raced since March 30, 2019 but hit the line stylishly for rider Brad Rawiller in his Belmont trial heat today.
KEY HEATS:
Heat 1: 400m 2YO
The Jim Taylor-trained Spinalong Time made an ultra-impressive trial debut when missing the kick and rocketing home to win her heat in the second-fastest 400m trial recorded by a two-year-old at Belmont this season (00:23:61). The Snippetson filly was still in second-last position in the eight-horse field at the 200m mark but made up a stack of late ground and looks as though she has a motor.
Heat 3: 400m 3YO
Last season’s Group 3 Gimcrack Stakes and Listed Supremacy Stakes winner Starfield Impact made her first public appearance for 100 days when winning her 400m heat by 3.3 lengths (00:23:79). The former top juvenile is yet to taste victory from four starts as a three-year-old but did what she had to do against moderate opposition in her trial return.
Heat 4: 1000m 2YO
Simon Miller looks to have two nice two-year-olds on his hands in the form of Amelia’s Chant and State Of Power. The former was a $135,000 graduate from the 2020 Perth Magic Millions sale and produced a professional performance to lead from barrier to box and defeat her stablemate by 2.6 lengths in good time on the day (00:59:26). State Of Power, a $55,000 purchase from the same sale, is the younger half-sister to Miller’s former black-type filly Niccovi and really caught the eye when flashing late from towards the tail of the field in an impressive trial debut.
Heat 6: 1000m 3YO+ 72+
Ulta-consistent gelding Guns Of Navarone made a nice return when beating well-credentialed types in a three-way photo finish. The War Chant seven-year-old settled one-out and one-back for apprentice Keshaw Dhurun before peeling out and finishing well to defeat Listed winner Saracino by a nose, with Silentz a further nose away in third place. Saracino ($479,229 earner) was untouched by rider Clint Johnston-Porter in an impressive return, while Silentz — a winner at eight of 20 starts in Victoria — was arguably the best performance of the trial. The Lindsey-Smith trained gelding was settled at the rear of the seven-horse field by Brad Rawiller and ran through the line under his own steam despite only finding clear running over the final furlong.
Heat 7: 1000m 3YO+ 0-71
Former long-time maiden Trade Master recorded the equal-fastest 1000m trial win of the day (00:58.83) with Jade McNaught aboard. The Ted Martinovich-trained gelding, who is a last-start winner on August 26, took until his 16th race outing to break his maiden status but has produced a further six top-four finishes along the way. The gelding sat outside of veteran galloper Greco in running before getting the better of his rival over the final stages and scoring by a head, with the talented Amelia’s Contraire charging home into third place only a further nose away. Now a four-year-old, Amelia’s Contraire hasn’t been seen publicly since finishing at the tail of her field on May 30 last year but had recorded three wins and three minor placings from her previous nine starts.
Heat 10: 1000m 3YO MDN
I’m All The Talk three-year-old Conventional clocked the equal-fastest 1000m heat win of the day (00:58:83) when defeating Gratias Deo by a head. Unplaced from seven career starts to date, the filly certainly needs to improve on what she’s shown at the races to date but appears ready to go for her upcoming campaign.