By Alan Carasso
It was another busy Friday morning at Randwick, with 18 trials, featuring the return to action in earnest by “TDN Rising Star” Khan (Aus) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) towards the latter end of the day's activity.
Drawn towards the outside in the third-last trial, Khan jumped on terms for Blake Shinn and eased back into a stalking second in the 740m heat. Allowed to corner wide, he struck to the front while appearing to want to do more and was just outfinished on the wire by his Peter and Paul Snowden-trained stable companion Gunnison (Aus) (Not a Single Doubt {Aus}) (video).
Bred in Queensland by Glenlogan Park and consigned to the 2016 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale by that operation, Khan was knocked down to bloodstock agent James Harron for A$260,000. The flaxen-maned and bald-faced chestnut turned in a sparkling debut last October, winning the Listed Breeders' Plate, the same race won in 2015 by the Harron and partners'-owned Capitalist (Aus) (Written Tycoon {Aus}) en route to the G1 Golden Slipper S.
The morning's second trial was highlighted by the return to action for Godolphin's MG1SW Hartnell (GB) (Authorized {GB}). Partnered in his work by James Doyle, the 6-year-old was given a quiet time of it from the back of the field, raced under a hard hold in the stretch and was under the line sixth before galloping out strongly past the wire (video). Hartnell is expected to face Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}) when he resumes in the G2 Apollo S. (1400m) at Randwick Feb. 11.
Woman (Aus) (Frankel {GB}), the daughter of eight-time Group 1-winning champion More Joyous (NZ) (More Than Ready) registered her second barrier trial Friday morning and improved for her running-on fourth-place finish in her first visit a little less than three weeks ago. Clearly the slowest out here from gate one, the Waterhouse/Bott-trained filly mustered for speed and was all the way up into second as they hit the straight. In front inside the 200m, she was ultimately run down in the waning strides by Villa Carlotta (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}) (video).
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