John Size has made a great start to the new season, and the five-times champion trainer looks to have some fresh ammunition coming to hand in Tuscan Spirit, an impressive winner of the first turf trial at Sha Tin last Tuesday.
Tuscan Spirit, handled by Mark du Plessis, comfortably won the opening turf heat over the straight 800 metres course by a neck from Gold City, and his winning time of 47.68 seconds was faster than the 48.23 seconds returned by Grand Dragon in taking the subsequent heat.
Tuscan Spirit is only a three-year-old and was a winner of a two-year-old handicap over 1,200m at Tauranga in New Zealand in April, when having his second start.
The gelding is a member of the first crop of Chianti, a Danehill horse who won as a two, three and four-year-old in England, and now stands at stud in New Zealand.
Chianti is a younger brother to Desert King, winner of the Irish 2000 Guineas and Derby in 1997 and best known now as the sire of triple Melbourne Cup heroine Makybe Diva.
Tuscan Spirit began well and bounced straight to the lead, travelling nicely on the bridle for Du Plessis all the way. He kept on well under a good hold and was far from extended when hitting the line.
Runner-up Gold City, by comparison, had a hard trial. The unraced Fusaichi Pegasus three-year-old began erratically, losing around three lengths, and settled at the rear of the field of 10.
