The Run To The Rose meeting will be held at Rosehill this Saturday. The course proper was rated a Good 4 on Thursday and with fine weather in Sydney over the next couple of days, Rosehill will be racing on a Good track on raceday.
Rosehill Bowling Club Handicap looks a suitable race for Castel Sant’Angelo (Sydney Race 4, 2400m). This Pierro gelding has been very consistent with two wins and two 2nd placings from his last four starts. Last start over the 2400m, the 4YO was only beaten a nose after starting from a wide gate (13). Castel Sant’Angelo has drawn the rail on Saturday and Tim Clark will once again be on board. Up in class but down to only 55kg on Saturday. Clark will be able to go straight to the front and dictate the pace. Castel Sant’Angelo is rock hard fit and he could be hard to catch.
Godolphin-owned colt Bivouac is looking to win the Run To The Rose at Rosehill (Sydney Race 6, 1200m). Bivouac ran away with the Vain Stakes when 1st up on 17th August before being beaten by Exceedance in the San Domenico Stakes. The two brilliant 3YO fought out the finish in the San Domenico a fortnight ago with Exceedance prevailing on the Heavy 9 track. Back on top of the ground could help Bivouac and the removal of blinkers on Saturday could help him relax better for the extra 100m. That 1st up run on the Heavy 9 track could also take a bit more out of Exceedance. Bivouac could turn the table on Exceedance and take out the Run To The Rose.
Race favourite Arcadia Queen is a terrific sprinter but she has to make a transition to Sydney racing and the inside draw may not be an advantage for her in the Theo Marks Stakes (Sydney Race 7, 1300m). Team Hawkes-trained Trope could well be the knockout horse in the Group 2 event. The lightly raced 4YO is an up and comer and he has a lot of upsides. First up in the Group 3 Show County Quality (1200m), Trope came from second last and was only beaten a nose by the promising Deprive. Stepping up to 1300m 2nd up should be perfect. Regular rider Tommy Berry will once again be on board and Trope has been allotted with the limit weight of only 53kg. The pace of the race should be pretty good and together with his light weight, Trope will be flying home in the last 300m.
By Owens Wong, Editor
