Tag: Gai Waterhouse

Rosehill Preview – Godolphin chase Group 1 glory

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The £1.8million Golden Slipper is the feature event on a fantastic card at Rosehill on Saturday that includes five Group One races.

Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin operation had a poor year in 2014 but are out in force this weekend. As well as having four runners in the main event, they also hold Group 1 hopes with Contributer and Sweynesse elsewhere on the card.

The famous blue silks will be carried by Exosphere in the Slipper along with Haptic, Ottoman and Furnaces. Exosphere has been the horse for money this week and will start from barrier ten under James McDonald. He was a brilliant four-length winner of the Skyline Stakes last month and looks the pick of the Godolphin quartet.

The best of the rest may be Furnaces who starts from the lucky barrier one, responsible for three of the last six winners of the race. British interest is supplied by three of our leading jockeys. James Doyle will ride Haptic with William Buick aboard Ottoman while Ryan Moore has picked up the ride on big outsider Odyssey Moon.

The biggest danger to Exosphere could come from the favourite Vancouver, bidding to give Gai Waterhouse her sixth Golden Slipper. His chances took a knock when he was drawn in barrier 18, although he could start from 15 if both emergencies fail to get a run.  Only one horse has won from barrier 15 in the last 32 years and that hands an advantage to Exosphere in barrier 10.

Vancouver remains unbeaten after three starts and was particularly impressive in the Group 2 Todman Stakes. Waterhouse also saddles English and Speak Fondly in the race, drawn six and twelve respectively. English will be ridden by Blake Shinn and won the Group 2 Reisling Stakes last time while Damien Oliver partners last Saturday’s Group 2 Magic Night Stakes winner Speak Fondly.

Godolphin could claim further Group 1 success with Contributer in the Ranvet Stakes. He won a handicap at Royal Ascot last summer but has already claimed Group 2 and Group 1 wins in Australia, taking the Chipping Norton Stakes at Warwick Farm last month. Sweynesse is strongly fancied to win the Rosehill Guineas in the same colours. He needs to reverse form with market rival Hallowed Crown from the Hobartville Stakes last month where the pair were separated by a head.

Rosehill Saturday

Race 4 – Contributer @2.30 Sportsbet*

Race 5 – Sweynesse @2.70 Sportsbet

Race 7 – Exosphere @4.00 Sportsbet

*Sportsbet special offer – money back as a free bet if your horse finishes 2nd, 3rd or 4th in any of the first four races at Rosehill on Saturday. First bet only (max. $100 per customer).

Victoria Derby Preview

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The $1.5million Victoria Derby has attracted a maximum field at Flemington on Saturday but that has not stopped punters piling in to back the Gai Waterhouse-trained Hampton Court.

Waterhouse trained the winner of this race back in 1995 with Nothin’ Leica Dane and Hampton Court has followed a very similar route. Both horses won the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick prior to coming here and the Melbourne Cup winning trainer is typically bullish about his prospects.

His victory over First Seal and Sweynesse certainly reads well with the latter running a decent race to finish eighth behind Adelaide in the Cox Plate last weekend. Hampton Court is by Redoute’s Choice and this will be a new trip for him. Jockey Kerrin McEvoy will also have to plot a passage through this large field from barrier eleven. McEvoy has never ridden a Victoria Derby winner and this will be his first ride on Hampton Court so there are reasons for opposing the short-priced favourite.

Damien Oliver has won this race four times and will fancy his chances aboard Preferment from barrier 6. The colt is still a maiden after six races but Chris Waller has fitted the blinkers for Saturday following his narrow defeat by Nozomi in the Geelong Classic.

One of the best trials for this race was the Group 2 Moonee Valley Vase won by Moonovermanhattan. Craig Newitt faces a similar problem to McEvoy from barrier twelve but his mount overcame a wide draw to win last time and likes to be up with the pace. He was always tracking the leaders in the Vase and kept on well up the straight. He should confirm placings with the New-Zealand trained Atmosphere who was a length and three-quarters away in second but the unlucky horse was Bondeiger.

Danny O’Brien trains the War Pass colt who was shuffled back early on in the Vase. He attempted to make up ground turning for home but was almost brought to a standstill on the bend when colliding with a rival. It was to his credit that he stayed on again to be beaten only four lengths in seventh place. He is drawn in barrier 1 with Atmosphere in barrier 4 and I fancy his chances of turning the tables on that one.

Bondeiger had won his previous two starts and has been well supported this week in anticipation of a bold showing. I think it will be difficult to keep Moonovermanhattan out of the frame despite his draw and both he and Bondeiger represent good each-way chances against the favourite.

Moonovermanhattan @8-1 Ladbrokes

Bondeiger @9-1 Bet365

Each-way ¼ odds, 1,2,3,4

Memsie Stakes Preview

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The Memsie Stakes at Caulfield is the first Group 1 of the new season in Australia. A top quality field of eleven horses have been declared for the $400,000 prize.

This race is regarded as the first serious trial for races like the Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate later in the season. Puissance De Lune was favourite for the Melbourne Cup this time last year but he has not won in any of his last six races.

He was beaten a head by Happy Trails in the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington in October. Silent Achiever stayed on into sixth place that day and all three are set to start on Saturday. Happy Trails went on to be beaten a short head by Shamus Award in the Cox Plate and made his first appearance of the season in the Group 3 Spring Stakes. The seven-year-old was beaten nearly five lengths into fifth but should be fitter for the race.

The race that probably holds the key to the outcome here is the Group 2 Missile Stakes at Royal Randwick. Gai Waterhouse won the race with Sweet Idea who held Messene by a head with Boban finishing strongly in fourth.

Both the runner-up and the fourth are back for another crack at the winner having side-stepped last week’s Warwick Stakes. Glyn Schofield missed the break on Boban at Randwick and he is my idea of the winner here. A nine draw is not ideal but Sweet Idea is drawn wider still in ten. Craig Newitt will probably chase her out early to get a position and Boban should be able to track her through.

Boban won four consecutive races last season including two Group 1’s. He added a third win in the highest grade when winning the Chipping Norton Stakes in March. He lost his way afterwards but looked to be on the way back in the Missile Stakes.

Team Hawkes are optimistic of a big run from Messene who is handily drawn in barrier four. Peter Moody’s Moment Of Change was a close second to Hard Stride in the Listed Regal Roller Stakes at Caulfield last time out. He has three course and distance victories to his credit with the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes, Orr Stakes and Futurity Stakes. He is another who likes to be up with the pace early on and will probably be vying for the early lead with Sweet Idea.

Silent Achiever has not run since finishing fourth in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Royal Randwick in April. She had a recent barrier trial over 1100 metres and should not be far away while

Super Cool finished third behind Atlantic Jewel in this race a year ago. He has not raced since finishing ninth in the Melbourne Cup and will probably need the race.

Boban SP @Paddy Power