A Captaintreacherous colt closely related to the champion mare Make Mine Cullen looks a promising type for Kialla trainer Rodney Lakey.
Craig Rail spotted two-year-old Captain Hammerhead at the trials last week and quickly placed him in the Blackbook after an impressive victory on his home circuit.
He will debut at Shepparton on Sunday night, with Nathan Jack taking the drive.
Other Blackbook entries were Ess Kay Hollywood, Our Escapade, Twisted Bliss and Keayang Chucky, with the updated file at the bottom of this week’s trial report.
TRIAL REPORT 170
SHEPPARTON 07/07/22
Trial 1: – The Inter Dominion Pacing Champion BONCEL BENJAMIN had his last serious hit out before returning from a spell at Ballarat on Saturday night. He pushed through from the second line, found the front and was able to win the trial. He hasn’t been at his best during his trial preparation but at least he has been able to get the job done at his past few attempts. NEW YORKER trailed the leader early before settling three back on the inside and finished off strongly to snare second position. HIGH FLYING HARRY NZ settled five back on the inside, moved away from the markers at the 600m and sustained a strong run to finish in third position. It was a promising effort leading up to his performance at Ballarat tomorrow night.
Mile Rate: – 1.56.6 Last Half: – 56.5 Margins: – 3m, 3m
Trial 2: – CAPTAIN HAMMERHEAD was a very impressive winner of the second event. He led out, took a trail and made his winning move at the 500m, skipping well clear at the end. He is by Captaintreacherous out of the former good mare Rogers Passion (1.56.6, $136,446), which is a half sister to Make Mine Cullen (1.53.0, $874,178). He makes his debut at Shepparton on Sunday and must be given a winning chance. ERUPT STRIDE NZ settled down in last position and was the widest runner turning for home. He was beaten by fifteen metres but lost no admirers in running into second.
Mile Rate: – 2.1.5 Last Half: – 57.7 Margins: – 15m, 5m
BLACKBOOKER: – Captain Hammerhead
Trial 5: – ZESTA LA GO GO is performing much better at the trials than his race form suggests and if he can reproduce his two trial victories at Shepparton and at Bendigo during the week, he can win a race in the near future. He trailed the leader, moved to the outside at the 500m and gained the prize. He is meeting a strong field at Bendigo on Tuesday night. The juvenile trotter ESS KAY HOLLYWOOD ran an eye-catching second. He settled last of the three runners and ran home strongly through the middle late without being pushed. He is by Creatine out of the former handy mare Annika (2.6.0, $22,206), which has produced two winners in Fiftyshadesofbrown (2.2.3, $69,211) and Lunchwitharthur (2.0.6, $44,515).
Mile Rate: – 2.8.7 Last Half: – 60.0 Margins: – Neck, 12m
BLACKBOOKER: – Ess Kay Hollywood
KILMORE 07/07/22
Trial 2: – OUTLOOK settled fifth on the markers early and improved one position when MISS VENOM broke stride at the 1100m. He finished off best to defeat the early leader ZULU ZANE, which did a good job for an unraced gelding that was taking on proven winners. He was meant to make his debut at Kilmore on Thursday night but was declared as a late scratching. The trotter NAKED AMBITION produced a big effort to finish third. She settled down last of the eight runners and was checked by the galloping FIELDS OF KYVALLEY with 700m remaining before making up a substantial amount of ground in the latter stages.
Mile Rate: – 2.4.3 Last Half: – 58.8 Margins: – 3m, 39m
Trial 3: – SHANNONSTHEMAN was entitled to win considering his National Rating was over double than most of his rivals and he was able to get the job done after coming from last. He did win with plenty in reserve so it was a good confidence builder for his effort at Kilmore but he ended up finishing in sixth after enduring a tough run. ZOES RAINBOW produced a tidy display to finish second. She was three back on the markers and in the one out and one back trail at the 600m. She tried to go with SHANNONSTHEMAN and beat the remainder of the field by 23m. Considering she is an unraced mare and the winner has produced 21 victories while the third placed HIGHCLERE has won four races, it was a good effort. She must be considered as a winning chance at Geelong this evening.
Mile Rate: – 2.1.3 Last Half: – 60.5 Margins: – 3m, 23m
BACCHUS MARSH 09/07/22
Trial 3: – The former New Zealander GOSSIP GIRL NZ has joined trainer Charlie Mifsud and was able to take out the third trial over SCENE OF TERROR. She started her career on the North Island of New Zealand before heading to the South Island, where she thrived. She scored by a narrow margin with SCENE OF TERROR using the trial as a stepping stone to her first up performance in a heat of the Mares Sprint Championship at Geelong this evening.
Mile Rate: – 2.3.3 Last Half: – 59.8 Margins: – ½ head, head
Trial 5: – SOMEJOYFUL NZ is a nicely bred filly by Art Major out of the former handy mare Somejoy NZ (1.53.2, $65,780). The Jodi Quinlan prepared juvenile took out the fifth trial over LITTLE ART with WHERESTHESTORM finishing in third position.
Mile Rate: – 2.9.2 Last Half: – 60.0 Margins: – 2m, 5m
Trial 8: – SEE YOU THERE has been in good form for trainer Lorry Formosa and kept the campaign rolling with a trial victory over RUNSAFARIRUN. She was an impressive winner at Cranbourne last time out and she appears to be a strong winning chance again at Geelong this evening. RUNSAFARIRUN resumed from a break at Kilmore on Thursday night and finished sixth behind Write About Angus.
Mile Rate: – 2.4.4 Last Half: – 59.5 Margins: – 2.5m, 3m
MARYBOROUGH 10/07/22
Trial 1: – PETREA BROMAC NZ prepared for her first up performance at Mildura tonight with an easy victory over PETREOS, where she led throughout and wasn’t extended at any stage. PETREOS was also untouched going to the line and the trotters DOWN UNDER EARL (3 back pegs) and DOWN UNDER BARKERS (broke at start) finished third and fourth respectively.
Mile Rate: – 2.4.7 Last Half: – 58.1 Margins: – 5m, 8m
Trial 2: – OUR ESCAPADE hasn’t raced since April and has been unplaced in all of her four starts to date but she performed well enough at the trials to suggest she can win a race in the near future, particularly with her low National Rating of 46. She trailed the leader, used the sprint lane and got up to defeat BORNTOBOOM, which came from last of the six runners with ARKLOW coming from three back on the markers to finish third. OUR ESCAPADE is resuming at Bendigo on Tuesday night.
Mile Rate: – 2.1.2 Last Half: – 58.5 Margins: – 3m, 3m
BLACKBOOKER: – Our Escapade
Trial 3: – The 2yo qualifier LUDACROUS was able to dash home in slick final sectionals to win her trial by a comfortable margin. She showed gate speed but couldn’t get across to the markers early, eased back to be last of the three runners then started her winning move at the quarter pole. She is exceptionally well bred being by Art Major out of the Group 1 winning mare Luda (1.52.5, $216,653), which took out the 4yo New South Wales Breeders Challenge Final. She also finished third in the Bathurst Gold Tiara, third in the 2yo + 3yo Breeders Challenge Finals and won the Group 3 Baby Bling. She has produced two winners thus far including Let’s Party Baby (1.57.2, $52,030).
Mile Rate: – 1.59.6 Last Half: – 57.5 Margins: – 7m, 4m
BENDIGO 10/07/22
Trial 2: – HOLD THAT GOLD had gait issues during his juvenile season but was impressive in winning his trial. He showed exceptional gate speed to lead clearly and was able to maintain a handy lead throughout, winning untouched. He showed enough ability to suggest he can improve on his record this season and resumes at Bendigo on Tuesday night. WISH UPONA DREAM finished second after trailing the leader before trying to issue a challenge at the 300m. MERCURY MATE was last of the three runners throughout.
Mile Rate: – 2.7.2 Last Half: – 61.0 Margins: – 6m, 10m
Trial 6: – TWISTED BLISS recorded an impressive victory in the final trial. She trailed the leader, angled out three horses wide on the home turn and finished off stylishly in a slick final quarter of 27.4 seconds. She is resuming at Shepparton on Sunday and should prove hard to beat. MONA MIA moved away from the markers from fourth at the 600m to snare second position and BLISSFULL MIND finished third after setting the speed.
Mile Rate: – 2.2.3 Last Half: – 56.6 Margins: – 2m, 8m
BLACKBOOKER: – Twisted Bliss
BALLARAT 12/07/22
Trial 1: – SNOW HUNTER has already had a good season with two wins and a third in the Sapling Stakes from just four attempts. She was slow out but ended up trailing the leader and moved around to find the front with a mile remaining. She completely dominated the trial thereafter and scored with plenty in reserve. She should prove hard to beat at Ballarat tomorrow night albeit in a strong field.
Mile Rate: – 2.11.4 Last Half: – 56.3 Margins: – 25m, 80m
Trial 2: – TINY TEMPER is an unraced gelding by Rock N Roll Heaven out of Kira Jo (1.57.4, $62,335). He is the first foal but the second dam Jasper Jo (1.56.3, $92,596) has produced five winners including Madison Louise (1.55.9, $114,016) and the 2015 Super Series Champion Flo Jo’s Gold (1.54.0, $202,575). He trailed the leader, came to the outside at the 300m and won with something in reserve so it was very encouraging leading up to his performance at Yarra Valley on Monday. SENNA STORM finished second after setting the speed and MON SOLEIL was doing his best work at the end to finish third. MON SOLEIL will also be racing at Yarra Valley on Monday.
Mile Rate: – 2.7.9 Last Half: – 59.7 Margins: – 2m, neck
Trial 3: – KEAYANG CHUCKY hasn’t raced since a sixth in the Super Series Final in December. He ran second in a heat of that series and won a heat of the Breeders Crown last season so he has plenty of potential. He settled three back on the inside, moved into the death seat at the 500m and was untouched going to the line so he looks set for another good season. ALDEBARAN BOYD also performed nicely and he was successful in the Super Series Silver Trot last season. He led out, took a trail behind ME PAT MALONE shortly afterwards and was able to work past that trotter in the run to the judge to snare second spot.
Mile Rate: – 2.7.1 Last Half: – 58.1 Margins: – 12m, 2m
BLACKBOOKER: – Keayang Chucky
