From Ethan Ensby
Horse: Maximum Vortex
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 2, Highway Hcp) He’s very untapped, he’s won two races at Grafton by large margins albeit in country boosted races. I haven’t got to the bottom of him and I think we’re yet to find out. He’s a bit of an unknown but while he keeps winning we will keep pointing him towards the winning post. We found this race a few weeks back and thought we’d aim up here. You’ve got to be concerned from the gate (10) but when you’ve got a good rider (Brett Prebble) and a horse with gate speed you’d have to think you’re some sort of hope.
From Stephen Jones
Horse: Sussu
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 2, Hughway Hcp) An impressive series winner last preparation with James McDonald riding, Sussu had been targeted for a return off successive trials, but the mare was scratched when she drew an extreme wide barrier (in a recent Highway Hcp). Weighted to be real hard to beat (56kg), only up a half kilo for a dominant win, drawn in and stronger more mature mare this prep. We all know when it looks good, it doesn’t always pan out that way, but we do have plenty going for us. Near a month between trials so we gave her a jump out ten days ago with Kody Nestor. Kody said it was needed, topped her off nicely. Kody knows, top rider and trainer. If he likes her, he’s as good a judge as you’ll get.
From Matthew Smith
Horse: Esti Feny
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 8, acing & Sports Hcp) The Hungarian-bred gelding broke through for his first Australian win in the Gosford Gold Cup last month. He had a temperature and then a bad blood. That’s where I would have liked to go (Q22), but I don’t know if I can go to the Q22 with the setback. There are some nice races here for him if we can get some decent tracks because he doesn’t like the wet, that’s the only problem at this time of year. Brett Prebble takes the ride after the scratching of his original mount Thalassophile and while Esti Feny will have to contend with a wide draw (gate 13), he is a backmarker and won the Gosford Cup from an outside gate.
From David McColm
Horse: Far Too Easy
Message: (Saturday, Eagle Farm Race 7, Moreton Cup) Far Too Easy needs to win the Group 2 Moreton Cup over 1200 metres to beat a ballot for the Stradbroke Handicap. We had to change tact with him after he missed getting a run in the BRC Sprint. It’s not ideal for him to be running over 1200 metres again but it’s something we’ve had to do. He’s looking for a lot further but this race looks to have a bit of speed in it so hopefully he’ll be storming home. There’s two things against him. It’s 1200 metres when he probably wants further and Eagle Farm is a hard track and he jars up on them. There’s a tip around for some rain on race day and I’m already praying.
From Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou
Horse: Grebeni
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 5, Furphy Hcp) It’s his first time in Saturday grade and while we expect him to be very hard to beat they’ve still got to take that step class wise. It’s a notoriously tricky start at the 1800m, he’s still going to have to do everything right and get a few favours but if that’s the case then we can expect him to be right in the finish. I think the tempo of the race won’t be a problem, it’ll be where he’s positioned in respect to some of the others. There looks a bit of a tail and if you’re a backmarker sitting behind those horses you’ve got to make your run yourself. We’ve always had a fair opinion of him and he raced well in his last preparation, without luck on a couple of occasions. We’ve been really happy with both his first-up and second-up runs. He steps out to 1800m and he will be a horse that will appreciate that. The other day up to a mile Jason (Collett) gave him a really good steer and he ran some of the best sectionals. That seems to be something he has in his arsenal, a turn of foot, and at this time of year if you’ve got a turn of foot it can get you out of big trouble.
Horse: Deficit
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 9, Schweppes Hcp) The four-year-old was beaten 1-1/4 lengths by Cotehele in a Benchmark 88 and drops to 78 grade on Saturday but with that comes a 5kg weight rise. It was our preference to run him in the open mile next Saturday where he’ll probably line up against Steely and Cisco Bay but with the big field on Saturday just gone, and his low rating, there’s a chance he might miss the run. He’s quite a small horse so carrying that weight could be a hindrance. If he’s not far away on Saturday we can expect him to improve a lot. He’s notoriously a poor performer first-up but we trialled him twice this time in before he went to the races and that’s the best he’s gone for us. He improves deep into his preparation.
From Gary Colvin
Horse: Another One
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 8, Racing & Sports Hcp) He can back up his gallant 4th in the Wagga Cup over 2000m from early May. We always knew he’d run a distance because he’s such a relaxed horse and I think we’ve pulled the right rein this time. You’ve got to have a crack at the country races, we’re lucky we won a Country Championships over 1400m but he’s been crying out for ground. He’s had a couple of bad draws but he’s been going really well and I think he’s come on since Wagga so I’m keen to get up there. He has a good turn of foot when he gets a nice run so we just hope he gets a nice run.
From Annabel Neasham
Horse: Space Tracker
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 4, Petaluma Hcp) His three wins have been between 1400-metres and a mile and with his only unplaced efforts in six starts coming on rain-affected tracks, he is poised to get conditions to suit at Rosehill. This is our first preparation with him, but he’s had the two trials and we were really happy with that trial last week. He’s going really well and we’ve got a lot of time for him. With that rating (benchmark 75), he’s up in the weights but Jett Stanley will take the three kilos off. It’s a bit of an unknown, until you go to the races you never quite know what you’ve got, but he’s certainly giving us good signs at home.
Horse: Spirit Ridge
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 6, Winter Cup) Spirit Ridge resumed with a solid 6th to stablemate Bois D’Argent in the Lord Mayor’s Cup and steps straight up to a genuine staying journey on Saturday. He just starts warming up around the 2000-metre mark. He had the two trials and he has given us every indication he’s going to be comfortable over that sort of distance. It isn’t something you see all the time (2400m second-up) but he’s a natural stayer and he should cope with it well. He’s very straightforward. He is a good doer and he’s a very genuine older horse. His resuming run in the Lord Mayor’s Cup was outstanding, he will take good benefit from that and we’re expecting a bold showing here.
From Lou Mary
Horse: Proverbial
Message: (Saturday, Rosehill Race 2, Highway Hcp) Proverbial won the Highway Handicap on the corresponding meeting 12 months ago at $51.00. While she hasn’t trialled, she’s had the right foundation to repeat the dose. I don’t trial my horses too much. She knows what she’s doing, she’s a very professional mare when she comes to turning up on race day. I think she races a touch better when she comes in fresh. She’s had a beautiful preparation, a good build up, she’s been in for 13-14 weeks and it was always the plan to start her off early in the winter. She’s been quite consistent and it’s a very similar race to what she’s been against in the past. She always shows a bit of gate speed when she’s fresh and all her better runs have been when she’s in the first five or six with cover. We don’t want to be too far from the leaders. If she’s good enough hopefully she can run them down late. Even though she didn’t win last preparation she was consistent and the form around her was quite strong I think.
From The Editor
Sydney Race 1 – Tutta La Vita
Sydney Race 6 – Herman Hesse
Sydney Race 8 – Another One
