Trainer Gerald Ryan’s two smart rising three year olds Menari and Trapeze Artist are well into their Spring Carnival preparation that will lead to a start in the Group 1 $1m De Bortoli Wines Golden Rose (1400m) at Rosehill on September 23.
Menari and Trapeze Artist both finished behind She Will Reign, above, in the 2017 Golden Slipper at Rosehill. Photo by Steve Hart.
The two Snitzel colts trialled over 900m at Rosehill on Tuesday with Trapeze Artist finishing second in his heat and Menari running third in his.
Ryan has selected separate paths for the two colts heading to the Golden Rose with Menari kicking off in the Listed $150,000 The Rosebud (1100m) at Rosehill on August 12 before heading to the Group 3 $150,000 San Domenico Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill two weeks later.
Trapeze Artist is likely to line up first up in the Group 3 $150,000 Up and Coming Stakes (1300m) at Randwick on August 19 before having his final Golden Rose lead up run in the Group 2 $200,000 The Run To The Rose (1200m) at Rosehill on September 9.
“Menari is likely to go to the Rosebud and the San Domenico Stakes before we look at the Golden Rose,” Ryan told AAP.
“I think he might be a sprinter so we’ll decide after his first couple of runs whether we step him up to the 1400 metres.
“Trapeze Artist will be on a path to the Golden Rose starting with the Up And Coming Stakes and the Run To The Rose.”
Both colt showed plenty of ability during their two year old campaign in the Autumn and both gained a start in the Group 1 $3.5m Longines Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill with Menari running a creditable fourth to She Will Reign while Trapeze Artist wasn’t that far behind in sixth spot.
Ryan then gave the pair one more run in the Autumn Carnival with Trapeze Artist proving the better of the two with a third behind Invader in the Group 1 $1m Inglis Sires’ (1400m) at Randwick while Menari faded in the straight to finish tenth.
Trapeze Artist is the winner of two races from five starts and broke his maiden status on the Beaumont track at Newcastle in February before earning a start in the Golden Slipper with a win in the Group 3 $300,000 Mercedes-Benz Canberra Black Opal Stakes (1200m) at Canberra.
Menari only secured a spot in the final field for the Golden Slipper with one win to his credit, a victory in a 1100m 2yo Plate at Randwick in January plus a second in the Group 3 $150,000 Canonbury Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill two weeks later.
