The Championships - Tuesday Trial For Astern

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Crack three-year-old Astern will have the first of two barrier trials at Randwick on Tuesday after last week’s weather upset his preparation for the TJ Smith at Randwick on April 1.

Astern has been treading time in Sydney for a month since the Godolphin stable abandoned plans to race him in the feature sprints at the Melbourne carnival.

The G1 Golden Rose winner trialled twice at Warwick Farm on January 23 and February 6 before trainer John O’Shea decided not to send him to Melbourne for the G1 Lightning Stakes at Flemington on February 18.

Astern was set to trial at Randwick last Friday before the heavy rain forced the trials to be postponed to Tuesday.

The Medaglia D’Oro colt finished second in the G2 Roman Consul Stakes (1200m) at Randwick and the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington in his two spring starts after beating Omei Sword and Impending in the G1 Golden Rose (1400m) at Rosehill in September.

Astern is entered for a classy open trial over 1050m on Tuesday that includes Russian Revolution, Artistry, Sons Of John and his stablemates Tessera, Honeywine, Raiment and Interlocuter.

Lee and Anthony Freedman’s high class imported stayer Our Ivanhowe is entered for another open class heat over 1200m at Tuesday’s Randwick trials.

His heat includes the G1 winning mare First Seal, Dreamforce, Multitude and Coolmore Classic entry Daysee Doom.

Our Ivanhowe hasn’t raced since he finished 17th in the Melbourne Cup over 3200m at Flemington in November.

John O’Shea has a big team entered for Tuesday’s Randwick trials with a lot of interest in the second Australian trial by his classy new import Spectroscope.

Also by Medaglia d’Oro, Spectroscope raced seven times in France for Andre Fabre where he won twice and never finished outside the top four.

He led throughout at his second start to win over 2000m at Chantilly and has been placed in three Group and Listed races at Maisons Lafitte in the G2 Prix Euge Adam (2000m), G3 Prince D’Orange (2000m) and Listed Prix Le Fabuleu (1800m) where he was unlucky behind the highly regarded Kourkan and the G1 winner Robin Of Navan.

Spectroscope landed in Australia late last year and caught the eye in his first trial in Sydney when he finished second in a Randwick heat over 1050m on February 16.