Global Weekly Review - 18.01.16

The determined victory of Tessera in a minor race at Randwick was rightly hailed as further evidence of the strength in depth in Godolphin two-year-old ranks in the build-up to the G1 Blue Diamond in Melbourne and the G1 Golden Slipper in Sydney.

But, as far as John O'Shea and Team Godolphin are concerned, it is just the tip of the iceberg. A series of trials in coming weeks will present a more accurate picture of the stable's depth, right across the board, as the big Australian Autumn carnivals approach.

Tomorrow (Tuesday, January 19) at Rosehill, Sydney, sees one of the most significant mornings for the stable as a number of key horses are tested.

The Australian system of trialling is popular and productive. The 'trials' are not official races, yet they are conducted with a high level of formality. Names of runners and riders are published, jockeys' colours carried, results recorded, yet there is no obligation to ride out a horse.

All trials are thus open to interpretation, but most Australian punters place great store in the 'results' and make their selections accordingly.

Godolphin send out four runners in the first trial at Rosehill -- Complacent (James McDonald), Generalife, Magic Hurricane and Vashka.

There is a enough talent assembled to give everybody a yardstick for the future, but the addition of Winx, the G1 Cox Plate winner, and the talented Our Boy Malachi, makes this first heat a certain point of reference for form followers.

Godolphin run Bow Creek in the second heat, accompanied by stablemates Hauraki, Pearls and Shards, while Arab Dawn, an import from the UK, is to be saddled in the third heat. A busy morning expected to deliver positive progress reports for Godolphin's major players.

In Melbourne on Saturday, the front-running Tudor, a son of Strategic, gave veteran jockey Darren Gauci a welcome win in the Listed Chester Manifold Stakes, a race run in memory of the man who owned the brilliant steeplechaser Crisp, and also became the founder chairman of the TAB.

In New Zealand, Dukedom won the G1 Levin Classic, over 1,600m at Trentham, while Adventador, a seven-year-old gelding, took the G1 Telegraph, one of the country's top sprint races.

Next weekend, New Zealand takes its place in the limelight, with the G2 Wellington Cup run at Trentham and the Karaka Millions run at Ellerslie, Auckland, the latter being a prelude to the National Yearling Sales, which commence at Karaka on Jan 25.