From Bjorn Baker
Horse: Ozzmosis
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 9, The Galaxy) The Galaxy is an ideal starting point with a view to next month’s TJ Smith Stakes. We’d love him to go really well and be able to force his way into the Everest early. If we could do that it would take a bit of pressure off as to where we go into the spring. He’s a very lightly raced horse, if we can get him back in the spring he’s only going to be better again. As much as you’d like to be everywhere and be in these big races, realistically you’ve got to pick and choose. The key was to give him a good break and start again. He’s definitely had that and he’s come back bigger and stronger. He’s run well at Rosehill before and I think it looks a pretty good race for him. He’s got exceptional gate speed, he’ll be able to put himself in the first four comfortably enough. He gets a little bit of weight relief off some of the very well performed sprinters up the top. You could argue this race has as much depth as any sprint race this season. If he’s going to progress on to a race like the TJ Smith he’s going to have to perform.
From James Cummings
Horse: Traffic Warden
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 8, Golden Slipper) After having little luck from a wide draw when midfield in the Blue Diamond Stakes two starts ago, Traffic Warden made the running and sustained his effort to the line to take out the VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Flemington. I think it will do his confidence some good. It was a big wake up call for the horse. He got asked for the same pace up to seven furlongs (1400m), it will increase his fitness and I think his professionalism had been lacking and that might have put a polished edge on the horse. He is going to need to elevate a couple of levels to be competitive with these good horses in the Slipper, but now he’s got that solid seven-furlong run under his belt – and there is nothing wrong with the Blue Diamond form – there’s every reason to think he’s a legitimate runner’s chance in the race.
From Kerry Parker
Horse: Think It Over
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 5, Ranvet Stakes) They think he’s a giant killer, I just think he’s a giant. He’s as good as them every day of the week. It’s all about keeping him in a good frame of mind, once you get the fitness up it’s about letting him be in a good place mentally and the rest is up to him. They’ll want to be on their game but so does he, he’s got to turn up and do it again. Think It Over has continued to improve with his two runs back and slightly changed his routing to include an exhibition gallop between races at Kembla Grange last Friday under race jockey Nash Rawiller. Nash rode him in the gallop on Friday and the horse looked to work super, and he pulled up well from it. It was just a day out at the races to keep him ticking over mentally. He enjoyed it, he just strutted around like he was on show. He was having a day out, he was so well behaved and cruisy.
From Joseph Pride
Horse: Ceolwulf
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 6, Rosehill Guineas) Ceolwulf stretches to 2000m for the first time in the Rosehill Guineas following competitive runs in the Hobartville Stakes and Randwick Guineas. There isn’t much between the classic three-year-olds, and race results support that theory. These are an even bunch of horses and he’s going to have to be at his best to beat them, so I’m disappointed with that draw (gate 10). It’s a tough one for him, and he’s a bloody good colt.
From Chris Waller
Horse: Buckaroo
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 5, Ranvet Stakes) The Ranvet will be Buckaroo’s second run for the stable and he tackles the race five weeks after a slashing first-up 5th in Fangirl’s Apollo Stakes. He’s gone forward in the right direction. He showed enough speed to be competitive first-up over 1400m and now he’s at 2000m it’ll be right up his alley.
Horse: Via Sistina
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 5, Ranvet Stakes) She’s the winner of the Group 1 Pretty Polly (2011m) at The Curragh and arrived in Sydney a few weeks ago having run 2nd in the Group 1 Champions Stakes (2011m) at Ascot. She’s thrived the last two weeks. She’s just going on the right path forward and I’ve been impressed with her. Her form makes me smile. I’ve been lucky enough to see King Of Steel (winner of Champions Stakes) race in person a couple of times and he’s a big deal. Arguably she should have beaten him last start on a similar type of track at the same distance. If she brings that form it’ll be exciting.
Horse: Switzerland
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 8, Golden Slipper) He debuted in late January and showed a sharp dash to win over 1000m, he then waged war with Shangri La Express on the speed to win the Pierro Plate and gained his Slipper ticket with another dynamic off the pace win in the Group 2 Todman Stakes (1200m) two weeks ago. (Switzerland) is a horse that’s continuing to thrive and that’s been so important going into a grand final. Each time he’s gone up 10 per cent and he’s done the same over the past 10 days. He’s a confident horse, he hasn’t been asked for the extreme effort yet but he will be on Saturday. He’s always shown us above average ability but a lot of horses do that. He’s kept lifting, jumping the bar we put in front of him and this Saturday goes to another level again. What I like about his races is he’s solid all the way to the line, he runs through the line as we say, and I think with more pressure involved the higher he will perform.
From Michael Freedman
Horse: Manaal
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 8, Golden Slipper) Manaal has won two of her three starts, including a last-start win in the Group 2 Sweet Embrace and I am happy with the progression she has made since that March 2 event. She’s great, she has come on since that win and I’m going to try to prove everyone wrong – that the fillies are better than the colts. He’s (Jason Collett) already had a sit on her and he’ll come and give her a gallop on Tuesday. I couldn’t be happier.
From The Editor
Sydney Race 6 – Tom Kitten
Sydney Race 7 – Militarize
Sydney Race 8 – Switzerland
