NEALE DONNELLEY previews four of the feature races from Rosehill Gardens this weekend:
Group 3 $200,000 GLOAMING STAKES. (1800m):
MELBOURNE raider TAVIRUN will tackle just five rivals in Saturday’s famous Group 2 $200,000 Gloaming Stakes at Rosehill Gardens.
Trained by former Kiwi training duo Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young at Cranbourne, TAVIRUN is a lightly-raced son of outstanding Kiwi sire Tavistock.
He’s won two of just three starts, including a stunning all-the-way win at Moonee Valley last start, which followed a standard maiden win at Donald.
At Moonee Valley TAVIRUN was “let loose” by Linda Meech and he led throughout, giving nothing else a winning chance.
Now he’s quickly into the big-time in Sydney, tackling a small but very select field of promising young three-year-old stayers in the Gloaming.
The early TAB market has TAVIRUN a $4.00 chance behind the David Payne-trained TARKA ($2.60).
This son of All Too Hard has been impressive winning his past three starts, the latest of those in the Group 2 $200,000 Stan Fox Stakes on heavy ground.
That was at this track two weeks ago when he beat Dealmaker and The Autumn Sun.
TARKA gets gate 1 and brilliant young rider James McDonald and it would appear he’s still on an upward spiral.
The Team Hawkes-trained IRUKANDJI also looks a serious winning chance.
Being by Dundeel the 2000-metres of this race should be right down his alley following a closing fourth in the Stan Fox at his latest outing.
This should be an intriguing contest which will add some light to both the Spring Champion Stakes and the Victoria Derby later in the Spring.
Group 3 $160,000 JRA TROPHY. (2400m).
A LACK of emerging young stayers in Sydney makes the Group 3 $160,000 JRA Trophy somewhat of a ho-hum affair.
The only new blood in the race comes from Ballarat trainer Matt Cumani’s ETAH JAMES, who despite winning six from 12, is relatively unproven at this level.
The fact 5YO HARPER’S CHOICE and 7YO GOATHLAND share favouritism for the race at $4.60 might suggest bookies are a little confused.
Like the Gloaming Stakes, the JRA Trophy has attracted a small field with just nine runners competing for fabulous prize-money at Group 3 level.
Team Hayes’ SIN TO WIN ($5.00) might be the emerging stayer we’re looking for here.
His recent record is solid, including a strong win in the 3200-metre Andrew Ramsden Stakes in May, followed by a closing third first-up in the 1800-metre Heatherlie Handicap (1700m).
Now he’s out to 2400-metres, which would appear to be ideal, seems attractively weighted with just 53kgs and gets brilliant rider Kerrin McEvoy.
He ticks a lot of boxes and may well be the horse they all have to beat.
MISS ADMIRATION ($6.00) and if it rains, DESTINY’S KISS ($9.00) also have appeal.
For mine the Victorian raiders ETAH JAMES and SIN TO WIN might fight it out.
Group 2 $400,000 GOLDEN PENDANT. (1400m).
ANY of the top five runners in the mares-only Golden Pendant could start favourite in this incredibly competitive and open $400,000 Group 2 affair.
The early TAB market has quality mare CHAMPAGNE CUDDLES the market-elect at $4.80, but there are many pressing her for favouritism.
Come race time on Saturday this market could look completely different.
If fancied, the Gai Waterhouse/Adrian Bott-trained PROMPT RESPONSE could start favourite despite going into the race first-up.
She hasn’t raced since starting favourite and winning the Group 1 $500,000 Tatt’s Tiara (1600m) at Doomben on June 23.
She has won two trials leading into this at Randwick and Wyong and one suspects she will be ready to go to war first-up.
Top mares DIXIE BLOSSOMS and INVINCIBELLA are both in great form and share the next line of betting at $5.50.
DIXIE BLOSSOMS was an eye-catching third to Comin’ Through in the Group 2 Tramway Stakes (1400m) first-up, and obviously will be fitter this week.
INVINCIBELLA resumed with a stunning last-to-first win in the Group 2 Sheraco Stakes (1200m) at this track on heavy ground a fortnight ago.
Her good track form is every bit as good and she gets the services of Hugh Bowman again.
DAYSEE DOOM is marked a $7.00 chance but her latest outing on heavy ground behind Invincibella should be forgotten.
For mine DIXIE BLOSSOMS looks tough to beat.
Group 1 $1 million GOLDEN ROSE STAKES. (1400m).
SYDNEY’S Group 1 $1 million Golden Rose has clearly been the most rapidly rising star on Australia’s racing calendar in recent years.
The rapid emergence of the race to a stallion-maker’s acceptance has been both stunning and significant for Australia’s early three-year-old stars.
This year’s renewal is no different, attracting a fabulous line-up of high-quality young talent searching for some huge prize-money and a future career at stud.
As usual leading trainer Chris Waller has a massive hand in the race with the three colts at the top of the weights all hailing from his Rosehill barn.
Zoustar colt LEAN MEAN MACHINE was stunning first-up winning the Group 2 Run To The Rose beating GRAFF, the favourite for the Golden Rose.
LEAN MEAN MACHINE is quoted at $5.50 behind GRAFF at $3.50, with Waller’s THE AUTUMN SUN marked at $4.40.
THE AUTUMN SUN won his first three starts as a 2YO, including the Group 1 J. J. Atkins over 1600-metres.
He resumed with a very solid third behind Tarka in the Group 2 Stan Fox on heavy ground when a well-backed favourite.
This will suit better, as too will it for ZOUSAIN ($8.00), the third of Waller’s runners.
He finished fourth first-up behind LEAN MEAN MACHINE in the Run To The Rose, closing at the end of the race.
GRAFF, for Kris Lees, has done little wrong, winning the Group 3 San Domenico first-up before his close second to LEAN MEAN MACHINE in the Run To The Rose.
For mine the value might lie with ZOUSAIN (each-way) and James McDonald.
ENDS
