Ideal For Real’s little half-sister has briskly made an impression for trainer Nathan Purdon on the trials circuit, but it wasn’t the unraced two-year-old’s trial win that captured the eye but rather the horse who ran third.
Otis Rising has gone straight into the Blackbook from the first trial at Tabcorp Park Melton, having sat quiet and finished within a length of the winner while appearing to have “plenty in reserve”.
The gelding was one of five additions to Craig Rail’s Blackbook, which can be seen at the bottom of this page.
Here are this week’s Trial File highlights from the Victorian circuit:
SHEPPARTON 24/03/22
Trial 2: – MONGIANA pushed forward and took over from the early leader ORBIE at the mile marker then was able to cruise to victory in the fast class trial. He finished off in a slick last half of 56.2 seconds so he appeared to be very sharp.
Mile Rate: – 2.0.8 Last Half: – 56.2 Margins: – 6m, 56m
Trial 4: – GALACTIC GAL began quickly and was able to find the lead shortly after the start. She was able to defeat ZIEGFELD, which sat in the trail throughout and never peeled to the outside at any stage. ZIEGFELD competed at Cobram on Thursday and ran a game third after racing without cover throughout.
Mile Rate: – 2.1.6 Last Half: – 58.5 Margins: – 4m, 4m
BACCHUS MARSH 26/03/22
Trial 3: – SEBS CHOICE was able to take out the open class trial and continued his roll of solid trial performances. He is making an appearance at Melton tomorrow night and should perform strongly. COMMON COURTESY finished in second position and will appreciate a drop back in class at Ballarat tonight.
Mile Rate: – 2.2.5 Last Half: – 57.6 Margins: – 5m, 20m
Trial 5: – NONPARREIL is a beautifully bred filly, which competed against strong opposition during her first campaign of racing and recorded slick time in her runaway trial success over AMOLDO. She appears to have a promising future and was very impressive in her first up victory at Kilmore on Thursday night. AMOLDO settled three back on the markers and sprinted fast along the sprint lane to win on debut at Kilmore on Thursday night so the form out of the trial was obviously very good.
Mile Rate: – 1.59.0 Last Half: – 60.4 Margins: – 20m, 80m
CRANBOURNE 27/03/22
Trial 1: – MISTIE REIGN is an unraced 3yo pacer for trainer Jayne Davies, which created a good impression. He settled three back on the inside, moved into the death seat at the 600m and sprinted fast. He raced away to win by 11m and was under a strong hold in a slick last quarter of 27.9 seconds so he obviously has the ability to win races.
Mile Rate: – 2.3.8 Last Half: – 58.7 Margins: – 11m, 5.5m
BLACKBOOKER: – MISTIE REIGN
BENDIGO 27/03/22
Trial 1: – Trainer John Tormey prepared the Quinella in the opening trial on the program with MISTER ARTIKULATE and MODERN JIVE. MISTER ARTIKULATE led and won with ease but MODERN JIVE did well for an unraced 3yo pacer to give chase from the trail. MISTER ARTIKULATE is competing at Maryborough this afternoon and MODERN JIVE made his debut a few days later at Kilmore on Thursday night but failed to run on at the end.
Mile Rate: – 2.1.9 Last Half: – 58.5 Margins: – 5m, 2m
Trial 4: – CANNON BEACH continued his good trial form to run over the top of PUZZLE PIECE to get the prize in the final trial. He was three back on the pegs, moved into the one out and one back trail at the 700m and came wide into the straight. PUZZLE PIECE battled back strongly after trailing the leader and coming to the outside at the half mile marker. The pair resumed their rivalry at Kilmore on Friday but the result was far different as PUZZLE PIECE went on to score nicely and CANNON BEACH failed to beat a runner home.
Mile Rate: – 2.3.3 Last Half: – 58.4 Margins: – 2m, 12m
TABCORP PARK, MELTON
Trial 1: – NYOTA is a nicely bred filly for trainer Nathan Purdon. She trailed the leader GOODTIME LIBBY, came to the outside with 250m remaining and sprinted home too well. The eye-catching performance was from the third placed OTIS RISING, which settled three back on the inside and never peeled to the outside in the straight, going to the line with plenty in reserve.
Mile Rate: – 1.59.5 Last Half: – 58.3 Margins: – 2m, 3m
BLACKBOOKER: – OTIS RISING
Trial 3: – VINTAGE CHEDDAR continued his outstanding run with an effortless victory over GOODTIME HEAVEN and CODE BLACK with the trio being in the same order from start to finish. VINTAGE CHEDDAR is racing at Melton tomorrow night and had a good hit-out in his trial as he zipped home in brilliant final sectionals (54.96, 26.71).
Mile Rate: – 1.57.0 Last Half: – 54.96 Margins: – 3.5m, 7m
Trial 6: – USED TO BE A MAID is making her debut at Yarra Valley on Monday and is worth following based on her good trial victory. She was three back on the markers, weaved a passage and finished quickly along the inside of the smart trotter COURAGE STRIDE to get the prize.
Mile Rate: – 2.5.2 Last Half: – 60.55 Margins: – 2m, 6.5m
Trial 8: – HELLUVA began brilliantly to find the lead and was able to dash home in a brilliant final quarter of 27.15 seconds to score over RUESLAN. He performed very well at his first Australian campaign and he will take beating first up at Ballarat tonight. CARDINAL SIN finished strongly for third so the form out of the trial should be strong.
Mile Rate: – 1.58.0 Last Mile: – 56.35 Margins: – 3m, 5.5m
BLACKBOOKER: – Helluva NZ
Trial 9: – MONTELENA is a maiden from five starts and hasn’t raced since July but she was extremely impressive in her trial victory over MISTA WALKER. She scored by 28m and appeared to be jogging down to the line so she can improve on her record this campaign.
Mile Rate: – 2.3.9 Last Mile: – 60.78 Margins: – 28m, 48.5m
BLACKBOOKER: – MONTELENA
Trial 11: – NORMS LADY settled down in last position and produced a powerful finishing burst to down FEMALE ASSASSIN and GAMER. The mile rate was 1.58.2 so it was a tidy display and she should be competitive at Yarra Valley on Monday.
Mile Rate: – 1.58.2 Last Mile: – 59.41 Margins: – 2.5m, 2m
Trial 12: – The open class trotting event was won by KYVALLEY CHIEF. He was able to lead throughout and won easily, seemingly with something in reserve. ULTIMATE STRIDE finished second after trailing the leader throughout and TEMPORALE finished third. He settled down last of the four runners and only came to the outside in the final 50m, running home strongly. BRANDLO PRINCE (3 back pegs) was the last one across the line. KYVALLEY CHIEF and TEMPORALE both performed well enough to suggest they are winning hopes in the Uncle Petrika FFA at Melton tomorrow night.
Mile Rate: – 1.59.4 Last Half: – 58.12 Margins: – 14m, 3.5m
HAMILTON 28/03/22
Trial 3: – KOWALSKI ANALYSIS took out the last trial in a slick mile rate of 1.54.7. The second placed FLASH JIMMY is a smart 3yo pacer, which hasn’t started since a fourth in a semi-final of the Super Series in December. He has a National Rating of 51 and was beaten by a narrow margin so he is worth following. SHARPER MEMORY is yet to face the starter and finished a close up third so she also has ability but it is hard to make a proper judgement call when there is no video replay available.
Mile Rate: – 1.54.7 Last Half: – 56.10 Margins: – 1/2 m, 1m
BLACKBOOKER: – FLASH JIMMY
SHEPPARTON 29/03/22
Trial 2: – MAX DELIGHT took out a very strong open class trial but the event was more like trackwork with each of the three David Aiken trained runners going to the line under a strong hold. MAX DELIGHT led and held off REACTOR NOW, which sat in the trail. MALCOLMS RHYTHM came from last and finished quickly via the sprint lane. HEREHECOMES was last of the four runners to finish but did well to finish as close as he did, considering he has a National Rating of 60.
Mile Rate: – 1.58.4 Last Half: – 55.6 Margins: – 1m, 1m
MILDURA 29/03/22
Trial 4: – WINNEDOU was performing particularly well at the trials during his first preparation but didn’t quite convert on the race track having scored once in six starts. He was very impressive at the trials again on Tuesday night as he ran to the front and was able to bolt away with the prize.
Mile Rate: – 2.2.5 Last Half: – 58.4 Margins: – 45m, 10m
BALLARAT 29/03/22
Trial 1: – TOUCH OF TERROR was able to lead throughout in the opening trial and defeated ROCK ARTIST, which produced a game effort. ROCK ARTIST is a juvenile pacer by Yankee Rockstar for trainer Emma Stewart and he trained the leader but raced very greenly when he angled to the outside in the straight. The last quarter was fast and the winner of the trial TOUCH OF TERROR has won three races previously so ROCK ARTIST did well to pick up some ground late.
Mile Rate: – 1.59.4 Last Half: – 57.1 Margins: – 2m, 20m
Trial 3: – The Victoria Derby and Breeders Crown winner ACT NOW was returning from a failed Chariots of Fire campaign in Sydney but looked very sharp when he trailed the leader MAAJIDA, came to the outside at the 400m mark and recorded a brilliant final quarter of 26.8 seconds to score, forging away at the end.
Mile Rate: – 2.0.4 Last Half: – 55.5 Margin: – 3m
