Aeliana was being loaded into the barriers when she momentarily caught a hind leg in the stalls.
Understandably, no risks were taken with the three-time Group 1 winner, and she was withdrawn from her 1000m heat.
If Aeliana’s leg issue is not serious, trainer Chris Waller has a fallback plan to enter her for the Rosehill barrier trials on Friday as he readies the Star Thoroughbred-owned mare for a comeback to racing in either the Group 1 Winx Stakes at Royal Randwick on August 22 or the Group 1 Memsie Stakes at Caulfield a week later.
In Aeliana’s absence, the opening heat of the Warwick Farm trials session was won impressively by Ciaron Maher’s very talented colt Gringotts, who accelerated clear to win by more than three lengths from Beiwacht and Campione D’Italia, with both placegetters kept under a tight hold.
Gringotts, a winner of the Big Dance-The Gong double in successive years and also a Group 1 George Ryder Stakes victor, ran the 1000m in 58.72 seconds, a fast time for a trial that shows he is right on target for the Winx Stakes.
1⃣ Gringotts
2⃣ Beiwacht
3⃣ Campione D'ItaliaThe dual Big Dance 💃 winner stretches out late to win a 1000m trial at Warwick Farm on Tuesday. Also trialling were Light Infantry Man, Buckaroo and Piggyback. @tabcomau pic.twitter.com/6ZxucrsMXX
— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) August 3, 2026
Maher also had the winner of the second Group and Listed trial, which was over 900m, when Warnie finished off strongly to beat dual Group 1 winner Marhoona by a half length, with Knobelas a similar margin away in third placing in 53.95s.
Marhoona, the 2025 Golden Slipper winner, led the trial early but was not pressured at any stage by her rider Zac Lloyd, and she could have easily won the heat.
Warnie takes an inside run to win a Warwick Farm trial on Tuesday. The @cmaherracing gelding beat Marhoona in the 900m gallop with Knobelas in third. Behind them were Tempted, Another Wil, Catch The Glory, Travolta and Birdman. @tabcomau pic.twitter.com/utB3kaWCS0
— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) August 3, 2026
Tempted, the brilliant Godolphin sprinter and runner-up in The Everest last year, began her preparation towards the world’s richest turf race on October 17, finishing fourth in the trial just ahead of Another Wil.
Chad Schofield, the rider of Tempted, kept the mare in behind runners in the trial, and she was obviously keen to go much faster in a pleasing return.
Lloyd then rode another Golden Slipper winner, the crack colt Guest House, in his first barrier trial this preparation. The colt was ridden conservatively early, settling midfield inside runners.
Guest House, trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent Junior, hasn’t appeared since winning the Slipper back in March, and he looked quite fresh early in his trial when he got his head up racing in restricted room, but from the turn he moved nicely into the contest and finished a close fourth.
Maher made a clean sweep of the Group and Listed trials when Tornado Valley held off fast-finishing stablemate Jimmysstar to win by a long neck, with Attica a half length away third, just in front of Guest House.
1⃣ Tornado Valley
2⃣ Jimmysstar
3⃣ AtticaThe @cmaherracing colt holds off his fast finishing stablemate to win a 900m trial at Warwick Farm. Behind them were Guest House, Long Legs, Enriched, Hidrix and Chayan. @tabcomau pic.twitter.com/fOp9CA0QvW
— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) August 3, 2026
Tornado Valley ran the 900m in 52.93 seconds (final 600m in 34.18s), which was considerably faster than the Warnie trial, and only emphasised the eye-catching closing effort of Jimmysstar, who zoomed home from back in the field.
Ben Elam, who is in charge of the Sydney satellite stable for Price and Kent Junior, said Guest House will have another barrier trial at Royal Randwick next week ahead of his likely return to racing in the Group 3 $250,000 San Domenico Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens on August 29.
“Guest House will trial again on the Randwick course proper Friday week and then he has 15 days into the San Domenico,” Elam said. “He has had plenty of time off since the Golden Slipper which was run on March 21 but we gave him an active spell where he had a couple of weeks in the paddock, came back into the stables and did some treadmill work and then went back out for a couple of weeks.”
“A lot of these colts and fillies if you leave them out for too long they can switch off and it is hard to get them to switch back on.
“But he looks really well and he will go to the San Domenico first-up and the roll onto the Run To The Rose and then the Golden Rose. “The Golden Roses is the first main target, that is all we are worried about for now, and once that is said and done we can work about the rest of his spring program.”.
Guest House is the $4.50 favourite in early TAB Fixed Odds betting for the Group 1 $1 million Golden Rose (1400m) at Rosehill Gardens on September 26. Coolmore’s colt is also in consideration for a start in the Group 1 $20 million The TAB Everest (1200m) at Royal Randwick on October 17.
Check out the latest racing odds for the major spring races at Australian betting sites.
