Red Ora enjoys strong trial ahead of first-up assignment

Bunbury Stakes winner Red Ora will resume in Saturday’s Asian Beau Stakes (1400m) at Ascot after being one of five trial winners for top local trainer Steve Wolfe in Albany last Friday.

Nine barrier trials were run at Percy Spencer Racecourse last Friday, after they were cancelled the previous Friday because of heavy rain, to signal the start of the new Great Southern racing season ahead of this Sunday’s opening meet at Mt Barker Turf Club.

Wolfe had 18 horses trial last week and emerged with five winners, including Red Ora, who last season won the Mungrup Stud Sprint and the listed Bunbury Stakes.

Red Ora will line up in the Group 3 handicap on Saturday after running home strongly to win a 1000m trial last week, being extended by rider Shaun McGruddy late in the straight.

The winner of more than $500,000 in stake money beat new Wolfe acquisition Round The Point by a half-length, while last season’s Fitzpatrick Plate winner Long Knife produced an impressive run to claim third.

Captivated Point’s was one of the most eye-catching performances of the trials, winning his 1000m heat in a slick time of 58.75sec to beat home Chengdu by ¾ of a length.

Wolfe’s other winners included five-year-old pair One Short and Minus Looks, while unraced three-year-old Amber Highway looks set for a promising campaign after also putting in another strong trial.

Trainer Paul Hunter would have been delighted with the effort of new stable acquisition Browsing after she burst clear late to win a 600m trial by two lengths for jockey Mitchell Pateman.

Browsing, formerly with Darren McAuliffe, is a maiden but has run in Saturday class races as a three-year-old.

Highfriar won heat 9 for trainer Jonathon Jachmann last week and other trial winners were Long Knife Brother and The Vampire.

Meanwhile at Ascot on Saturday, Zetorio produced a strong run in the $100,000 Belgravia Stakes for Albany trainer Roy Rogers.

Ridden by Jason Whiting, the rising three-year-old ran the final 600m in 34.58sec. to finish just two lengths off the winner, Mystery Miss.

Wolfe’s Lordhelpmerun was disappointing second-up, fading badly to finish 13th, but will press on to the Fairetha Stakes (1400m) on November 10.

Ionyx finished 15th for Rogers in the feature race.