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Randwick Trials (25/9) Review By Ray Hickson

There’s a stakes win in lightly raced mare Slow Burn and it’ll come sooner rather than later if the way she’s come up this spring is any guide.

Easily the most impressive performer out of Monday’s Randwick trials, the four-year-old was allowed to find her feet early by Tim Clark before striding around them and taking over about 250m from home.

Then she broke right away, almost without being asked, in the 1050m heat to a 5-1/2 length win in a canter.

Slow Burn has only had the three starts and it’ll be a surprise if she doesn’t rush through the grades.

The Les Bridge colours were again to the fore in the following heat as stablemate Zonk clocked slightly faster time in her two length win than Slow Burn.

Both mares have won the one race but Zonk has had one more preparation and one more start.

She can win races, though, despite the times, put them in the same race and I’d want to be on Slow Burn.

Where does Godolphin’s somewhat forgotten Group 1 winner Impending sit in the scheme of things?

It’s something of a surprise that he hasn’t been talked about in Everest contention as he’s effective fresh, is a good 1200m-1400m sprinter, likes a good track and has form around horses either in the Everest or still in the mix for a slot.

Impending ran a closing third in a 1050m heat run in fast time won by Debonairly over stablemate Global Glamour.

He hasn’t raced since winning the Stradbroke and it’ll be interesting to see where he resurfaces.

Godolphin produced a few lesser known gallopers that I’d like to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.

Chief among them is the two-year-old Cristobal, who is nominated for Saturday’s Gimcrack Stakes (1000m) at Randwick.

The Exceed And Excel filly was kept in behind the leaders to the 200m then switched across heels and was allowed to pull ground under her own steam in a nice trial.

Unraced three-year-old Deprive wouldn’t have been able to shoot the leaders on the home turn but he powered home in fine style to finish three lengths off the winner in his 1050m heat.

Popular made a promising debut back in April, running third, and this big filly was hard to miss cruising in behind the placegetters late in her 735m heat.

Two from the Chris Waller yard of note include Overstep and ex-Kiwi All Our Roads.

Overstep only beat one home in her 735m trial but she wasn’t let go at all and made significant late ground. All Our Roads ran fourth under a big hold in Impending’s trial and while it’s hard to be too bullish it wouldn’t surprise to see him produce something eye-catching fresh.

Finally, Snitzel filly Fertile Soil might be a name to remember.

She won the final heat of the session in impressive style, tracking wide throughout and pulling away. It was her first official trial and you can be sure Bjorn Baker will be placing her to win on debut.

Check out the replays and results for Randwick's September 25 barrier trials