March 12, 2014Trial Win Shows Unencumbered on Track for Slipper
March 12 –
Newhaven Park graduate Unencumbered showed he remains on target for the Group I ATC Golden Slipper Stakes with a solid 800-metre barrier trial win at Warwick Farm on Tuesday morning.
The Bjorn Baker-trained son of Testa Rossa won the Magic Millions 2YO Classic in January, but performed below expectation when finishing fifth to Mossfun on a slow track in the Group II Silver Slipper Stakes on March 1.
“Felt really good the horse, travelled up like the winner but the second I let him off the bit he really bogged down in the ground. Not worried but hopefully we get a dry track in the Todman (Stakes) and the (Golden) Slipper,” jockey Nathan Berry said after the race.
On Tuesday, Unencumbered’s performance backed up Berry’s comments.
Unencumbered sat back and wide in the trial before Tommy Berry gave him his head at the top of the straight and he bounded away to win as he pleased.
Unencumbered defeated Super Willie from the Chris Waller stable by 4-1/2 lengths and stopped the clock in a slick 47.5 seconds.
Newhaven Park will offer the yearling half-sister by Bernardini (USA) to Unencumbered as Lot 344 at Inglis Easter next month.