Albany trials: Lady Gondo, Final Siren, Hang Glider and Classic Magnus record strong heat wins before season

Unraced three-year-old’s Rosentrea and Sosipatra will step out at the first meeting of the Great Southern season after impressive barrier trials in Albany on Friday. The pair were winners of 600m heats for trainer Roy Rogers, as the Great Southern prepares to start the 2023-24 season in Mt Barker on November 5. Other impressive trial winners were Lady Gondo, Final Siren, Hang Glider and Classic Magnus. There were nine trials held at Percy Spencer Racecourse in the countdown to the new season with local trainers Steve Wolfe and Samantha Faithfull also saddling up two winners each. Sosipatra was well held going to the line to win heat two for Renee Forrest by 0.2 lengths over Song Story. The So You Think filly trialled twice as a two-year-old and Rogers will start her at Mt Barker on Sunday week. Stablemate Rosentrea, a filly from Bradbury’s Luck, won the opening heat by 0.1 length over Flick The Switch with Chris Nicoll in the saddle. Rosentrea finished in a time of 39.08secs, slightly quicker than the time of Sosipatra (39:18). Rogers won last season’s Great Southern Trainers’ Premiership with 36 victories. Lady Gondo produced a commanding trial win for the Paul Hunter stable, easily winning heat three. Jockey Jason Whiting had a good hold of the unraced four-year-old as she cruised to the line to win by one length over Safe Rappa in a time of 1min.02.36secs. The fastest 1000m trial came in heat six when Hang Glider worked strongly to the line for rider Jade McNaught. Hang Glider, from the Wolfe yard, has won one of his 13 career starts but appears on track for a big campaign after storming down the outside to win by half a length. In a time of 1:00.96, Hang Glider beat home highly-touted stablemate Rope Them In while Wolfe’s Looks was third in the field of six. Wolfe’s other trial winner also finished with an impressive time in heat eight. Ridden by Natasha Faithfull, Beads finished full of running to win the trial by 0.7 lengths over stablemate Penned in a time of 1:01.64. The Faithfull mother and daughter combination teamed up to win heat four with Sir Bear A Lot and the final event with Vonsnip. Vonsnip stopped the clock in 1:02.39 to edge out Cable Boy over 1000m. Sir Bear A Lot has not made his race debut but looked sharp in winning by 0.3 lengths over Hard Act To Follow in a time of 1:03.43. Classic Magnus was far too classy for his rivals in heat seven, as the Peter Western-trained mare glided to a 1.8-length victory in 1:01.83. She beat home Avoidance and Currimundi in the process. Albany trainer Rebecca Bayliss appears to have found a talented youngster in Final Siren, who won heat five. Bred by Mark Bayliss, the three-year-old from I’m All The Talk made a slashing first appearance at trials to win untouched by hoop Kyra Yuill in a time of 1:03.07.