The Golden Rose meeting will be held at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday. The course proper was rated a Good 4 on Thursday and with fine weather in Sydney leading up to the weekend, Rosehill will be racing on a Good track on raceday.
The Kris Lees-trained Admiral Jello has good foundation for the 2400m in the Colin Stephen Quality on Saturday (Sydney Race 2, 2400m). The 5YO had two runs over 2000m three starts back finishing 3rd on both occasions before his last start 3rd to Broadside in the Newcastle Gold Cup (2300m) last Friday. The victor from that race, Broadside, will be carrying top weight of 58kg in the Colin Stephen and that represents a 3kg turnaround in weights from last week. And that will be enough for Admiral Jello to turn the table on Saturday. Corey Brown will once again be aboard the gelding and from barrier 1, Admiral Jello will get a cushy run in transit behind the pace on the fence. Admiral Jello will be full of running in the straight.
Up and coming stayer Alward will have conditions to suit in the Ranvet Handicap and he is primed to return to winning form on Saturday (Sydney Race 4, 2000m). The 5YO has been in good form winning consecutive 2000m races before his last start 4th after coming back in distance to 1800m. Alward will step up to 2000m again on Saturday and that will suit the gelding much better as he is unbeaten over 2000m winning all his 3 starts at the trip. And the likely Good track will also suit. Hugh Bowman decides to stick with the gelding and that is a good sign. From barrier 7, Bowman will settle somewhere mid-field and Alward will run the 2000m right out.
The Group 1 Golden Rose has normally been won by the dominant 3YOs in the Spring and Menari has certainly been dominant this preparation (Sydney Race 7, 1400m). The Snitzel colt ran a good 4th in the Golden Slipper in the Autumn. And Menari has come back this prep bigger and stronger and more mature. He won the Rosebud (1100m) 1st up before doing it on both ends last start in the Run To The Rose (1200m), where he had drawn the widest gate (9) and spent some petrol to go forward to sit outside the leader yet still kicked strongly to run the last 600m in 33.31 secs. He was strong at the end of six furlong hence the 1400m on Saturday won’t be posing any problem. Jockey Josh Parr seems to be very confident on the colt, and Menari certainly looks the one they all have to beat.
By Owens Wong , Editor
