Gun three-year-olds Retrieve and Decision Time may have been beaten in a barrier trial at Warwick Farm but both signalled they are heading for autumn carnival riches.Decision Time and Retrieve went around in the same 800m heat on Monday and filled the placings behind La Remlap.The trial marked the first public appearance for Decision Time since he was forced out for a mandatory three months after bleeding when winning the Group Two Stan Fox Stakes (1400m) in September.He sat just off La Remlap i
Gun three-year-olds Retrieve and Decision Time may have been beaten in a barrier trial at Warwick Farm but both signalled they are heading for autumn carnival riches.
Decision Time and Retrieve went around in the same 800m heat on Monday and filled the placings behind La Remlap.
The trial marked the first public appearance for Decision Time since he was forced out for a mandatory three months after bleeding when winning the Group Two Stan Fox Stakes (1400m) in September.
He sat just off La Remlap in Monday's 800m hitout and wasn't pressured to the line, finishing 1-1/4 lengths from the filly in second.
Clarry Conners said he ran out of time to have last year's Golden Slipper runner-up ready to resume in Saturday's Group Two Royal Sovereign Stakes (1200m), with the trainer now looking to the Listed Fireball Quality (1100m) at Rosehill on February 26 for Decision Time's return.
"Beautiful," Conners said after the tough gelding's trial.
"I was very happy with him and Jim (Cassidy) said he went good, too. He's been passed to race again."
Decision Time has won six of his 11 starts including stakes wins in the Listed Black Opal as a two-year-old, and the Listed Heritage Stakes (1200m) and Group Two Stan Fox (1400m) as a spring three-year-old.
Retrieve will resume on the same day as Decision Time in the Group Two Hobartville Stakes and trainer Peter Snowden is eyeing the Group One AJC Australian Derby (2400m) with the son of Rahy.
Retrieve hadn't been seen since his third to Lion Tamer in the Victoria Derby (2400m) and impressed as he attacked the line in good style from back in the field to finish third.
"He trialled really good," Snowden said.
"He's a nice horse and he'll start in the Hobartville in three weeks. The Derby is his target."
Retrieve had an arduous preparation last time in work, racing from July until the end of October in an eight-start campaign that netted black-type wins in the Group Three Gloaming Stakes (1800m) and Group Three Norman Robinson Stakes (2000m).
He also placed in two Group Ones with a second to stablemate Erewhon in the Spring Champion Stakes before his Victoria Derby placing.
"He's going extra well," Snowden said.
"He went through a really hard campaign last time in and he's come through the other end in great order. I'm really happy with him."
Multiple Group One winner Metal Bender was a late addition to Monday's set of trials and finished fifth in his 800m heat won by More Rocco.
Metal Bender, like Decision Time, is on his way back from a three-month ban after he bled in the Mackinnon Stakes on October 30.