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Randwick Trials (26/3) Review
By Ray Hickson

How is anything going to beat Redzel come the Group 1 $2.5m Darley TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) on The Championships Day 1?

Even though it was just a trial the nation’s best sprinter showed why he’s the nation’s best sprinter ripping around 1000m on the new Kensington track (which conducted the first three heats) at Randwick on Monday.

He led on his ear, after stepping away just on the tardy side, he ran along and Kerrin McEvoy must have a button somewhere on the gelding because he extended without a lot of obvious pressure.

Redzel, $2.50 favourite with TAB in the TJ, was never going to be beaten in a 1000m trial and he ran 33.50 for his last 600m under a hold – that’s about as good as you can trial.

Redzel cruises to an easy trial win on the Kensington track on Monday

All that said, if the track is reasonably good come April 7 you’d be brave to count Lanciato out of contention in the Group 1 $3m The Star Doncaster Mile (1600m).

The gelding ran second to Redzel and we’d love to know his final 600m – he sat some 8-10 lengths off the leader and started his run well before the turn, he went down by three and also wasn’t asked for a supreme effort.

Admire Winner, one of Chris Waller’s Japanese imports, made his first public appearance in the second heat and it’s probably a good thing he wasn’t asked to chase Redzel.

His 1000m trial was run a much more leisurely 1.53 seconds slower and no doubt it helped him get into a groove.

The four-year-old was snagged out to last in the trial and when Hugh Bowman asked him to close he took a little while to wind up but once he did he was the eye-catcher running to two lengths off the winner.

Note he’s nominated for the Group 3 Doncaster Prelude (1500m) at Rosehill on Saturday, where he has 53kg.

Tony Gollan’s filly Outback Barbie was a real standout among the 15 trials as she careered away to win a 1050m heat.

After sitting just off the leader Glamour Cruise, Outback Barbie shot straight past her around 150m from home and looked very good stretching out to an almost four length win.

She was beaten 2.5 lengths by Estijaab in the Reisling Stakes, and raced wide throughout, so she can be a force in whatever race she contests during The Championships.

The time wasn’t there but All Too Hard filly Separated won with plenty of authority in what was her second trial. She clocked a bit under two seconds slower but you’d consider her a super chance of a debut win away from the carnival.

Last start Canberra Guineas winner Assimilate is well and truly back in the groove and he had a clean out in a 1200m trial where he sat back and sailed down the outside for an easy win.

Behind him was Egg Tart who made some ground when the trial was all over but the jury is probably out on her after the Coolmore Classic.

There are a few others to mention.

Anatola looked slick winning an 850m Kensington trial; Frolic ran last in her trial but wasn’t let go until well past the line; Canyonero found himself outsprinted early in the straight but responded well to a shake up in a 730m trial; Encryption looked good late and Can Dream can pick up a benchmark race after a nice third in Admire Winner’s heat.

Check out the replays and results from Monday's trials at Royal Randwick