Summer Scorcher

At a blistering 26 degrees by 7AM, the team at Pfieffer Racing knew they were in for a sweltering morning of trials on Friday at headquarters.

Yet seemingly undeterred by the sticky layer of sweat that coated every hair, each horse made the most of a busy morning of action to produce their best in what for many was their first official appearance on track.

The Pfieffer brigade struck early, with the third trial hosting three gallopers surely destined for winning campaigns this time in.

Headed by the almost black son of Denman in Denzil, who ran a cracking second in the heat under the hold of Brenton Avdulla, the third trial also featured an impressive effort from the imposing mare Bandjin Lass, a daughter of emerging sire Hinchinbrook who made plenty of headway late in the piece to be an eye-catching fourth for Mitchell Bell.

Rounding out that trio was the speedy Bachelor Degree, a long striding bay gelding who will be looking to break through this campaign for an overdue win. He began this campaign with an easy trial and was thus untested in the straight under the guidance of Bobby El-Issa.

The following trial saw the anticipated first appearance of the royally-bred Cape Wickham, a son of the leading sire Fastnet Rock from the stakes-producing Hennessy mare Allez France. A picture of health when being led to the track, the colt flexed his muscles and arched his neck as Brenton Avdulla was legged aboard.

In a competitive trial the colt was smartly away and held his ground well for fourth to please both rider and trainer.

“He’s really well educated and switched on, so to watch him put it all together and trial well is a great feel” said Pfieffer.

The next to trial was the lovely 3YO filly Launching, who did just that in her heat to flash from the rear of the field and grab second in the heat for maiden fillies.

Allowed to switch off after the break, in-form jockey Tim Clark restrained the athletic filly to the rear before angling widest into the straight and once “releasing the handbrake” found himself far closer at the finish.

“She really let down nicely for me, I think she is a great prospect heading forward” commented Clark once dismounting.

Another who hails from the great Fastnet Rock legacy is the genteel brown gelding by Hinchinbrook in Hard Merchandise, who passed his first trial with flying colours in heat 10 for Mitchell Bell.

Like his stablemate Krug, a runner in the following heat, an easy trial was to be expected and the pair benefitted from an important day out when experiencing their first “racetrack-like appearance”.

The final heat of the morning belonged to the gorgeous mare Tswalu who quickly put paid to her rivals with an easy 3-length romp for Tim Clark. The daughter of the late Northern Meteor, a sire prematurely lost to the industry, will be in hot demand should she feature in the winner’s circle and her first start will be hotly anticipated in the coming weeks.