The Expressway Stakes meeting will be held at Rosehill Gardens this Saturday. The course proper was rated a Soft 7 and with further showers forecast for the next couple of days, Rosehill will definitely be racing on a rain-affected track on raceday.
Chris Waller-trained Start Wondering is a star in the making and should take out the opening event at Rosehill (Sydney Race 1, 1500m). This lightly raced 5YO won well 1st up this preparation before beaten by a wide barrier 2nd up. He won a trial 10 days ago at Rosehill and he should be primed to run out the 1500m strongly. The anticipated wet condition wouldn’t worry him either as he has won & placed 4 times from 5 attempts on Soft tracks. Start Wondering will be at pretty short odds but he should just win.
The in-form Hermosa Beach can continue on his winning way in the TAB Highway Plate (Sydney Race 2, 1500m). Last start, the Matthew Dale-trained mare won well in another Highway race over 1400m at Randwick. Stepping up to 1500m 4th up looks ideal. And the rain-affected condition will suit her as Hermosa Beach has never missed a place on Soft tracks. Brenton Avdulla has been ridden the mare to her last two victories and he will once again be on board on Saturday. Hermosa Beach is all set to make it three wins on the trot on Saturday.
The very highly rated Defcon is finally making his racing debut in the Group 3 Canonbury Stakes (Sydney Race 3, 1100m). The Choisir colt won his first official trial brilliantly last September. Team Snowden had resisted the temptation to start the colt in the Breeder’s Plate after that trial win but instead sent him to the spelling paddock. Defcon returned with two barrier trials early this month winning the latter on a Soft 6 track in good time. I believe Defcon can live up to his hype and blitz the Canonbury field on Saturday.
The ever-consistent Our Boy Malachi is resuming from his failure in the Stradbroke Handicap where he bled and finished last. First up in the Expressway Stakes on Saturday (Sydney Race 7, 1200m), Our Boy Malachi has all the conditions to suit and certainly looks the horse to beat. The gelding has a great record over the Expressway trip having won 4 times and a placing from 5 starts at 1200m. And he is unbeaten on Soft track winning all 3 starts in the condition. Not to mention an almost faultless fresh record having won 6 times with a 2nd from 7 first up attempts. Team Hawkes has put Our Boy Malachi through 2 trials earlier this month and he is primed to take out the Expressway Stakes.
By Owens Wong, Editor
