Racing: Australian-bred babies dominate at trials

The first of the new season's trials at Te Teko this week left no doubts that two of the leading Waikato stables will have powerful representation in spring juvenile racing.

Mark Walker and the new Graeme and Debbie Rogerson partnership dominated the 2-year-old heats.

Between them they saddled up 19 runners, 14 from the Rogerson stable. Another noteworthy statistic was that 20 of the 27 2-year-olds were by Australian-bred sires. They won four of five heats.

These were Channel Of Heart, a Show A Heart colt, Reason And Rhyme, a colt by Exceed, and Excel, an unnamed General Nediym colt, all from the Walker stable trialling over 600m, and the Rogerson-trained Duelled filly Marieta, who won at 800m.

The odd man out was Ardmore trainer James Hattan, who won a heat over 800m with a Kashani-Diamond Lady filly.

Champion jockey James McDonald began his season of riding for Mark Walker by winning on two of his juveniles.

Graeme and Debbie Rogerson provided further evidence of their stable's strength by saddling up several runners in the maiden and open heats, including Nine from Pasadena, a 3-year-old Redoute's Choice filly who scored over 800m.