The Hill Stakes meeting will be held at Rosehill Gardens this Saturday (7th Oct). The course proper was rated a Soft 6 on Thursday after 11.2mils of showers overnight and with mainly fine weather in Sydney over the next couple of days, Rosehill will border on Good/Soft condition on raceday.
Top colt King’s Gambit is good enough to take out the Roman Consul Stakes (Sydney Race 5, 1200m). This Team Snowden-trained 3YO has been very consistent who has not missed a place in five career starts and he was brilliant in finishing 3rd in the Golden Slipper in the autumn. When he resumed down the Flemington straight three weeks ago, he got worked up badly before the race and was fired to the lead and eventually weakened to finish 3rd. Race jockey Tommy Berry since rode King’s Gambit in an 808m trial for a relaxing 3rd placing. Berry will go forward and sit one off one back and King’s Gambit will be ready to pounce rounding the home turn.
The Gary Portelli-trained Encap looks the horse to beat in the Tapp-Craig Stakes (Sydney Race 6, 1400m). The Capitalist gelding has risen through the rank in quick succession having broken through for his first victory in the Group 3 Ming Dynasty Quality last month before narrowly going down to Militarize in the Group 1 Golden Rose. And the 3YO obviously loves this course and distance. Nicely drawn in barrier 6, Brett Prebble will settle just behind the leading bunch with plenty of cover and Encap will over-power this field in the run home.
The Waterhouse-Bott stable has been in great form and they have got Hoo Ya Mal ready to fire in the Hill Stakes (Sydney Race 7, 1900m). This English import had a Melbourne Cup preparation in the spring and he wasn’t disgraced with his first two runs over the shorter trip this campaign. Stepping up to 1900m in a lower grade will certainly suit and Adam Hyeronimus will once again be on board. Hyeronimus will settle just behind mid-field from gate 6 and Hoo Ya Mal will run over the top of this field.
By Owens Wong
