From Peter Snowden
Horse: Xidaki
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 8, Festival Stakes) I’m glad I didn’t run him last week. I had all intention of running him in The Gong and they broke a track record and went at a crazy speed. It would have been a gut-buster for him like the start before in the Golden Eagle. He needed an extra week, which is the reason I didn’t run him, and he is going to get a better track to suit him on Saturday, you’d think. Midfield, that’s where he races best. He was just too far forward on a hot pace in the Golden Eagle. Those class horses just swamped him late. It was disappointing where he finished because he is better than that. In hindsight, we should have ridden him a bit quieter rather than think he could win the race from the front.
From Scott Aspery
Horse: Uzziah
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 8, Festival Stakes) A consistent country and provincial performer, Uzziah has responded to the addition of blinkers earlier this year and raised the bar, winning two of his three starts this campaign, both in Saturday city grade. I did toy with running him in The Hunter at Newcastle two weeks ago but opted for a softer, benchmark assignment. It turned out it looked like it was the right rein to pull. He got the job done on that day which gave us the confidence to test him against these better horses. This race on Saturday looks a suitable race for him to take his step up to this grade and see whether he can be competitive. At this level, it (weather forecast for rain) is a concern. He gets through the wet, but he becomes quite one-paced on heavy conditions.
From Scott Singleton
Horse: Sir Remlap
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 2, Highway Hcp) Sir Remlap will cope with a rain affected track and unless there’s some extraordinary rain. I definitely think he has a Highway win in him, it was whether I go one more run then go down. It’s a Class 2 but if he wins again he’ll carry a bit more weight and on top of that with the leg issue he had I don’t want to scout too wide around rougher tracks. You never know which is going to be the run when they come home with some heat in in the leg again. I want to give him his opportunity down there, and I wouldn’t be taking him if I didn’t think he was a winning chance. His leg is remarkably good for the type of (tendon) injury but I want to make every post a winner with him. It was a good win (at Scone on 19th Nov), naturally he was going to come on from it being his first serious gallop in 12 months. I wasn’t surprised that he came on but surprised how well he pulled up from it in the day or two after. He gets there, all going well between now and then, in good shape.
Horse: Melody Again
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 4, Precise Air Hcp) With three minor placings on end, the latest another eye-catching 3rd behind Watch My Girl at Newcastle two weeks ago, it’s probably the right time to find out how she handles a forgiving track. We’ve been careful racing her on heavy tracks, I may roll the dice with her now she’s right into a preparation. She’s by Your Song, she’d be the only one by him who doesn’t handle the wet if she doesn’t. Her racing pattern is her biggest issue, she gets a long way back. If she happened to jump and put herself midfield rather than out the back I’d be confident she’d be in the thick of it.
Horse: Dollar Magic
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 10, Kia Ora Prague Hcp) She looks particularly well and is going as good as ever, there’s not many chinks in her armour. She just turns up and runs well every time and if she ends up there it won’t be much different, she won’t be beaten far if she does get beaten.
From Matthew Dale
Horse: Bombay Boom
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 1, Ranvet Hcp) Bombay Boom has won both his trials under Jason Collett, who will again be in the saddle. We don’t get a heap of colts come through, but this fellow has put his hand up and he has been a natural all the way through. There are a bit of nerves going into Saturday, but at the same time, he can’t be in any better order and he is very well-educated, so it’s time to go. If he puts his hand up on Saturday and into his next run, which could be the Wyong Magic Millions, he will definitely be aimed that way (Gold Coast Magic Millions), unless he tells us otherwise.
From Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald
Horse: Mighty Ulysses
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 8, Festival Stakes) It’s taking me a while to figure him out but we’ve had two wins with him and they’ve both been on soft tracks. I’m hoping with the rain forecast it can really fall into his favour. He’s a very talented horse, I’d nearly say he’s the most talented horse in the stable but he’s just a bit awkward. His first-up win was brilliant at Caulfield then he raced a bit flat I thought at Flemington. Last preparation we struggled to get him to relax but his racing manners seem much better now.
Horse: Spirit Ridge
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 9, ATC Cup) He was narrowly beaten by Lindermann in the Group 3 Craven Plate fresh and I hope he can run up to that performance. He probably just had to work a bit hard the other day at Newcastle. He went from 1800m up to the 2300m and he probably just for a bit tired late so back to the 2000m suit him.
From Gary Colvin
Horse: Cambar
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 2, Highway Hcp) I made the decision not to geld him, on what he was showing. He’s a natural, has lovely flowing action. He has an ideal temperament for a colt, there’s not a lot of him but he’s an all-round nice package and has all that upside off the wins. So far so good, we’ll see what happens this prep with more maturity. In his two starts, Cambar won a 1000m home maiden running away on a heavy track in August and then came from last of eight runners for a Class 1, at the same distance, both with stable apprentice Holly Durnan who also rode the colt to win the recent trial. The way he’s been closing at 1000m back home, out a bit in distance suits and he handles all ground. You’ll find he’ll race closer from the good gate (5) out a bit in distance.
From David Payne
Horse: State Of America
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 9, ATC Cup) I had planned on contesting The Beauford two weeks ago but the Listed ATC Cup was a good back up and the chance to get in on the limit weight. Why not have a go, he’s been carrying 59.5kg and 58.5kg and now he’s got 53kg. He’s up in grade but he’s a progressive horse and we’ve got to test the water. I was going to run him at Newcastle then Zac (Lloyd) got suspended and other things didn’t work out so I thought we’d just wait for this. I think he’s just more mature, he’s racing more tractably. He was always going to take time, he was a lean baby and needed to carry condition and he’s just slowly matured.
From Gary Portelli
Horse: Kintyre
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 8, Festival Stakes) With Kintyre mixing his form this preparation, I opted to take him back to the trials and allow him to find his feet and finish off. Kintyre did just that in a recent 1200m hitout at Warwick Farm. We have been riding him upside down. I had him ridden quietly in the trial the other day and he absolutely charged through the line, so we will ride him quietly in the Festival (Stakes). He is tough enough and he races well wherever he goes. Given an even opportunity, he will be a good chance. He’s been going well at home and his trial was really good.
From The Editor
Sydney Race 7 – Jedibeel
Sydney Race 8 – St Lawrence
Sydney Race 9 – Townsend
