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Warwick Farm Trials (21/11) Review

By Ray Hickson

The plot has certainly thickened when it comes to working out just what to make of Chetwood’s 12 length trial win at the start of November.

The usually free running five-year-old was a completely different horse in an 807m heat at Warwick Farm on Tuesday – he won narrowly after sitting outside the leader.

It was a far cry from his tearaway win a few weeks earlier and probably a good thing he didn’t go straight to the races because this effort certainly tempers the excitement of a panel job.

But it doesn’t make him any easier to assess. As mentioned previously, he trialled strongly before failing in three runs last time in.

Depending on the makeup of his resumption, he’ll probably go around without me.

Chetwood's narrow Warwick Farm trial win – November 21

And his 12.5 length Canterbury trial win – November 3

On the subject of enigmas, Japonisme had what appears on paper to be an easy kill to get the confidence up but I’d have liked to see a bit more purpose in his 1200m heat win.

He led at a slow tempo and was entitled to sprint home as he did but he ran 1.4 seconds slower for the same trip than miler/middle distance type Montauk and his last 600m was 0.1 seconds slower.

Japonisme has been a shadow of himself since running third in the Group 1 Manikato Stakes in 2016.

One horse out of his trial that appears set to fire early on is Lanciato who worked home stylishly from last run third.

The five-year-old hasn’t raced since winning at Hawkesbury’s stand alone meeting in April and his was his second trial after a gallop on the synthetic earlier this month.

He’s a noted first and second-up performer and Mark Newnham looks to have him going well.

Back to the blue jackets and it seemed half of the Godolphin stable were out trialling, no major knocks on any of them but a select few really stuck their hands up.

Chief among them is Kent.

He had the flashing light on in running third behind Newnham’s Careless in an 807m trial. After being last early he worked through the field and finished two to their one, running past the winner shortly after the post.

Kent was an eye-catcher when resuming last prep then won easily second-up.

Colombina is a Lonhro filly out of stakes winner Mascareri and may have only beaten one home in her four horse trial but she stood out.

The two-year-old was having her first trial and she sat behind the leader, couldn’t get a run through so switched across heels and stretched out late to get within half a length. There’s upside to her.

To a couple of unraced three-year-old fillies.

Nipotina is a Sepoy filly and is a half-sister to Group 1 winners Kidnapped and Hauraki. In her second trial this time in she settled well back and picked up good ground, under a big hold, to the line.

Libraries, by Lonhro, sat off the speed and moved alongside the leader on the turn before getting the better late and appearing to do it easily.

Check out the results and replays from the Warwick Farm trials on Tuesday