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The Golden Rose is the first Sydney Group 1 of the season, and it’s a race that becomes more important by the year, both for the stallions it produces, and the form reference it provides for the rest of the spring – on both sides of the Murray.
This year’s edition lacks the depth and quality of previous affairs, but while there are only nine runners, you’d concede almost every one of them some sort of chance.
Exosphere and Press Statement rightfully head the betting, after having run the quinella in the Run to the Rose, the lead-up race that has provided the last three Golden Rose winners.
Exosphere is compiling a funny record, either running first or last in each of his five starts, and only once in that time has he met a field of more than seven horses.
Coming from last, he rounded up and put paid to the small Run to the Rose field in little more than half a furlong, and with the suggestion that there was plenty more to come. It’s hard to see him losing the race given an even run in transit, and whatever beats him will win.
Press Statement gets a kilo of weight relief for his 1.3-length defeat behind Exosphere, will have taken improvement himself, and will certainly relish the extra distance afforded him here. He’ll need all of those things in his favour, and some.
Holler ran third in the Run to the Rose, but meets the first two several kilograms worse off for it.
The lone filly, Speak Fondly, has burst into calculations off the back of two dominant and classy wins against her own sex, and looks ready for the 1400m now. She’s sure to give a good account of herself.
Shards is the second-string Godolphin galloper behind Exosphere, having raced well through the winter months before taking out the Up and Coming Stakes off a 10-week break.
He was only half a length off Press Statement when they met back in May, has some grounding at the distance, and will benefit from the magic hands of Joao Moreira to guide him.
Sebring Sun had too much to do behind Shards in the Up and Coming, but hit the line like a good horse from well back, having taken out the Rosebud at his previous start in fine style. He’ll have admirers with hopes of causing an upset.
Rageese was very good behind Sebring Sun in the Rosebud, carrying 5kgs more than the winner. Still a maiden after that run, albeit a Group 1 place-getter, he was sent to the provincials to get a confidence boosting win.
He still does a lot wrong, and will likely go back to last from the widest barrier, but is talented enough to pull off a win at odds if he gets the right horse to take him into the race.
Let’s Make It Rain also ran in the Rosebud, with an honest third, as is his way, but he appears to lack the class to be able to beat most of them home.
The remaining runner is Victoria’s only representative, Gold Symphony, and he needs to be taken seriously coming from the Peter Moody stable, which has a history in recent seasons of successful hit and run Group 1 missions in Sydney, almost all of them at healthy odds.
Gold Symphony has taken out two Group 3 races at his Caulfield home track over the last month, and carried full penalties to do so over Ready for Victory last time out, a horse that was arguably a straight line away from being a Golden Slipper winner. His odds are a bit surprising.
The race will likely be run at no more than an even tempo; there are some horses that like to sit handy, but don’t necessarily look to lead.
Selections
1. Exosphere 2. Press Statement 3. Gold Symphony 4. Rageese
The Makybe Diva Stakes is the other Group 1 being run on the day, over 1600m at Flemington, under weight-for-age conditions.
The four-year-olds have yet to make an impression in the WFA races this season, with a series of veterans taking out the feature events in both Melbourne and Sydney.
Can Alpine Eagle, Hi World or Volkstok’n’barrell strike a blow for their age group, or will the likes of Boban, Fawkner, Happy Trails and Weary hold sway for the older horses?
The sense is that Alpine Eagle will put it all together at some point, and will be recording a Group 1 victory when he does. He’s been well backed, but it might just be a run too soon for him.
Hi World will have to go forward form a wide gate, which could make his task an awkward one. He was in the pack of runners about a length and a half in arrears of Boban in the Memsie, but had every possible chance and will find this race harder.
Chris Waller looks to have unlocked the secret with Boban, first up over seven furlongs, which has seen him add the Doomben 10,000 and the Memsie Stakes to his growing list of Group 1 wins.
He followed up the Doomben 10,000 win with a mighty second in the Stradbroke carrying 58kgs. You’d think 1600m, Flemington and WFA all suit him more second-up than the Straddy did, so is there any reason he won’t just win again?
Weary put in a huge run from the tail behind Boban in the Memsie, while Entirely Platinum’s run up front shouldn’t be overlooked either. Both of these have claims at odds.
Rising Romance had plenty of improvement in her when returning, and David Hayes counts himself lucky indeed that this quality mare has landed in his lap. She’s well in this on her way to the Caulfield Cup again.
Of the others from that race, Happy Trails is building nicely but might need one more, Prince of Penzance did some nice work down the outside, and Volkstock’n’Barrell only got warm in the last 100m and will likely need further as well.
Fawkner could be Australia’s best WFA horse, but hasn’t been seen for 44 weeks. He did everything but win this race last year, just failing to catch Dissident, and he’s obviously a huge danger fresh, but where does he get to from the wide barrier? Can he win after being snagged right back to the tail?
Smokin’ Joey, Gust of Wind and Awesome Rock, if he gets a run, could be some kind of blow-out chances, bearing in mind this race can throw up a big odds winner from time to time (Littorio, $41 in 2011; Hugs Dancer, $26 in 2004).
Mongolian Khan also fits this bill, and we’ll all be watching with interest the ATC Derby winner resuming. Is he a potential superstar, and could he spring the surprise?
Dandino, Our Ivanhowe and Magicool won’t be winning, but could all still please connections with their runs.
It’s a race that gets deeper the more you look at it, and it should set the scene for a cracking Melbourne spring carnival, as these horses splinter off to their different targets.
Selections
1. Boban 2. Entirely Platinum 3. Weary 4. Fawkner