From Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
Horse: Resonator
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 3, Racing For Good On July 29 Hcp) He’s in great shape, it was a good strong win there last start and he seems in good form. A little bit of rain around this week won’t harm him at all.
Horse: Hi Dubai
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 6, Rosehill Bowling Club Hcp) We thought enough of her to be in stakes company at her second start. She has a bit of ability about her, she looks well placed here and will improve off the first-up run.
Horse: So United
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 7, Toyota Forklifts Hcp) It’s hard to fault what Amy (McLucas) did on him last time, it was an excellent ride and excellent job so she gets another chance with him. He’s been competitive around this sort of grade before and the distance is suitable for him. He’s been pretty consistent this campaign.
Horse: Special Envoy
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 9, TAB Hcp) He’s going the right way. He’s had three solid trials to have him prepared for that sort of trip first-up. It was a good improvement at his latest trial. Like all Europeans I think there is improvement to come from naturally having that time to adjust to the conditions. We’ll learn more about him on Saturday.
From David Payne
Horse: Sweet Mercy
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 2, The Agency Real Estate Hcp) Sweet Mercy should appreciate a smaller field on Saturday after cruelling her chances last time out when she missed the start and left herself too much to do. She was a winner over the course and distance in May and I am confident she can rebound. She likes the track and 1400 is ideal for her. She has just got to be ridden quiet, she’s not a filly you can hunt up or she doesn’t finish off.
Horse: Mahagoni
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 8, Furphy Hcp) Mahagoni lumped 60.5kg when failing to beat a rival home on resumption at Randwick but drops significantly in weight to 55.5kg on Saturday and has been competitive in similar grade in the past. He got too far back last start with 60-odd kilos, but if you go on his previous form he comes into the race for sure.
Horse: Bazooka
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 8, Furphy Hcp) Bazooka has turned in eye-catching runs at both starts from a spell, finishing 3rd to Cotehele at Rosehill first-up and again running on for 4th to Democracy Manifest last start.
Horse: Tympanist
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 9, TAB Hcp) The gelding’s recent form is better than it appears on paper. He’s one of those horses, you’ve got to catch him on his day. He has been a bit unlucky. He hasn’t been able to get clear running, not so much last start but the previous two he was held up and it cost him. The softer going will suit him as well.
From Ross McConville
Horse: Burning Need
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 4, Midway Hcp) Burning Need will be looking for a bit more luck than she was handed two weeks ago when she has another shot at a Midway Handicap. She’s got to come from behind but you just can’t get her that far back. They get lost, they get discouraged I reckon and it’s too hard to pick them up. She’s again drawn awkwardly (gate 13) but faces a slightly smaller field than a fortnight ago. She’s got a short sprint, we do like to have her midfield. She needs the pace on, she’s one of those horses that has to have it right for her.
Horse: Either Oar
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 10, Bowermans Hcp) The five-year-old is having her fifth run of the campaign and she’s showing no signs of training off just yet. She can tend to do that (her habit of hitting the wall in a preparation), I just hope she stays up. She can have a tendency of taking a few runs to get there with fitness and then once she gets there she can go off the boil after that. I just hope she puts in on Saturday. She’s a big robust mare. It’s taken her this long to get her to where she is.
From Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou
Horse: Deep Expectation
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 6, Rosehill Bowling Club Hcp) She used to be too enthusiastic and want to get it over and done with, but she is starting to relax a heap better. Her first jump outs and trials, she was really keen and couldn’t finish off, but she has learned to come back and settle a little bit. Deep Expectation showed she was learning to harness her energy when she stepped up to 1200m and posted her second career win at Gosford. She proved that was no fluke with a last-start Warwick Farm success in midweek grade. It took a while to get her fit, not knowing her. I haven’t had many Deep Fields but the other one I had, (stakes winner) Sky Command, she is one who cops no work, and this is a filly who cops a heap of work.
From Gayna Williams
Horse: Tags
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 5, Highway Hcp) Tags has won and been placed first-up and has been in work a while. He’s had surgery for issues and obviously a long time off – hasn’t had a trial but he’s come back really well, his work has been good at home. The 1100m is short of his best but he’s just so tough and genuine and this is the starting point this prep while he’s still eligible (for Highway Hcps).
From Scott Collings
Horse: Mogo Magic
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 5, Highway Hcp) If the horse keeps progressing like he is I think he’s definitely a chance of getting in the Kosciuszko. He’s one of the early favourites and if he comes out and wins on Saturday he deserves his chance in a race like that later in the year. It’s his first time over that 1100m, he ran 1065m at Wagga, and he’s got 60kg so getting that low draw (gate 3) was magnificent. He’s done everything right, he trialled super at Goulburn. Mentally I think the horse has got better, he knows what it’s all about now. In the three races he’s won so far he just wants to get out and get the job over and done with. But he’s getting better with that and we’ve done a lot of work with him working with other horses, sitting off them, with Nick Heywood riding him.
Horse: Master Joe
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 5, Highway Hcp) He deserved his opportunity at Highway level after successive wins on his home track this time around. The five-year-old faces a distance test of his own having only raced beyond 1000m once but has the advantage of a 6kg pull on the favourite – something he may need given he’ll be giving away a head start. I think he’s a good chance, a good top four chance. His record speaks for itself, he’s always very consistent, and with Amy McLucas’s claim he gets into that race really well. We’ll probably just have to ride him a bit quieter just to make sure he can get the trip.
From Matthew Dunn
Horse: Emperor
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 5, Highway Hcp) The three-year-old wasn’t far away when resuming on the Kensington track in April, then struck form at his next two appearances at Doomben with a brace of comfortable wins to earn another trip south for the TAB Highway Handicap at Rosehill on Saturday. He was good winning his maiden and he was better at Doomben (last start) because he led and got softened up early. They made him work pretty hard, but he was dominant again. He is still a bull and he has just needed time but he’s a decent horse going forward for sure. Zac Lloyd will reduce Emperor’s impost to 59kg and while he has drawn awkwardly in barrier 14, he will come into gate 9 if the emergencies don’t run.
From The Editor
Sydney Race 1 – Plundering
Sydney Race 7 – Miracle Spin
