3 minute read

The Sydney autumn carnival has become a rite of passage for the leading New Zealand three-year-olds amd is set to continue at Rosehill on Saturday.

New Zealand three-year-olds make up a third of the 18-horse field for the $600,000 Rosehill Guineas (2000m), attracting six Kiwi horses including five of the first six placegetters from the G1 New Zealand Derby at Ellerslie.

The Kiwi contenders are Vin De Dance, Age Of Fire, Mongoliancounqueror, Mission Hill, Endowment and The Lord Mayor, while Mongolian Marshall is first on the ballot.

It is rare for so many New Zealand horses to contest a G1 race in Australia.

Saturday’s line-up is believed to be the biggest representation in one Australian feature since seven New Zealand-trained horses tackled the 1993 Melbourne Cup.

However New Zealand three-year-olds have had an outstanding record at the Sydney carnival in recent years.

New Zealand-trained horses have won the Rosehill Guineas in four of the past seven years and won the Australian Derby four times in the last five years.

There has been a similar pattern in the Australian Oaks, with New Zealand-trained fillies winning three of the past four contests.

The Lord Mayor, who races as The Mayor in New Zealand, has been transferred to Sydney trainer Chris Waller for the autumn carnival but the other Kiwi contenders in the Rosehill Guineas remain New Zealand-trained.

The Te Akau Racing training partnership of Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards produced Gingernuts to win the 2017 Rosehill Guineas and will be represented by Age Of Fire and NZ Derby runner-up Mongolianconqueror on Saturday.

Stable jockey Opie Bosson will ride Mongolianconqueror, with Jason Collett on Age Of Fire.

Mission Hill and NZ Derby winner Vin De Dance will represent Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman and the Cambridge stable would have three runners if Mongolian Marshall gets a start. Jason Waddell has retained the mount on Vin De Dance, with Damian Lane on Mission Hill.

Lane, who is based in Melbourne, has won three Group races from a handful of rides for Baker and Forsman, including the 2017 Australian Derby on Jon Snow.

Damien Oliver will partner Endowment who finished a creditable fifth, from a wide barrier, in the NZ Derby for trainers Donna Logan and Chris Gibbs.

Endowment has another wide barrier to overcome on Saturday and Mongolianconqueror will start from the outside barrier.

Vin De Dance is the most favoured of the Kiwi contenders in final field betting on Wednesday.

New Zealand three-year-olds have had an outstanding record at the Sydney carnival in recent years.

New Zealand-trained horses have won the Rosehill Guineas in four of the past seven years and won the Australian Derby four times in the last five years.

There has been a similar pattern in the Australian Oaks, with New Zealand-trained fillies winning three of the past four contests.