Pencarrow Stud and Pencarrow Racing had a top day at the Te Aroha trials on Tuesday with three winners and two placegetters.

Heading the list was the top galloper Burgundy (Redoute’s Choice x Grand Echezeaux, by Zabeel) who won his first trial appearance this season in a 1000 metre Open Handicap by three-quarters-of-a-length.

A top three-year-old last season, Burgundy won two Listed races and finished the season on a high note with a dominant victory in the Group 3 Windsor Park Breeders’ Stakes in late April.

Burgundy was bred by Pencarrow Stud and is a three-quarter brother to the five-time Group 1 winner and Group 1 producing sire Darci Brahma. He was purchased by David Ellis from Pencarrow Stud at New Zealand Bloodstock’s 2011 Karaka Premier Sale for $1.3 million.

The son of Redoute’s Choice is expected to have another trial before resuming in the Listed Levin Stakes on November 30. He will then be aimed at the Group 1 Railway Stakes on New Year’s Day.

The Pencarrow Stud bred unnamed two-year-old colt by Henrythenavigator from Romanee St. Vivant (Jetball) won his trial for trainers Tony Pike & Mark Donoghue. Turning for home he was giving the leaders a one-length start but worked home nicely to score by about a neck from a Fastnet Rock colt with two lengths back to third.

The colt was purchased by Michael Freedman and Michael Wallace from Pencarrow Stud at the 2012 Karaka Premier Sale and the colt has won both of his trials to date.

Lightly tried filly Epicurean (Flying Spur x El Bulli, by Zabeel) won her trial off the back of a spell at the farm. Racing in the Pencarrow colours for trainer Frank Ritchie, the three-year-old had two starts last season running second on debut to the smart Waterford (Darci Brahma) before being unplaced in a tough run in the Listed Champagne Stakes.

Frank Ritchie also saddled the four-year-old mare Brela Belle (Darci Brahma x Christiania Belle, by Sackford) who finished third to Burgundy. She too came into her trial fresh off a long spell having not been to the races since early March. She has won two of her seven starts and is another that races in the Pencarrow colours.

Yet to make her debut appearance, Willing Spirit (Darci Brahma x Virtus, by Tale of the Cat) notched up her first placing in three trials for trainers Steven Ramsay & Julia Ritchie when running third under jockey Shane Dye in her 800 metre trial.