City-class two-year-olds impress across three states

Proven stallions Hellbent and Maurice sired promising metropolitan winners across two states on Wednesday while young shuttle sire St Mark’s Basilica also hit the board in Queensland.

The Peter Snowden-trained Helldeeva, who raced twice during February, returned from a spell with a first-up victory in an 1100m juvenile maiden at Warwick Farm. Ten minutes later at Sandown in Melbourne, the Ciaron Maher-trained Maurice colt Vallice won over 1400m at just his second start.

Snowden was pleased Helldeeva was able to live up to the high opinion he olds of her.

“It’s been a little disappointing because she’s always shown us a fair bit at home, but the two races last time, she drew badly both times and got back and was just plain,” Snowden said.

“I thought to myself, ‘she’s better than that’, so I tipped her out and she developed quite a bit.

“It’s good to see her do that today, because we always thought that sort of ability was in her.”

At Doomben in Brisbane, the Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained two-year-old filly La Barrita, a daughter of Coolmore’s St Mark’s Basilica, won a 1200m maiden against older horses.

She had run third on debut at Warwick Farm prior to being tested in the Listed Bill Carter Stakes on May 23 when unplaced.

St Mark’s Basilica will stand at a fee of $38,500 (inc GST) this year; Arrowfield-based shuttler Maurice has had his fee set at $44,000 while Yarraman Park’s Hellbent will stand at $55,000.