The Jockey Celebration Day meeting will be held at Rosehill Gardens this Saturday (5th Aug). The course proper was rated a Good 4 on Thursday and with mainly fine weather in Sydney leading up to the weekend, Rosehill will be racing on a Good track on raceday.
United Nations is ready to step up to mile and a half being second-up on Saturday (Sydney Race 3, 2400m). This lightly-raced import had won two races in Europe including his second-up win in the Listed Derby Trial at Lindfield last preparation. The 5YO did a good job first-up over 1800m showing good finishing speed when he was only beaten 3.5 lengths. Going up in weight but down in grade. And the extra distance would suit. James McDonald will drop back in the field and put the horse to sleep and United Nations will let down strongly in the run home.
King Of Naples had won his last two starts and the gelding is ready to make it three in a row by taking out the Jockey Celebration Day Handicap (Sydney Race 6, 1350m). This John O’Shea-trained 4YO won first-up over 1250m at Canterbury before rocketing home to victory last week over 1300m at Randwick. Champion hoop James McDonald will take over the rein and from barrier 8, McDonald will be positive and sit one off one back and King Of Naples will be ready to pounce rounding the home turn.
The mare I Am Me is primed to make a winning return by taking out the Missile Stakes (Sydney Race 8, 1200m). The Maher & Eustace-trained 5YO has two wins and a 3rd from three first-up starts and she is undefeated in two appearances at Rosehill. She ran a course record when she took out the Listed Canterbury Stakes before beaten just over two lengths in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate. I Am Me had won both her two trials in preparation for Saturday’s return and she is in great shape. Having drawn the rail (gate 1), Tim Clark will box seat behind likely leaders Big Parade and Wewillrock and I Am Me will run over the top of the leaders in the straight.
By Owens Wong
