The Winter Challenge meeting will be held at Rosehill Gardens this Saturday (20th Jul). The course proper was rated a Soft 7 on Thursday and with fine weather in Sydney leading up to the weekend, Rosehill will border on Good/Soft condition on raceday.
Top weight Pure Alpha is the highest rated horse in the James Squire Handicap and he should win accordingly (Sydney Race 4, 1500m). The very consistent 3YO gelding has never finished worse than 2nd having won twice with three 2nds from five career starts. He has slowly stepping up in trip and he is ready to run out a strong 1500m when fourth-up on Saturday. He can handle any track conditions and has drawn beautifully in gate 5. Champion hoop James McDonald will go forward from the nice gate and sit in the coveted one off one back position and Pure Alpha will be showing his class in the run home.
The Godolphin-owned Contemporary has been in tip top form winning his past three races in a row (Sydney Race 6, 1100m). Two starts back over 1100m and carrying 60kg, this 4YO gelding showed a great turn-of-foot coming from third last to win easily before another terrific effort last start, beating that good horse Elson Boy at Randwick a fortnight ago. Contemporary handles any track conditions and 1100m is his pet distance having won three times with two 3rds from seven attempts at the trip. With reasonable pace in the race, Nash Rawiller will drop back in the field and Contemporary will fly down the Rosehill straight.
The in-form Joseph Pride stable has King Of The Castle primed to take out the Winter Challenge (Sydney Race 8, 1500m). This 7YO gelding is a good miler so the 1500m at Rosehill should suit. He did well last start where he finished strongly when 3rd by ¾ of a length in the Winter Stakes a fortnight ago. He handles any track conditions and he has only been allotted with 53.5kg. From barrier 4, Tyler Schiller will settle somewhere mid-field and King Of The Castle will be there fighting out the finish.
By Owens Wong
