Hawkes team gear up for spring
Monday, 14 August 2006: Melbourne Cup favourite Headturner and Makybe Diva's little brother Musket head a strong team from the John Hawkes stable at Tuesday's Rosehill barrier trials.
Last year's Caulfield Cup winner Railings is also scheduled to run for the stable against the Tim Martin trained Gonski over 900 metres.
Headturner, the winner of this year's AJC Australian Derby, will clash with stablemate Dizelle, winner of the 2005 AJC Australian Oaks in the last of eight heats.
Musket is a half brother to Australia's three time Melbourne Cup winning mare Makybe Diva and, at $2.5 million, was the highest priced yearling at last year's William Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.
The Redoute's Choice colt has been kept under wraps by Hawkes and Tuesday's trial will be his first public appearance.
He has been nominated for the Caulfield Guineas and Victoria Derby but Hawkes has not disclosed when and where he will make his debut.
Tim Martin's 2005 Grafton Cup winner Stormhill runs in the first trial of the day over 1030 metres.
Stormhill defeated Railings in the Kingston town (2000m) in September at Rosehill last year.
Meanwhile, the Guy Walter trained 2005 George Ryder Stakes winner, Court's In Session will go around in a barrier trial at Warwick Farm on Friday.
Court's In Session enjoyed a solo gallop between races at Randwick on Saturday, covering the last 600 metres in 35.08s.
The plan at this stage for the horse who ran second to Patezza in last year's Doncaster is to run him in the Warwick Stakes (1400m) on Saturday week.
"I prefer to run him over 1400 first-up rather than give him a hard run in a shorter race," Walter said.
Court's In Session will take on Queensland Derby winner Ice Chariot over 1200 metres.
The other feature trial of the day is the clash between Patezza against stablemate Dream Ballad who is nominated for all the Melbourne spring feature races.
A half brother to champion Tie The Knot, Dream Ballad hasn't raced since he finished out of the placings in Headturner's Derby.
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