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Gai Waterhouse fillies Harlem River and Flamboyant Lass look destined to make an impact this spring after both won barrier trials at Randwick on Tuesday.
Harlem River clocked the fastest time of the morning’s 736 metre heats in scoring by four-and-a-quarter lengths in a three-year-old filly trial.
Showing good speed from the gate, the filly shared the lead before racing clear in the straight for Tommy Berry, who never asked her for an effort in clocking 43.6 seconds on the soft 6 track.
Harlem River’s three juvenile runs were all at stakes level, finishing second to Flippant in both the Listed Woodlands Stakes at Scone and Listed Lancaster Stakes at Doomben before winning the Listed Tattersall’s Stakes at the Gold Coast.
Harlem River holds nominations for both the Thousand Guineas and the Caulfield Classic during the Melbourne spring carnival.
Flamboyant Lass took on older horses in a group and listed trial over 1050 metres and jumped well before taking the sit behind early leaders Takedown and Haptic.
Racing a little keenly in the middle stages, Flamboyant Lass was eased wide by Tim Clark and ran to the line strongly under limited pressure, clocking 1.03.9 seconds.
Flamboyant Lass has raced once this spring, recording a strong win over 1000 metres in a benchmark race at Warwick Farm on August 26.
Waterhouse intends to give the filly her next run in the Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes at Randwick on Saturday week.
Gary Moore’s Black Opal Stakes winner Takedown boxed on solidly for second, three-quarters-of-a-length behind Flamboyant Lass.
Rekindled Power was pushed out but made late ground for third while John O’Shea’s Haptic trialled well, finishing a close fourth under a tight hold from Sam Clipperton.
Godolphin were well-represented in the heat with Group 1-placed sprinter Generalife given a quiet time in fifth ahead of stablemates San Diego, Knoydart and Kumaon.
Another smart Waterhouse filly Sempre Libera was given a quiet time early in her 1050 metre heat, settling at the tail before making late ground under the urgings of Joshua Parr.
She finished a close-up fifth, the heat won by Godolphin’s stakes-placed Handfast in 1.05.5.
Waterhouse’s Grafton Cup winner Bonfire made some late ground for third in a 1200 metre heat.
The trial was won by David Vandyke’s Lofiel in 1.13.8 with Anthony Cummings’ Best Case running home for well second, with Waterhouse’s Frespanol close up in fourth.
Kembla Grange trainer Cheryl Roberts upstaged Waterhouse in one of two trials for two-year-olds when Hinchinbrook filly Divajeu dashed away late to score by one-and-three-quarter lengths from the Waterhouse pair of Dynastic Lady (Fastnet Rock) and Sandcastles (Hinchinbrook) in 44.7 seconds for the 736 metre trip.
Matthew Smith claimed the other juvenile heat, which drew just three runners.
Smith’s Choisir colt Young Huit finished on strongly to win the 736 metre heat by a half length, the Waterhouse pair of Tribal (Charge Forward) and Kingston (Arlington) both close up in 44.1 seconds for the 736m.