The Rosehill Timeform recap featuring a race by race overview of key performers and ones to watch out of the nine race program on June 16.
Chris Waller notched up his 300th winner of the season courtesy of Chatelard winning a Benchmark 77 Handicap (1800m) and his stablemate Black On Gold made it win 301 in the 2000m Open Handicap forty minutes later.
Flow and Albumin shape as Rosehill winners on Saturday well worth consideration again at their next runs while their respective events also had runners who resumed their preps and look in store for good campaigns.
Race 1: Toulouse - 2YO Handicap (1400m)
Toulouse charged over the top of them late and ran to a Timeform rating of 96.
He showed promise at his debut back in December but lost his way somewhat during the autumn.
David Payne tipped him out for a spell and gelded him. The result is a more finished 2YO product.
His stablemate Silent Explorer did nicely in second as well.
Post race all the talk was looking at spring classics with both of them. In the meantime though, there is a 2YO Handicap at the same track and trip next fortnight where they’ll be hard to beat.
Ronstar is simply at the end of his campaign. It’s been a good prep though. He wouldn’t look out of place in those early season 3YO races like The Rosebud or perhaps be brought back in the summer. It all depends on what sort of break trainer Gary Portelli wants to give him.
Race 2: Nicci’s Gold - Benchmark 81 Handicap (1400m)
Nicci’s Gold settled back, pulled to the extreme outside and got there late. She ran to a Timeform rating of 89.
Around this time of year, the quality of racing tends to decline quite noticeably. All the carnival horses are out. One thing which tends to hold up well though is the 3YO racing.
The reason for that are the BOBS bonuses they can pick up. Nicci’s Gold has come away with more than 90k for winning an off season handicap on Saturday.
She’s early in her prep so there time for her to win some more.
Race 3: My Blue Jeans - Class 3 Highway Handicap (1500m)
My Blue Jeans got a beautiful run in behind the leaders and got there late. He’s run to a Timeform rating of 82.
He’s doing a great job this prep. There is a similar Highway Handicap at the course in two weeks time.
Gronky was fantastic in second, flying home late. Dia De Reyes is open to more improvement third up. Both of them could also go to that same Highway Handicap. They’d get a bit of weight off My Blue Jeans as well.
Race 4: La Chica Bella - Mares Benchmark 75 Handicap (1500m)
La Chica Bella was the mare in the race with the form and the fitness. She hit the front a long way out and put a couple of lengths on them. She maintained that to the line.
We’ve got her running to a Timeform rating of 91. She’s improved with each run this prep.
It sounds like Joe Pride is sending her to the 1800m Fillies and Mares Benchmark 75 in two weeks time. She’ll likely carry topweight there.
So Splendid ran third behind her on Saturday and will likely go to the same race.
It was a good first up effort by her on a wet track. She’ll be ready to win second run from a spell.
Race 5: Chatelard - Benchmark 77 Handicap (1800m)
Chatelard gave Chris Waller his 300th winner for the season. He really put the writing on the wall for this when he resumed so well at this track a fortnight ago.
He went into this a bit fitter and it was a good display. We’ve got him running to a Timeform rating of 97.
Waller dominates these off season middle distance races in Sydney. There is a Benchmark 90 at Randwick over the same distance (1800m) this guy can go to in three weeks time. He’ll get a nice weight drop there.
Vaucluse Bay can go there fourth up as well, so can the runner up Kurnel Jaxon.
Race 6: Black On Gold - Open Handicap (2000m)
You couldn’t of had Black On Gold in the morning when it was a Soft 6 as he spins his wheels on wet tracks a bit but the Rosehill surface kept drying throughout the day. It was upgraded to a Good 4 after his race.
Fourth up on a firming track, he got things done and ran to a Timeform rating of 108.
He’s getting up to Open company now. It will be interesting to see what Chris Waller does with him. To me he looks hard to place.
2000m is his ideal trip and there is also the issue of him struggling on wet tracks. He’s probably got to run in the Winter Cup at Rosehill in two weeks even though 2400m is further than he likes.
Stablemate Sayed on the other hand loves 2400m and was good in second. The Winter Cup looks his go third up.
Lovani appreciated a drop back in grade to run third. She’s been up for a while but there is an 1800m Benchmark 90 at Randwick in three weeks which could suit.
Race 7: Flow - Benchmark 95 Handicap (1400m)
Flow went to the front and held them all at bay. Glyn Schofield got some cheap mid sectionals and those really reaped dividends for Flow late.
We’ve got him running to a Timeform rating of 99.
He’s a nice four-year-old. An honest, frontrunning type who is capable on wet tracks.
We’ll probably see him in the Winter Stakes (1350m) at this track in a fortnight. He’ll be hard to catch there, especially if he and Glyn can control the race again. He could also go to the Glasshouse Handicap (1400m) at the Sunshine Coast on the same day.
New Universe was good in third. He needs a wet track. The New Zealand import keeps running these good races on firm tracks however it’s on rain affected ground the Darci Brahma gelding is at his best.
Prometheus returned well in fourth. Watch for him second up. There is a 1500m 4YO+ Benchmark 80 at Rosehill in two weeks. His name is written all over it.
Race 8: Albumin - Benchmark 89 Handicap (1100m)
There was some quality in this race on paper. Albumin though was way too good.
Jay Ford gave him a beautiful run in behind a hot tempo. They were dominant late.
We assessed the win at 102. If the son of Foxwedge can maintain that level he’ll be an Open company sprinter by winter’s end.
There is an 1100m Benchmark 90 at this track and trip in a fortnight. The Gerald Ryan-trained gelding can be chalking up a hat-trick there if able to run 102 again.
Redouble in fourth resumed well and will be better over further.
Five lengths away in ninth was Best Guess. Not much went right for him. The Chris Waller gelding travelled wide, got no room at all in the straight and was found to be mildly lame post race. The Snippetson four-year-old will be improving sharply second up and we could get a nice price for him. Black Book Best Guess.
Race 9: Manolo Blahniq - Benchmark 80 Handicap (1300m)
Manolo Blahniq finished behind Albumin the start prior so that form had been freshly franked only forty minutes earlier.
The Jimmy Choux gelding ran to a Timeform rating of 99.
It sounds like the Glasshouse Handicap at the Sunshine Coast is next for the Tony Noonan four-year-old. He’s jumping up a fair way in grade on what he won Saturday but will at least be peaking third up.
There have to be some reservations about form out of this race holding up moving forward, particularly at stakes level. He’s beaten genuine off season types on Saturday in the form of Pianissimo, Mapmaker and Valentino Rosso.