Winners For 2017 Winter Challenge Day

The Winter Challenge meeting will be held at Rosehill Gardens this Saturday. The course proper was rated a Good 4 on Thursday and with mainly fine weather in Sydney leading up to the weekend, Rosehill will be racing on a Good track on raceday.

The Todd Howlett-trained Nic’s Vendetta is the class horse in the TAB Highway Plate (Sydney Race 4, 1500m). The 4YO has been contesting Highway Handicaps in his past 2 starts with a victory when 2nd up over 1200m. Stepping up to 1500m 4th up looks perfect. The form jockey Rachel King will be aboard and with her 1.5kg claim, Nic’s Vendetta will be carrying 57.5kg which is only 2kg above the limit. From the good gate (5), King will drive forward to the lead and Nic’s Vendetta will be too strong in the run home.

The Snitzel filly Slumber Party has a freshen up since her last start and she is ready to take out the #Theraces Handicap (Sydney Race 5, 1200m). The Team Waterhouse-trained 3YO finished just behind the placegetters in her 2 runs during the Brisbane Winter Carnival, with her last run a 4th in the Listed Gai Waterhouse Classic (1350m). Up in weight on Saturday but down in class, Slumber Party has drawn beautifully in gate 1 and that will allow Brenton Avdulla to go to the front without spending much petrol. Slumber Party will be hard to catch.

The Team-Snowden-trained Gold Symphony has been racing against stronger opposites than the Winter Challenge field (Sydney Race 7, 1500m). The 4YO finished 6th, beaten only 2.9 lengths in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap three starts back followed by victory in the Listed Civil Stakes. He was badly blocked for a run in the straight last start when 11th in the Winter Stakes. Champion hoop Hugh Bowman keeps his faith on the gelding and stays with him on Saturday which is a good sign. Those three tough runs would put Gold Symphony in good stead when he steps up to 1500m on Saturday. From a nice gate (3), Bowman will settle the gelding where he’s comfortable, probably just behind mid-field, and with a soft run in transit, Gold Symphony will be full of running in the straight.

By Owens Wong, Editor

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