There will be a scent of spring in the air in Sydney this week when a host of racing's brightest stars step up their preparations on the trial track.Four Group One winners headed by Randwick and Rosehill Guineas victor Metal Bender will head to the Rosehill trials on Tuesday while Golden Slipper winner Phelan Ready will lead the charge at Randwick three days later.Metal Bender will line up against the likes of Melbourne Cup hopeful Ready To Lift and Manion Cup winner Enzedex Eagle over 1030 metr
There will be a scent of spring in the air in Sydney this week when a host of racing's brightest stars step up their preparations on the trial track.
Four Group One winners headed by Randwick and Rosehill Guineas victor Metal Bender will head to the Rosehill trials on Tuesday while Golden Slipper winner Phelan Ready will lead the charge at Randwick three days later.
Metal Bender will line up against the likes of Melbourne Cup hopeful Ready To Lift and Manion Cup winner Enzedex Eagle over 1030 metres at Rosehill.
Allan Denham, son of Metal Bender's trainer Jack, said the four-year-old's connections would see how he went in the trial before determining plans for the spring but indicated the Warwick Stakes on August 22 was a possible starting point.
"He'll probably go there but we'll make sure he's come up okay and trial him and then go from there," Denham said.
Last year's Doncaster Mile winner Triple Honour and George Main Stakes hero Mentality will step out in separate 900m heats at Rosehill while Onemorenomore, who delivered Nathan Tinkler's Patinack Farm its maiden Group One in the Champagne Stakes in April, is also entered.
Among the unproven brigade will be two well bred three-year-olds from the Chris Waller stable, Republic Lad and Dystopia, both owned by the Ingham family.
Dystopia is a brother to 2007 Golden Slipper winner Stratum while Republic Lad, a $1.2 million yearling purchase, is a son of dual Group One winner Republic Lass.
Randwick will be laden with carnival hopefuls on Friday morning when AJC Australian Derby winner Roman Emperor lines up against two of the best juveniles from last season, Phelan Ready and Manhattan Rain, in an 800m trial.
Phelan Ready was spelled after finishing down the track in the AJC Sires' Produce Stakes won by Manhattan Rain, who worked stylishly between races at Rosehill on Saturday.
His Gai Waterhouse-trained stablemate More Joyous is also set to trial with her rivals headed by the John O'Shea-trained pair of Fist Of Fury and Cox Plate hopeful Racing To Win.
The two heats for the Group performed horses will be held on the Kensington track with the remainder on the steeple grass.
Several of Victoria's heavyweights are also poised to make their seasonal returns in the coming weeks.