The Coolmore Classic meeting will be held at Rosehill Gardens this Saturday (16th Mar). The course proper was rated a Good 4 on Thursday and with showers forecast for Sydney leading up to the weekend, Rosehill is likely to border on Good/Soft condition on raceday.
The Waller-trained Gatsby’s will use Pago Pago Stakes as a springboard to the Golden Slipper (Sydney Race 4, 1200m). This Snitzel colt only debuted on 23rd February at Canterbury and he won as expected. The form around that impressive debut really stood up when the 3rd placed Silmarillion finished a close 2nd in the Reisling Stakes last week and runner-up Roselyn’s Star won easily at Kensington on Wednesday. The 2YO will strip fitter second-up and he has drawn beautifully in barrier 3. James McDonald will box seat from the good gate and Gatsby’s will be too strong in the run home.
Team Waterhouse-Bott-trained Les Vampires will have conditions to suit in the Phar Lap Stakes (Sydney Race 7, 1500m). This Pierro colt won well first-up at Canterbury over 1250m before running 3rd to the top class Celestial Legend. And he finished behind that horse again in the Group 1 Randwick Guineas last Saturday over the Randwick mile. Backing up this weekend, Les Vampires is rock hard fit and dropping back to 1500m will suit better. Adam Hyeronimus will go straight to the lead to control the pace and Les Vampires will prove hard to catch.
Emerging mare Semana is the one to look out for in the Coolmore Classic (Sydney Race 8, 1500m). After comfortably claiming the Magic Millions Fillies and Mares in January, she made a successful leap into Group 3 grade with a strong victory in the Triscay Stakes last month. Spacing her runs is the key hence the four weeks between runs suits her well. The 4YO can handle any track conditions and Dylan Gibbons will return to ride the mare this Saturday. Gibbons will go forward and settle behind the leading bunch and Semana will be ready to pounce rounding the home turn.
By Owens Wong
