The Canterbury Stakes over 1300m under weight-for-age conditions will be run as a Group 1 race for the first time. Join our coverage here on The Roar in the lead up to the 4.50pm AEDT jump time.
What has been shaping up as a match race between Gai Waterhouse stablemates runs much deeper than the headline clash between Pierro and More Joyous.
Beyond the two, there are a whooping seven other Group 1 winning horses in the field.
The Waterhouse-trained pair will command the majority of action in the betting markets and rightly so.
More Joyous returns once more to the Sydney autumn carnival where she dominates each year. She will be running first up in an attempt to join Holdfast as the only horse to win the race three times, after claiming victory in 2011 and 2012.
The six-year-old mare will be looking to add to her eight Group 1 victories. In eight first up attempts, she has only missed out on the placings once and that was in her debut run back in 2009.
Of those seven other first up runs, five have been victories with two runs for third.
She is by far the most decorated horse in the field and it would be a shock if she ran a bad race.
Her biggest challenge appears to be stablemate Pierro. The Lonhro colt is stepping back up the older ranks after winning the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes by a nose, three weeks ago.
He’s stepping up in class today and will benefit by a substantial weight allowance as a three year old. One observation to note is Pierro will be stepping down in distance today to 1300m after running 1400m in the Hobartville.
Struggling immensely over the final 100m in the Hobartville, it is still not clear whether this colt is a sprinter or a miler. When Pierro and More Joyous clashed in the Cox Plate, Pierro comfortably accounted for his more seasoned stablemate but the two meet under different circumstances here.
Pierro is still unbeaten in Sydney and blinkers will be worn today after Waterhouse thought he lost focus without them in the Hobartville.
Aeronautical and Moment Of Change finished second and third respectively in the Newmarket Handicap a fortnight ago but both will be stepping up to weight-for-age racing here. Carrying an extra 6.5 kilograms here will rule Aeronautical out of replicating his gallant Newmarket effort.
Moment Of Change gains just an additional 2.5kg and will be competitive. Runner up in the Newmarket, he was pipped on the line by a filly carrying just 50.5kg which will keep him competitive against this field.
Sydney regular Secret Admirer commences her preparation today and has been a handy first up runner in the past. The Dubai mare rarely puts in a bad run and is a proven weight-for-age mare who has never finished outside of the placings when running first up.
As his name suggests, Rain Affair is the horse to be on if it rains. The mudder had an extremely disappointing spring campaign and was unable to reproduce the form which saw him on an eight race winning streak. In four runs here at Rosehill, he has won four times so he’ll feel right at home on his favourite track but drawing the widest barrier has hurt his chances.
Preview and tips by Alfred Chan
Canterbury Stakes Tips
1. More Joyous
2. Secret Admirer
3. Moment Of Change
4. Pierro
Justin Cinque
1. Pierro
2. More Joyous
3. Moment Of Change
4. Solzhenitsyn
Cameron Rose
1. Pierro
2. Moment of Change
3. More Joyous
4. Happy Trails
Andrew Hawkins
1. Pierro
2. More Joyous
3. Moment Of Change
4. Solzhenitsyn
Chad Bennett
Editor
Thanks for following along, don't forget to check back in on Monday morning as The Roar experts dissect what has been another interesting Saturday afternoon of racing.
Chad Bennett
Editor
And that will be all she wrote from Rosehill in terms of Group 1 racing this afternoon. Foreteller kicked things off, Appearance made it two double-figure quoted winners for the afternoon before the even-money favourite Pierro got home in the Canterbury Stakes to make it two Group 1 victories for Jimmy Cassidy this afternoon.
Chad Bennett
Editor
2013 Canterbury Stakes - FINAL DIVIDEND 1. 10 Pierro (J Cassidy, G Waterhouse) 2.00 2. 7 More Joyous 4.20 3. 4 Solzhenitsyn 51.00 4. 2 Rain Affair
Chad Bennett
Editor
And that is correct weight! Final dividends to follow:
Chad Bennett
Editor
So, where to from here for the winner? George Ryder and then the Doncaster?
Chad Bennett
Editor
He might have notched up the half century earlier in the year but even at 50 years of age Jimmy Cassidy has still got it!
Chad Bennett
Editor
Jimmy Cassidy wins his second Group 1 of the afternoon aboard Pierro, commanding, commanding win there! Looked like it might struggle to get a run around the 600m but that was very much momentary, and at the top of the straight the writing was on the wall.
Chad Bennett
Editor
PIERRO!!! More Joyous got out at around the 200m to chase her stablemate into second, Solzhenitsyn got third and Rain Affair faded to finish out of the placings, but it is all about PIERRO in this one!
Chad Bennett
Editor
Pierro gunning Rain Affair at the 200!
Chad Bennett
Editor
Rain Affair winning at the 600m, Rain Affair beginning to get out.
Chad Bennett
Editor
Rain Affair booting out in front from Moment Of Change and Pierro.
Chad Bennett
Editor
Racing in the Canterbury!
Chad Bennett
Editor
Simon Marshall just touching on Rain Affair - obviously a once-great horse, winning 10 of the first 12, but a shocking prep last time. Can it bounce back?
Chad Bennett
Editor
Probably the best of the afternoon's racing for mine. Pierro looks the up-and-comer against the old stager, More Joyous.
Chad Bennett
Editor
Still Pierro very solid in the ring around the 2.1-2.2 mark, 4.4-4.6 still available on More Joyous. Is it a pointer that Nash has chosen to board the mare?
Chad Bennett
Editor
Don't agree? Here is the footage from a fortnight ago in the Hobartville: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPQVrThjS_M
Chad Bennett
Editor
Last two results have been great for bookies but I think it turns around in favour of the punters this time. Pierro was a super 2yo and I see no reason why the colt can't continue to dominate as a 3yo. He'll get home today.
Chad Bennett
Editor
Anyway, what do we think Roarers?
Chad Bennett
Editor
Still around 5 minutes until the jump, horses are just leaving the mounting yard now to get out to the start.
Chad Bennett
Editor
The camera is currently focussing on More Joyous and Richie Callender is giving the mare plenty of love. Always thought MJ was a champion beating up her own sex, but never great in open company, but last preparation was super.