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By Ray Hickson

He wasn’t able to be a player in the spring but Group 3 winning gelding Kibou looks ready to make up for lost time after a rousing trial win at Gosford on Friday.

The three-year-old was an impressive winner of the Up & Coming Stakes (1300m) back in August but missed both spring and autumn carnivals after surgery was required for bone chips in the near fore knee.

Kibou’s all the way in a 1000m trial was his second this preparation and he was all business in the hitout too, responding to some urgings from Regan Bayliss and looking like the solid gallop would serve him well.

His was the only trial over the trip to break one minute. Third placed Revolutionary Miss would be warming up for a Brisbane campaign, having been freshened since her second in the Group 2 Sunline Stakes (1600m) in March and she worked to the line in good style and seemed to relish the pace.

Group 1 winner Sheeza Belter had an easy trial win to fit her for a return from a short break, proving far too classy as she swept home to win a 1000m heat, run some two and a half seconds slower than Kibou. Wet ground is her kryptonite but she’s going well.

Some will remember Gai Waterhouse’s 2001 Golden Slipper winner Ha Ha, she’s not to be confused with an imported mare called Ha Ha Ha who hails from the same stable and her local debut in a 1000m heat was promising.

She’s a four-year-old who has won up to a mile in Ireland and she finished off her trial nicely behind Lease, who led all the way, and it’ll be interesting to see how she progresses. Stayer Sky Lab finished just behind her as he hit the line well from last.

Sheeza Belter wins a Gosford trial

A few others to note from Gosford – Amberina is an ex-Mark Newnham filly unplaced in all six starts to date but you wouldn’t know it the way she romped in under a hold in her first outing for Nathan Doyle; Sovereign Dane is another new Doyle recruit who won his trial nicely; Deep Snow, trained by Angela Davies, was eye-catching and Exolent Choice is an unraced gelding whose time in winning stacked up on the morning.

The headline trial at Warwick Farm on Friday saw talented sprinter Big Parade go head and head to the line with race fit, last start Group 1 winner, Ruthless Dame over the 806m.

Now with Joe Pride, it was Big Parade’s first appearance since two trials in the spring before former trainer Mark Newnham had to abandon his campaign without racing.

His stablemate The Replicant can be placed to advantage, he stayed on nicely to run third. He’s a last start Class 1 winner over a mile in February and has now trialled twice for a return.

Super Pursuit is yet to win a race in Australia in five starts since crossing the Tasman but he’s now trialled nicely on two occasions leading to his winter campaign and might not be far off a breakthrough. He found the line well behind Cosmic Minerva who won the trial quite nicely after tracking wide.

And it wouldn’t be a trial session without the Waterhouse/Bott yard producing a handy two-year-old and they may have a coming winner or two in Love And Light and Taormina who ran one-two.

It was Love And Light’s first trial and the Capitalist filly enjoyed a good hitout as she led all the way while Taormina, who trialled in September, brushed home from off the pace in promising style.

Stydd is an unraced Ribchester filly from the Godolphin team and while hers was the last trial of the session she was hard to miss. Sat outside the lead and swept past them quickly, cantering in, and while the time was fair she’ll surely be well placed.

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