Latest News

Warwick Farm Trials (24/10) Review By Ray Hickson

Joe Pride has picked up a very nice horse in Tactical Advantage who hinted he could be one of the stars of the late spring/early summer at Tuesday’s Warwick Farm trials.

His eye-catching, and very cruisy, third behind race fit Marsupial has him ready to go and it could be as soon as this weekend when he debuts for Pride under race conditions.

Under the care of James Cummings, Tactical Advantage won five of his 10 starts and was Listed placed twice so we know he’s a talent.

No knock on the winner Marsupial who rolled home like you’d expect a horse with three runs under his belt to do. Of course he was luckless when beaten as an odds-on favourite at Canterbury earlier this month.

In the 801m trial, he settled well back in the field before working home under a nice grip into third place. He's nominated for a 1000m event at Randwick on Saturday.

Marsupial wins his trial at Warwick Farm with Tactical Advantage closing into third

I Am Excited has been freshened up since contesting the Rosebud and three legs of the Princess Series and was in a class of her own winning her heat in 0.5 seconds slower than Marsupial.

She was under no pressure and may have needed the confidence boost. She has only won a maiden so perhaps she may be allowed to go through the grades in the coming weeks.

Runner-up Lipizzan is in for another successful preparation and while she was beaten a couple of lengths her effort was every bit as good as the winner.

She travelled up four wide on the turn and was kept under a hold as the winner was allowed to run.

It’s worth noting she was Listed placed at Scone when resuming last prep, with I Am Excited in third place.

A pair of Godolphin two-year-olds attracted some attention in one of the two heats for the youngsters - they are Animal Kingdom colt Rheingau and Exceed And Excel colt Dynamited, first and third respectively in their heat.

Rheingau looks every bit the potentially smart three-year-old for next season but he might have the class to win a race or two at two. He was in a line of four on the turn and when given a dig he lengthened out like a nice horse with plenty of upside.

Dynamited is a half-brother to Group 3 winner Shards and the handy Demolition and he looked the most comfortable of any horse in the trial breezing home into third a few lengths off his stablemate.

Promising middle distance type Regine is now with John O’Shea and her third placing in an 801m heat was outstanding, sitting four and five wide on the pace then closing off after losing ground turning.

She contested the Queensland Oaks at just her third start and with two trials under her belt now she can be competitive at 1400m fresh.

Kennedy was runner-up in the same trial and the Godolphin colt, who hasn’t raced since July, worked to the line well to just miss.

Plenty to like about the trials of Zagota (Brad Widdup) and Swizeler (Matt Smith) and, since we started with a Joe Pride runner we’ll end with another Pride charge in Show Me The Honey.

This unraced gelding finished down the track behind Marble at his first trial but this time around was put into the race sitting five deep and loped down the outside to pick up the leader easily.

Check out all the replays from Tuesday's Warwick Farm trials