Reigning The Everest champion Redzel (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}) ran second in a 800-metre trial at Gosford on Monday, Racing.com reported. The Peter and Paul Snowden colourbearer, who will race for Yulong Investments in the 2018 edition on Oct. 13, showed good early dash on the engine for the majority of the seventh heat, before missing by a nose to Show Me the Honey (Aus) (Choisir {Aus}) in :49.65. The MG1SW pleased Peter Snowden, who chose to send a quartet of horses to Gosford in an attempt to secure the best possible turf course to trial over.
“Our tracks here are really, really tired so to be able to use the course proper there [Gosford] is a fantastic service,” Snowden told Racing.com. “The track is so much better there. We used the course proper and it was ideal. I took four up there and they all trialled well. He went well. It was just what we wanted to see. He has another trial on the 20th [of August].”
At Cranbourne, fellow The Everest contender and three-time Group 1 winner Shoals (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) also trialled in good style in the 800-metre fourth heat, finishing a narrow second behind Ardrossan (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}) in :47.62, with her Lee Freedman stablemate and MG1SW Santa Ana Lane (Aus) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) eighth. Shoals's performance surprised her connections, who were not looking for a testing hit out. She will represent The Star Entertainment Group in The Everest.
“That's probably the best she's trialled for us,” said assistant trainer Sam Freedman. “She's had a good blow and we'll come back in two weeks' time. We weren't out here to give her a really strong hit-out–she just needed a decent one–and she acquitted herself very well. Shoals will head [first-up] to the [G1] Moir [S. at Moonee Valley on Sept. 28] and it's just a matter of whether she has one run before that or not.”
Added Freedman of the latter, who will represent Inglis in the A$13-million race, “He's done exactly what we needed him to do. He's still quite big and will come back in two weeks' time. Ben [Melham] was really happy with his action and said he's going really well. We're still mapping out a plan for him but he'll definitely have two runs before the Everest.
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