From Garry Worsnop
Horse: Just Like Liam
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 2, Highway Hcp) With 57kg for Regan Bayliss, Just Like Liam is resuming off an on-pace Albury double last preparation. And primed off successive barrier trials, the latest at Gundagai on Sunday. Smart horse, genuine and tough; Teighan (Worsnop) rode him regularly and in last season’s Country Championships qualifier at Albury. He was injured out of the barriers, but he’s come back as good as ever. We’ve planned the Championships again and starting with this Highway while he’s still eligible. Nice trials, well weighted, three wins is form to run well in a country Class 3. There was nothing for him back home. And he was getting up to 62kg, too big an ask. But tough race, big fields they always are. The 1400m suits fresh, he’s been strong at a mile and we’re planning to possie close to the pace.
From Jack Pilkington
Horse: Alabama State
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 1, Midway Hcp) Alabama State will be out to continue his rise in the Midway Handicap at Rosehill on Saturday on the back of a dominant first-up win on his home track. I am super proud, he was the only one I had for a good while. I have others there now but they’re young and not racing, he’s kind of been my best friend for the past year and a half. It wasn’t the smoothest prep going into his first run back, he was still on the heavier side, and to see what he did was really pleasing. I was disappointed when I saw the barrier (14) initially but when I did my speed map I felt much better. With the pace angles in the race and the way he puts himself in a race, if they go as quick as I’m anticipating he’d be three back one off which would be a good result. If he’s three wide with cover you can be full of confidence with him. If he flies home and doesn’t win that’s fine, the path doesn’t change too much. Everything else is in his favour. He’s run well at the track, the ground is right, the jockey’s great, the right weight, so if the only negative is the barrier he should still be running.
From James Cummings
Horse: Traffic Warden
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 8, Run To The Rose) We are delighted with the way he’s come back. We’ve given him a suitably long and slow build-up to be ready for an important race. A lot of these horses are on trial for the Golden Rose in two weeks. He’s brilliant enough and he’s developed so much between his two and three-year-old years. I feel like we’ve got some versatility with that horse (and) if we want to drop him back in distance, he could very well be our Coolmore horse.
From Les Bridge
Horse: Celestial Legend
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 9, Theo Marks Stakes) I want to try and get to the Golden Eagle with him. There’s so many races on the path to it so I’ll take it one run at a time. I think in time he will run 2000m but he’s a classy horse. He’s run 1400m at Rosehill and won easily too, and $10 million is a lot of dough. The horse is coming along good, first-up I’m probably not going into the race as confident as I was going into the Doncaster but I’m sure the horse will run well. He’s trialled twice in the lead-up to the spring, as opposed to once last preparation, with pleasing efforts behind Lady Of Camelot and Giga Kick. They were a typical miler’s trial, up against a Golden Slipper winner and an Everest winner so he trialled good for the distance. He’s a good horse, it’s a matter of whether he can pick them up over the 1300m. That’s what it comes down to. He’s a classic miler, he’ll run well.
From Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
Horse: New Endeavour
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 9, Theo Marks Stakes) New Endeavour is yet to win a race in Australia but he returns after a narrow defeat in the Group 1 Doomben Cup in late May. He’s likely to find it a bit sharp at that sort of trip, a little similar to his last campaign. I know he showed form in Europe over the 1400m-1600m trips but I think he’s really a mile to 2000m horse down here.
Horse: Bases Loaded
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 9, Theo Marks Stakes) Bases Loaded had a year off the scene after finishing 2nd to Militarize in the Group 1 Champagne Stakes in 2023 and ended a three start Queensland campaign with a Group 3 win over a mile at Eagle Farm on June 15. He’s come back off a successful campaign in Queensland, went out a last start winner. He was very effective over a mile and has retained that residual fitness and had two nice sharp trials in preparation for this. He’s a quality colt who hopefully we will see more from this preparation.
From Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald
Horse: Sunshine In Paris
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 6, Sheraco Stakes) We’re tying to keep the formula relatively similar to 12 months ago because it seemed to work for the Sheraco. She had two trials and an exhibition gallop so I’m really happy with her and Tommy (Berry) said she feels great. We’ll get through this and then whether we give her another before the Everest or whether we go straight there we’ll see because she does go very well fresh. Sunshine In Paris is so proven first-up, she was brilliant this time last year. It’s going to be a strong race, a lot of good horses going around, so we will get a guide on where we are at. I’m really happy with her. She’s still got a bit of a coat on her so she needs to clean up in the coat but the way she is moving and working and trialling I think she’s as good as ever. If not a bit better, off what we’ve seen at home.
From Chris Waller
Horse: Joliestar
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 6, Sheraco Stakes) At that level, it is not just about one run it is about consistently racing well at that level. She was very impressive first-up, she trained on well and it looks like she has gone to a new level again. She has come through her first-up run really well. I think if she ran well they will be knocking the door down (for the Everest).
Horse: Switzerland
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 8, Run To The Rose) Switzerland finished midfield in the Golden Slipper. He’s since undergone surgery to remove a bone chip in his fetlock and he’s developed into a more imposing horse as a three-year-old than he was at two. I’m really happy with how he looks. He is about a 20kg heavier animal, strengthened up all round and grown taller, too. It’s exciting to have him back. His only defeat was the Golden Slipper where he pulled up with a niggle but we have got that sorted now and he has come back well. He has had two trials and an exhibition gallop. That gallop was at Warwick Farm last week to top him off following his trials at Rosehill on August 6 and 20 where he finished 4th on both occasions.
Horse: Emirate
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 8, Run To The Rose) Emirate was impressive in his two wins at Warwick Farm and Rosehill during the winter. Emirate has come back well. It is hard to gauge mid-winter form, where he was dominant, against these topliners. He will improve with the run. Hopefully he can run top four and we will press on to the Golden Rose.
From The Editor
Sydney Race 2 – Intervarsity
Sydney Race 8 – Bustling
Sydney Race 9 – Punch Lane
