Winners For 2018 Festival Stakes Day

The Festival Stakes meeting will be held at Rosehill this Saturday. The course proper was rated a Heavy 8 on Thursday and with light showers forecast for Sydney over the next couple of days, Rosehill is likely to remain in the Heavy range on raceday.

The Waller-trained Charlayne is resuming from a spell and is going to sprint well fresh in the Happy 21st Madeleine Sprint (Sydney Race 2, 1100m). This mare has won 1st up before and she has a pretty good record over 1100m having won twice with a 2nd placing from 3 attempts at the trip. Charlayne won her only start on Soft track and being by Sebring out of a Commands mare, the 4YO should handle the anticipate Heavy track. With a fair bit of pace in the race, Kerrin McEvoy should be able to slot in mid-field from barrier 13 and Charlayne would finish the race off strongly.

Good mare Savacool has been in good form and she is the horse to beat in the ATC Cup (Sydney Race 4, 2000m). This Savabeel mare has won twice and placed twice in her past 4 starts. Being a backmarker, the small field should suit and the wet track would present no problem to the 4YO having won 3 times from 5 starts in the condition. Savacool is carrying the limit weight of only 53kg and the in-form Kerrin McEvoy will once again be on board the mare. Savacool will be hard to hold out at the finish.

Bjorn Baker-trained Goodfella has conditions to suit in the Festival Stakes (Sydney Race 6, 1500m). This Snitzel stallion has been ultra consistent running 5 placings in his past 6 starts with his only failure came in the Group 1 Epsom Handicap where he had drawn an extremely wide barrier (19). He has good wet track form winning twice and a 3rd placing from 3 attempts in the condition. He has been allotted the limit weight of 53kg hence Rachel King is likely to utilize his light weight to go forward from barrier 10 and sit outside likely leader Monsieur Sisu. Goodfella is rock hard fit and could prove hard to catch in the Heavy condition.

By Owens Wong, Editor

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