Two of the highest-profile two-year-olds from last season, Lady Of Camelot and Storm Boy, took their spring preparations to a new level on Monday with trials at Randwick.
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott -trained duo made their first public appearances of the campaign in the trials that was originally scheduled for last Friday but were deferred three days due to wet weather.
Golden Slipper winner Lady Of Camelot had to settle for second placing in her 850-metre trial, beaten a long-neck by the Michael Freedman-trained Insurrection, who won the trial under a lighter ride than Tim Clark gave Lady Of Camelot.
It was the first trial of the campaign for the daughter of Written Tycoon and Waterhouse and Bott have lofty goals in mind for the filly who carries Sir Owen Glenn’s Go Bloodstock colours.
Golden Slipper winner LADY OF CAMELOT finishes second behind @MFreedmanRacing gelding INSURRECTION this morning.
— Australian Turf Club (@aus_turf_club) August 4, 2024
“At the end of the day, Sir Owen Glenn will decide which way she goes but the Moir (Stakes) is more than likely first-up,” Bott said.
“If she runs well there, then onto The Everest.”
The Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m) will be run at The Valley on September 7 with The Everest (1200m) at Randwick on October 19.
Storm Boy’s trial was almost a carbon copy of Lady Of Camelot’s with the exception being that the Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner and Golden Slipper third placegetter was able to get his head down and win his 850m trial.
The son of Justify sat outside Moravia and was urged along by jockey James Mcdonald with the pair scoring a short-half-head win.
Storm Boy’s winning time on the Soft 7 track was 51.58 seconds, which was slower than Insurrection’s time of 50.87secs.
Storm Boy could be seen as early as the Group 3 San Domenico Stakes (1100m) on August 31 with the Golden Rose (1400m) and Caulfield Guineas (1600m) the likely key Group 1 targets.
Monday’s transferred Randwick trials kick-started a big couple of days of trials in Sydney with Rosehill to host a star-studded set on Tuesday, with Switzerland another of last season’s high-profile juveniles to step out.
He will trial over 900m against multiple Group 1 winner Zougotcha, while their Chris Waller -trained stablemates Via Sistina, Fangirl and Riff Rocket are also entered to trial.
Group 2 winner Storm Boy does enough to win trial 3 at Randwick Kensington for the Waterhouse-Bott stable. @GaiWaterhouse1 pic.twitter.com/JadPJ6B84F
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) August 4, 2024