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Highlights and news from Rosehill on Saturday.
Dunn back in the Highway groove
After a three-year hiatus, Matt Dunn has wasted no time making his presence felt in the Highway races, producing his second winner in the space of three weeks with Holstein blitzing his Rosehill rivals on Saturday.
Dunn had an outstanding record in the weekly features before establishing a permanent base in Sydney during the peak of the Covid pandemic in 2020, which voided his eligibility.
However, he was permitted to return to the Highway arena in June after serving a six-month grace period following his move back to Murwillumbah last year and Dunn has already begun to tally up the wins.
Eaglemont was victorious for the trainer three weeks ago and Holstein followed suite on Saturday thanks to a glorious ride by apprentice Zac Lloyd, who was able to slot him in from the second outside gate.
Dunn's stable representative Holly Julius said the horse came into the 1800m race at his peak after three lead-up runs.
"This horse was really well prepared to come down here, he's rock-hard fit," Julius said.
"The only query was the barrier and sometimes Holstein can have two faces where he tries or he doesn't, and today he definitely tried."
Zac Lloyd outrides claim
Sydney's reigning champion apprentice, Lloyd brought up a milestone in the second race when he notched his 80th metropolitan win to outride his claim.
Lloyd showed initiative to take up the running on the Jason Deamer-trained Hard To Say ($6.50) and the horse fought on doggedly to prevail by a half-length over Xpresso ($9) with Ningaloo Star ($6.50) third.
While happy to outride his claim, Lloyd knows it also presents the fresh challenge of competing against the senior hoops on a level playing field.
"Now it gets a bit tricky," Lloyd said.
Hard To Say's first-up victory vindicated the decision by connections to scratch him from a race at Eagle Farm in preference for the Midway Handicap (1100m) at Rosehill.
"We also had him in Brisbane today too, very late decision but Thursday we decided to keep him home and the right decision," Deamer said.
Everest dream for emerging mare
Annabel Neasham has unveiled her Everest aspirations for Group 1 winner Sunshine In Paris after the mare worked strongly alongside stable star Zaaki in an exhibition gallop between races.
Zaaki (James Mcdonald) just shaded Sunshine In Paris (Ryan Maloney) in the 800m workout and Neasham said she was rapt with the hitout from both horses.
The pair are scheduled to barrier trial at Rosehill on Friday with Zaaki to resume in the Tramway Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on September 2 and Sunshine In Paris the Sheraco Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill a week later.
If Sunshine In Paris can win first-up, Neasham believes it will underline her claims to a slot in the Everest with two of the past three Sheraco winners, Shades Of Rose (2022) and Haut Brion Her (2020), earning call-ups to the showpiece sprint.
"She will go to the Sheraco and then we'll see," Neasham said.
"If she wins that she'll be in the picture for The Everest."
Neasham was also pleased with what she saw from veteran Zaaki as the nine-year-old stretched his legs in public for the first time since disappointing in the Doomben Cup.
"He's like Peter Pan, he doesn't seem to be getting any older," Neasham said.
"You saw it there, he's flying. He's great and he's in for a good prep."
Baker backs Wategos to go through grades
Bjorn Baker believes the slow-maturing Wategos is finally starting to realise his potential after putting together consecutive Saturday-grade wins.
Having edged out Brudenell to score narrowly at Rosehill last month, Wategos ($3.60) made it six career victories with an emphatic 2-3/4 length decision over King Of Naples ($3.50 fav) in the Jockey Celebration Day Handicap (1350m).
Baker said the five-year-old had always shown talent but had taken time to figure out how to be a racehorse.
"He led and dominated and it worked out super," Baker said of Wategos' Rosehill victory on Saturday.
"I've always thought he's a really nice horse and it's only this preparation he's starting to put it together.
"We've got plenty of options for him so very exciting."
Jason Collett made the running on Wategos and the horse gave a strong kick at the top of the straight with the chasers unable to whittle down his margin.
Collet said the gelding's on-pace style was one of his biggest assets.
"He's tough isn't he. He's got that great racing pattern, he can put himself on speed and I let him slide before the straight there and he just kept building," Collett said.
Quote of the day: "I'm not going to lecture you, but you can't just barge out like that. Its just not acceptable." – chief steward Steve Railton to Zac Lloyd after suspending the apprentice for five meetings for careless riding on Kirkeby at Rosehill.
