3 minute read
Race by race recap of key performers and ones to watch moving forward from Saturday’s Run To The Rose meeting at Rosehill.
Menari shot to the top of our 3YO Timeform Leaderboard after a dominant win in the Run To The Rose while one worth following as he works through the grades resumed in the final event of the day.
Race 1: Positive Problems - Benchmark 75 Handicap (1500m)
She was ridden positively and it reaped dividends. Ran to a Timeform rating of 94 which is a career peak for her. It was a timely win too.
She’s a full sister to a multiple Group placegetter Sebring Dream and it sounded like connections were thinking about sending her to stud this spring if she didn’t strike some form.
That win may be the catalyst for Positive Problems going around another season.
Race 2: Suncraze - TAB Highway Handicap (1200m).@blake_shinn gets going early and pinches the opener at #Rosehill aboard the @BBakerRacing-trained Positive Problems. pic.twitter.com/LLsuKm3hi4
— Sky Racing (@SkyRacingAU) September 9, 2017
After a string of seconds, the Blinkers going on have given Suncraze the extra couple of lengths he’s needed to be winning. He’s run to a Timeform rating of 90 which is strong for a Highway Handicap.
Next stop for him is the Anniversary Highway.
The runner up Don’t Give A Damn was brave in defeat. He admittedly was carrying 6kg less than Suncraze but it was still a bold effort for just his second career start. He ran to a Timeform rating of 77. It bodes well for his future.
Suncraze gets the nose down right on the line to edge out Don't Give A Damn in the TAB Highway Handicap at #Rosehill. pic.twitter.com/v1Xu1vkz0X
— Sky Racing (@SkyRacingAU) September 9, 2017
Race 3: Quick Defence - Benchmark 81 Handicap (1800m)
Rewarded for his consistency. Ran to a Timeform rating of 93. That’s still below a peak Timeform figure of 95 Quick Defence produced when he was in the UK.
His latest prep started in May and he hasn’t run a bad race through those nine starts.
There is a 2000m Benchmark 85 Handicap for Quick Defence at Rosehill in a fortnight which looks a nice race for him.
The runner up Imanui, he’s racing well this prep but can’t quite crack it for a win.
Giving Quick Defence 1kg, he ran to a Timeform rating of 95 for just a narrow defeat.
It was good to see him settle midfield as well opposed to flopping out of the gates and settling last as had been his tendency for some time.
Quick Defence reels in Imanui right on the line to win the third event at #Rosehill for Chris Waller and @brentonavdulla. pic.twitter.com/By1P2k1x2I
— Sky Racing (@SkyRacingAU) September 9, 2017
Race 4: Gold Standard – Group 2 Stan Fox Stakes (1500m)
He’s improved with each career outing to date. The penny has really dropped based on Saturday though producing a Timeform rating of 114.
114 is low for a Stan Fox Stakes however it will likely become the norm as a by product of the race being moved forward two weeks.
The Stan Fox used to be positioned perfectly for Golden Rose horses to race in it on the way to the Caulfield Guineas. In recent years we’ve seen the last three Caulfield Guineas winners in Shooting To Win, Press Statement and Impending all come out of the Stan Fox Stakes.
So the purpose of the race has changed this year. Instead of a Caulfield Guineas lead up, it’s now a lead up to the Golden Rose and even the Gloaming Stakes on the same day over 1800m.
Gold Standard heads to the Golden Rose now for which he is an $11 equal fourth favourite. He’s having a brilliant maiden prep.
Race 5: Deploy – Group 2 Theo Marks Stakes (1300m).@JoshuaParr8 pilots Gold Standard to victory in the G2 Stan Fox Stakes at #Rosehill for @GaiWaterhouse1. pic.twitter.com/vSXATf6FXE
— Sky Racing (@SkyRacingAU) September 9, 2017
Another win for Deploy and another track record. The one Deploy broke on Saturday was set by a horse called Alquoz which had stood for 27 years.
He’s run to a Timeform rating of 114.
114 puts him a couple of lengths below the top line sprinters we’ve seen so far this spring such as stablemate Menari, Vega Magic and Redzel but Deploy’s win on Saturday has at least got him on the radar of The Everest.
He gets another audition for The Everest in three weeks time when he contests the Group 2 Premiere Stakes at Randwick over 1200m.
Egg Tart was solid on resuming. 1300m was never going to suit her first up.
The Theo Marks Stakes has long acted as a launch pad into the spring for horses like Egg Tart who’ll be much better over a mile and even beyond.
That run should ready her nicely for The Epsom Handicap in three weeks however is she a deserved $6.00 favourite for the race? Arguably not. Stablemate Tom Melbourne has run big figures in his two runs this prep since arriving at the Chris Waller stable and will carry no weight under handicap conditions.
He is flying!!
— Sky Racing (@SkyRacingAU) September 9, 2017
Deploy breaks another track record, bolting in to win the G2 Theo Marks Stakes at #Rosehill. pic.twitter.com/azsHMwxjd2
Race 6: Ravi – Group 2 Sheraco Stakes (1200m)
Nice return by Ravi. She ran second in the race last year behind Heavens Above and now she has gone one better. A change to her racing style getting her to settle more prominent has immediately worked and she’s run to a new career peak of 110.
Only three mares have run higher than 110 in winning the Sheraco in the past decade, Mimi Lebrock ran to 113 when she won in 2008 and More Joyous ran to 113 and 116 when winning in both 2010 and 2012.
Catkins rounds out the trio, producing a figure of 116 during her 2015 success.
Second placegetter Perizada has run out of her skin in second while Daysee Doom returned nicely, she’s run to a Timeform rating of 104.
Her peak rating is 108 from when she won the Dark Jewel Classic at Scone in the autumn. There is good scope for improvement with what she produced first up.
He is flying!!
— Sky Racing (@SkyRacingAU) September 9, 2017
Deploy breaks another track record, bolting in to win the G2 Theo Marks Stakes at #Rosehill. pic.twitter.com/azsHMwxjd2
Race 7: Menari – Group 2 Run To The Rose (1200m)
Menari is quite an exciting individual having run to 122p. That’s above the five year winning average of the Run To The Rose. The only two previous Run To The Rose winners with higher figures are Smart Missile in 2011 and Pierro in 2012. They each ran to 123.
The Golden Rose in two weeks is next for him. Recent history bodes extremely well for him. The last three Run To The Rose winners Hallowed Crown, Exosphere and Astern all went on to claim the Run To The Rose - Golden Rose double.
After the Golden Rose, we could see him in The Everest. On our figures he deserves a spot too. Of the sprinters to have raced this season, only Vega Magic has returned a higher rating than him with 126.
It’s no surprise to see strong three-year-old performers from Saturday feature prominently in the updated 3YO Timeform Leaderboard for the season.Menari the ferrari!
— Sky Racing (@SkyRacingAU) September 9, 2017
The @GRyanRacing colt proves too good for Pariah in the G2 Run To The Rose at #Rosehill. pic.twitter.com/uDzK0OqgIw
Race 8: Zumbelina - Benchmark 90 Handicap (1200m)
She’s back and ran to a Timeform rating of 100 on Saturday. Zumbelina is a talented mare who either struggled on wet tracks through the autumn or may just not have come up.
A Timeform rating of 100 is a nice way for her to kick off a prep. Even more encouraging is it’s four pounds shy of her best.
She achieved that when running to 104 back in December where she beat Arbeitsam by 2.3 lengths giving him 2.5kg. Arbeitsam is a stakes winner now.
There is a Benchmark 90 Handicap over 1400m at Rosehill in a fortnight which could suit her. It might be the perfect stepping stone for her back to stakes level.
The runner up Tango Rain. He’s handled a rise in grade well and run to a Timeform rating of 107. He’s improved with each run this prep off a generous spell.
He could perhaps go to another Benchmark 90 Handicap over the trip in three weeks time at Randwick.
Race 9: Wayanka - Benchmark 84 Handicap (1400m)Zumbelina sticks to the fence and wears down Tango Raise to win the Fugen Handicap at #Rosehill. Great ride @SchofieldGlyn! pic.twitter.com/eCv4NOhFJp
— Sky Racing (@SkyRacingAU) September 9, 2017
Wayanka another horse Waller has brought back up from Melbourne of late for just the right race. Follows in the recent footsteps of Alward and Sayed who have won coming back up from Melbourne. He’s run a Timeform rating of 94.
Interlocuter was hugely impressive. He’s run to a Timeform rating of 98 which is a new master Timeform figure and one that has been produced over an unsuitable trip.
Imports tend to improve sharply on their first Australian preps. Interlocuter looks another case in point and could be one we can follow through the grades as he rises to a mile and beyond.
That's a huge win! Interlocuter overcomes plenty of adversity to reign supreme in the last of the day at #Rosehill. pic.twitter.com/VxBYlIIuUo
— Sky Racing (@SkyRacingAU) September 9, 2017
