RUNNERS CATCH THE EYE AT ROCKHAMPTON TRIALS

By Graham Potter | Wednesday, January 3, 2024

Horses to keep an eye on:

JUNGLE BEAT - Out of trial four at Rockhampton on January 3.

This five-year-old gelding has come full circle. After starting out with John O’Sing in Rockhampton, where he won twice and finished in the minor placings eight times in sixteen starts, the son of Drumbeats is back with O’Sing after a brief three race sortie down south with trainer David Vandyke. He was only ordinary in those three runs before returning north and also failing to fire in his first start back with O’Sing, which came less than a month after his last run for Vandyke. That was on August 23 last year and O’Sing immediately spelled the horse. His trial win, four-and-a-half months later, suggests he has regained some of his zest for racing and could well worth a second glance moving forward.

SHADOWEN – out of trial five at Rockhampton on January 3.

Only beat three runners in the trial, but beat them by 5.51, 8.85 and 18.82 lengths respectively. A lightly raced Brazen Beau filly, Shadowen has been moved long by the Godolphin stable, after having four starts for the James Cummings yard, to trainer Nick Walsh. Was also given a three month break before trialling. As a lightly raced, well-bred three-year-old, she certainly would seem to have scope for good improvement.