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Randwick 2YO trials: Defcon warms up nicely for Breeders’ Plate

24th Sep 2015

The Daily Telegraph - By Shayne O'Cass - Friday, 25 September 2015

THE barrier draw will determine which side of $2 Choisir colt DEFCON will start in tomorrow week’s time-honoured Breeders’ Plate at Randwick after a brilliant trial win at the official 2YO Heats at Randwick on Monday morning.

The Peter and Paul Snowden trained chestnut was the standout performer across all 12 heats with a compelling 1.5 length come from behind win.

Looking every bit the ready-made racehorse, this $340,000 Inglis Premier Yearling let rip down the crown of the track with a real burst of acceleration clocking the fastest time of the dozen heats.

In so far as the Gimcrack Stakes is concerned, this year’s feature could very well fall to John O’Shea who quinella-ed the 2014 renewal with Calaverite and Igraine.

Current contender CALLIOPE won her trial by 4-lens going 48.95s and a bare 0.04s slower than the Snowden colt.

Calliope is by arch 2YO sire Exceed And Excel out of Melpomene, a stakes-placed daughter of Sepoy’s sire Elusive Quality and VRC Oaks winner Bulla Borghese.

Godolphin’s main Breeder’s Plate candidate appears to be Lonhro/Come Hither colt COHESION who made light work of his rivals to win Heat 10 by 2.5-lens.

Like so many of the Lonhros, he’s a lovely mover and from a noted 2YO family.

Take nothing away from stablemate MORTON’S FORK who sustained a wide run on pace from the outside draw to gain the ascendancy late in his trial.

And now to one of the Godolphin ‘non winners’ that caught the eye in ARCHIVES (3rd) who is out of VRC Sires’ Produce winner Preserve but a genuine replica of his dear old dad, Helmet.

Written Tycoon is a stallion who punches well above his weight and so it was with CAPITALIST who put a ‘full stop’ on the morning’s proceedings for Peter and Paul Snowden by taking out the final heat by 2-lens despite giving away a start over the quick-fire 838m.

This colt’s 3rd dam is none other than Bold Promise, Sterling Smith’s diminutive Magic Millions winner.

The Snowdens would have also have been thrilled with the effort of VOLPINO who ran third in the Morton’s Fork heat running on especially well over the last 100m.

Volpino is a son of Newgate’s first season sire Foxwedge out of the Black Opal placegetter Bright Heart.

Heat 5 was essentially an all-Newcastle affair with the Kris Lees trained TWIST TOPS beating the Paul Perry trained JENNEAU by 2.8-lens.

Not only are both from Broadmeadow, the pair are both daughters of the ill-fated Beneteau.