3 minute read

A snapshot of Randwick.

Ryder still on radar for Osipenko 

Chris Waller admitted it was "gut wrenching" to discover Osipenko had spiked a temperature on the eve of the Randwick Guineas, but he was hopeful the horse would rebound in time for the George Ryder Stakes (1500m) in two weeks. 

Osipenko was a shock scratching from the Guineas on Saturday morning due to an elevated temperature but significantly, it did not require treatment. 

"His temperature is back down to normal already, it was just up for twelve hours," Waller said from Randwick on Saturday. 

"Providing he scopes fine on Monday he will gallop Tuesday and push on to the George Ryder. 

"Had he won the Randwick Guineas today he would have been a top-three chance in the George Ryder, so I'll go into it with that attitude." 

If the three-year-old can feature in the George Ryder finish against the older horses, Waller confirmed he would continue to the Doncaster Mile (1600m). 

"If he runs top-three there he can go into the Doncaster," Waller said. 

"If not, he'll be a four and five-year-old and we've got a horse without taking risks." 

Sir Lucan comes full circle for Rawiller 

Nash Rawiller didn't think much of Sir Lucan when he first sat aboard him for a barrier trial, although that was due more to the horse's poor manners than lack of ability. 

"He's come a long way," Rawiller said. 

"His first trial, cantering to the gates he was uncontrollable but it got that bit of excitement out of him and today he was a beautiful horse. 

"You can see why he was bought to come over here and run well in a Melbourne Cup." 

Sir Lucan was well beaten in the 2021 Melbourne Cup and Saturday's Listed Randwick City Stakes (2000m) was his first start since then in what has been a long wait for his connections. 

However, they could be well rewarded for that patience with co-trainer Adrian Bott confirming the five-year-old was on a path to the Sydney Cup (3200m). 

"He's a very talented horse with a lot of progression and we're just starting to see the beginning of it today," Bott said. 

"He will certainly stay a two-mile trip going forward. 

"The way he is weighted at present, we will probably stick to the handicaps through to the Sydney Cup." 

Red on target for Slipper despite defeat 

While disappointed to see Red Resistance beaten for the first time in the Todman Stakes, co-trainer Bott took plenty of positives from the colt's fighting second to Cylinder. 

The Tulloch Lodge youngster was having his first start since taking out the Canonbury Stakes (1100m) on January 28 and Bott felt the five-week break between runs was telling in a tough finish. 

"We are obviously trying to prepare for the Golden Slipper in two weeks' time, so I think that is the run he needed to have in order to get him to that race," Bott said. 

"He will have good improvement and Rosehill may be an advantage for him too, so he will be in good shape." 

Red Resistance went down by three-quarters of a length to Cylinder, who has emerged as a serious Golden Slipper contender with wins in the Silver Slipper and Todman Stakes at his past two starts. 

Brenton Avdulla rode third placegetter Militarize, who was having just his second start and coming out of midweek company, and last year's Golden Slipper-winning jockey said the Chris Waller galloper was a horse to watch as the distances got longer. 

"He's a talented colt. He probably lacks the change up speed of the first two, but his last 50 metres was really good through the line. Nice for 14[00]-metres," Avdulla said. 

Passive Aggressive upsets Challenge fancies 

Victorian mare Passive Aggressive has given trainer Grahame Begg a happy homecoming of sorts, and denied crowd favourite Eduardo a third straight Challenge Stakes title. 

Begg, who trained at Randwick for many years, was delighted to be back in the winner's circle at his old stomping ground and indicated it might not be his last raid of the autumn with the four-year-old. 

"She is a very understated mare, it's only her sixth start in a race," Begg said. 

"To go to Group Two, weight-for-age against very accomplished horses, great effort. 

"There's a couple of races, obviously the Galaxy and hopefully the T J Smith maybe in a month's time." 

Passive Aggressive won her first four starts then was spelled after going down in the Cockram Stakes with a Sydney carnival trip in mind. 

Ridden by Jordan Childs, she sat in Eduardo's slipstream throughout and just as it seemed the veteran would cling to victory, Passive Aggressive put in a final big bound to take the race decision to the judge's box. 

After lengthy deliberation, she was deemed the winner by a nose with Giga Kick flashing home from back in the field for third on a day when it was generally tough to make ground out wide. 

Craig Williams was disappointed not to get the first-up victory on the Everest winner but said Giga Kick ran an enormous race. 

"It was disappointing, but his performance was phenomenal even though we ran third," Williams said. 

"I thought, in the circumstances, he showed the calibre of horse that he is and is going to be." 

Quote of the day: "After I rode him in the first trial, you'd probably say you wouldn't want to ride him again." – jockey Nash Rawiller on his first impression of Randwick City Stakes winner Sir Lucan.