Guineas star shines at Devonport trials

STAR three-year-old Alpine Wolf looks set for another good season following an impressive 800-metre trial win in Devonport on Tuesday.

The Barry Campbelltrained gelding was awesome earlier this season in winning the $100,000 Tasmanian Guineas over 1600m and $100,000 Listed Launceston Guineas (2100m) before suffering a knee injury that deprived him from contesting the Tasmanian Derby.

The operation to remove bone chips was successful and that was evidenced by his effortless trial win on his home track.

Alpine Wolf (Daniel Ganderton) settled second and just off the leader Summer Fire with her Adam Trindertrained stablemate Vivilici third and two lengths off the speed.

But when Ganderton called on Alpine Wolf to extend he quickly moved past the leader and was untroubled to score by 1½ lengths from Summer Fire. with Vivilici just under a length astern.

“I couldn’t have been happier with his effort at his first trial back from injury,” Campbell said after the trial.

“I asked Daniel (Ganderton) to just give him an easy trial so that he got some benefit from it and that is what we got.

“The horse was always in control of the trial and Daniel said he went past Summer Fire easily and she is a pretty good horse.”

Alpine Wolf is favourite to take out the Tasmanian 3YO of the year title and there has been an air of expectancy as to where and when he will resume racing.

“He will have another trial (in Devonport) in a fortnight and then we will decide where he will have his first race start but it looks like he is carrying no legacy from that leg injury.

“He could go to a benchmark 76 sprint, or we might slip him across the water because we need to get his rating up if we are going to target the Newmarket Handicap, because I reckon a horse will probably need to have an 80 rating to be guaranteed a start (in the Newmarket).”

Alpine Wolf was clearly the most impressive of the five trial winners in Devonport on Tuesday clocking a time of 48.74 for the 800 metres and he dashed home his last 600m in 34.40s.

Another impressive trial winner was three-year-old Stratisfaction who was having his first outing for the Adam Trinder stable.

Stratisfaction (Lauryn Bingley) led, and despite being pressured throughout by eventual runner-up Miss Kafoops, Trinder’s gelding repelled all challenges to score convincingly.

The Rowan Hamertrained mare Miss Delia came from a clear last to finish third and only a length from then winner.

So the rising five-year-old mare should make her presence felt when she resumes racing soon.

Trinder also produced a future winner in unraced twoyear-old Gallant Warriors (Merchant Navy-Redress) who won his trial narrowly.

Gallant Warriors settled third but raced three-wide the trip, yet he was still able to finish off and get the better of his stablemate Coronation Veronic right on the line.

The rising three-year-old has had two trials this preparation and could surface in a maiden in Devonport on August 14.