Australian Staying Hopes Trial Well
Complacent, winner of the 2013 G1 Spring Champion Stakes, offered an encouraging autumn preview with a strong barrier trial effort at Rosehill, Australia on Monday, 1 February.
Complacent, winner of the 2013 G1 Spring Champion Stakes, offered an encouraging autumn preview with a strong barrier trial effort at Rosehill, Australia on Monday, 1 February.
On a track still recovering from rain that caused racing to be abandoned two days earlier, the five-year-old finished a close second in his trial with jockey James McDonald keeping him under a tight hold throughout.
Complacent was one of three Godolphin runners in the trial, along with Magic Hurricane and Hauraki, who also showed they were in good shape for the coming autumn feature races.
Magic Hurricane hasn't raced since winning the G1 Metropolitan at Randwick last October, his third win in Australia for trainer John O'Shea whose team he joined early last year.
Hauraki also indicated he could be in for a good autumn, finishing off well under a tight hold on the heavy track.
"They all did as much as we wanted on a track like that," said assistant trainer Darren Beadman.
"Complacent has pleased us since he came back and the other two are coming along well."
"John (O'Shea) will finalise their programs over the next few days, but they will probably all be at the races over the next month."
Complacent is penciled in to resume at Rosehill in three weeks with Magic Hurricane likely to return a week later.
Complacent will head toward the G1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick in April with the G1 Ranvet Stakes at Rosehill on 19 March another likely target.
Among the day's other trial runners was Generalife who missed a run at Rosehill last Saturday due to the heavy track.
In the same conditions on Monday he wasn't asked to do much, cruising around under a hold and finishing fifth.
The two-year-old filly Gloriette showed she had maintained her form since finishing third at G3 level in Melbourne last month, on her first start, with an encouraging third placing in her trial.
Held together throughout, Gloriette could easily have improved her position. She is expected to appear at the races in the next two weeks.
"She's come on nicely since her first start. Whether she'll be going to the big two-year-old races isn't certain but there'll be a race for her over the next couple of weeks," Beadman said.
