The Golden Slipper meeting will be held at Rosehill Gardens this Saturday. The course proper was rated a Heavy 8 on Thursday and with overcast weather leading up to the weekend, Rosehill is likely to be racing on a Soft track on raceday.
The veteran Big Duke will be stepping up to a suitable distance on Saturday in the Manion Cup (Sydney Race 3, 2400m). The Kris Lees-trained 7YO steps up to 2400m when 3rd up in the Manion Cup and the gelding has only missed a place once from 8 starts on Soft & Heavy tracks. Given his record, Big Duke is not harshly treated having been allotted with 58kg. Brenton Avdulla will once again be on board and Big Duke will finish strongly and mow down this field in the straight.
Exciting colt The Autumn Sun looks hard to beat in the Rosehill Guineas (Sydney Race 4, 2000m). First up in the Expressway Stakes (1400m), it took The Autumn Sun the length of the straight to run down Vegadaze so it’s obvious that the colt is looking for further this preparation and he will relish stepping up to 2000m on Saturday. His 2nd up victory in the Randwick Guineas had to be seen to be believed. The Autumn Sun was officially 33 metres behind the leader at the 600m mark and was still 5 lengths behind Fundamentalist 200m from home. In the end The Autumn Sun got up and won by a head, running his last 600m in 33.94secs. The Redoute’s Choice colt has a good record at Rosehill and he can handle any track conditions. From the nice gate (3), Kerrin McEvoy will settle somewhere mid-field on the fence and put The Autumn Sun to sleep. At set weight, it’s really hard to see The Autumn Sun getting beaten.
Godolphin-owned Tenley seems to have everything going her way (Sydney Race 7, 1200m). The unbeaten filly won well 1st up this campaign in the Pierro Stakes before brilliantly taken out the Reisling Stakes last start, sprinting her last 600m in 33.87 secs. The overall time of 1:08:34 is a full second faster than Microphone when he won the colt’s division on the same day. Being by Medaglia d’Oro out of a Lonhro mare, Tenley should have no problem handling the anticipated Soft track. Perfectly drawn in barrier 6, the in-form James McDonald will settle mid-field one off the fence and bide his time. Tenley will show off her great turn-of-foot in the last furlong and take out the 2019 Golden Slipper.
By Owens Wong, Editor
