Group One stars trial at Warwick Farm

Chris Waller brought five individual Group One winners to the trials on Tuesday morning.

Chris Waller after Riff Rocket won VRC Derby.
Chris Waller after Riff Rocket won VRC Derby. Picture: Steve Hart

It may only be the middle of January but we're already seeing some of the stars of the Spring step out in preparation for Autumn campaigns, with a total of seven Group One winners stepping out at Warwick Farm.

Trials 1 and 2 over 900m on the course proper were for Group horses with the first heat won by Ciaron Maher & David Eustace's dual Group Two winning filly Tiz Invincible, who took out the Furious and Tea Rose in the Spring before running sixth to Tropical Squall in the Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m).

Tiz Invincible booted through to lead and held a narrow margin over Buckaroo to the line under a hold ahead of Lazzago, who hit the line well from back in the field under a hold.

Popular gelding Think It Over just edged out star mare Fangirl for fourth with multiple Group 1 winning colt and stablemate in the Waller yard Militarize not asked for an effort at the back of the field.

They weren't out to break any record but ran an ever so slightly quicker time than the second heat, clocking 55.50, compared to 55.53 for the second heat won by Learning To Fly.

Learning To Fly missed the Spring after suffering severe interference and losing the rider in last year's Group 1 Golden Slipper and this was her second outing having also trialled behind Time To Boogie over 740m on December 11th.

Annabel Neasham confirmed during the week that Learning To Fly, winner of the Inglis Millenium (1100m) and Group 2 Reisling Stakes (1200m), will aim at resuming in the Group 2 Light Fingers Stakes (1200m) on February 17th at Randwick.

Under Chad Schofield, who was dislodged from the filly in the Golden Slipper, Learning To Fly tracked Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) winner Griff and got the upper hand late, with some four lengths back to Encap in third.

The other three horses in the trial were all Group One winners in the Chris Waller yard with Group 1 VRC Derby (2500m) winner Riff Rocket edging into fourth under James Mcdonald, ahead of Group One winning mares Atishu and Espiona.


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