Daggers out to prove he can cut it against star colts in Golden Rose
There will be an air of serendipity if Victorian raider Daggers can upstage Godolphin’s two high-profile colts, Broadsiding and Traffic Warden, to win the $1 million Golden Rose at Rosehill.
By I Am Invincible, Daggers is out of Omei Sword, who finished runner-up to Godolphin’s Astern in the 2016 renewal of the Group 1 race.
The global powerhouse again looks to hold the aces in Saturday’s Golden Rose (1400m) with its two runners, champion two-year-old Broadsiding, who tackles the race first-up, and The Run To The Rose victor Traffic Warden.
With a forecast for up to 35mm of rain in Sydney on Thursday, trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young are still weighing up whether to bring Daggers north or keep him closer to home for either the Stutt Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley on Friday night or Sandown a day later.
If he does make the interstate trek, they are optimistic he will acquit himself well following a sharp piece of trackwork in the Sydney direction over the weekend.
“He actually worked up with (stablemate) Craig on Saturday morning and worked up very well,” Young said.
“They went the reverse way, just because some are going to Sydney.
“They were on the grass, and he pulled up really nicely.”
Daggers, who will wear blinkers for the first time in the Golden Rose, led to win his first two starts in Augus, before camping on the back of the speed when third in the Listed Exford Plate (1400m) at Flemington last start on a soft 7 track.
Young wasn’t certain he was suited by the genuinely rain-affected ground, a factor likely to influence where he runs this weekend.
“Omei Sword had run second on a heavy eight before, so we thought he might get through it, but those leaders skipped away, and it was just a bit hard,” she said.
A wet Rosehill track won’t worry Broadsiding, who is a Group 1 winner of the Champagne Stakes (1600m) on heavy ground, while Traffic Warden has also been placed at the highest level in similar conditions.
Daggers is one of two interstate raiders in Saturday’s Golden Rose, along with the Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained Tropicus.
Victorian-trained horses had a field day during the Sydney autumn carnival with the likes of Chain Of Lightning (T J Smith Stakes), Magic Time (All Aged Stakes), Autumn Angel (Oaks), Circles Of Fire (Sydney Cup) and Pride Of Jenni (Queen Elizabeth Stakes) all plundering majors.
More Racing News
Pride Of Jenni back to blistering best in the Feehan Stakes
The Group 2 Feehan Stakes (1600m) was billed as close to a match race between Pride Of Jenni and Mr Brightside but Declan Bates ensured the mare, trained by Ciaron Maher, wasn’t for catching and extended her head-to-head lead over Mr Brightside. With just a field of four, Pride Of Jenni ($1.90 betting) edged...
Weeks wait to pay dividends at Sandown on AFL Grand Final day
Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young have a couple of Group 1 contests in mind for stablemates who will run at Sandown looking to boost their chances of gaining a start in races at the highest level. Muramasa and Craig were scratched from contests at Caulfield last week in preference for races on Saturday, seen by...
Parks over Valley for Marble Arch
The Hayes training team have chosen to send Marble Arch over the South Australian border to kick off a preparation that JD Hayes says has scope to build on previous successes. The five-year-old mare was to start at Moonee Valley on Manikato Stakes night but instead will line up over 1250-metres at...
Southport Tycoon reigns over Empire in breathtaking Manikato Stakes win
Ciaron Maher had four runners in Friday’s Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m), including boom colt and race favourite Growing Empire, but it was the outsider of his quartet that produced a stunning victory. Southport Tycoon ($21), winner of the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m), stuck to the inside under Mark Zahra and flew...
Wolfe holds Winterbottom Stakes hopes for returning Rope Them In
Rope Them In returns to the races at Belmont tomorrow (Saturday) and trainer Steve Wolfe hopes it’s the first step towards lofty goals this preparation. Steve Wolfe has always had plenty of time for Rope Them In, runner-up in last year’s Fairetha Stakes (1400m) and if plans go his way, a crack...
Taylor searchin’ for feature race double in Black Heart Bart Stakes
Top fresh record, in excellent form, adept on the wet and well weighted, there’s a stack of reasons why Searchin’ Roc’s commands attention at Belmont on Saturday. Trainer Jim Taylor concurs and has high confidence his classy mare can land the second-leg of a feature double and close out the Belmont...
Bott tipping class mare to bounce back in the Golden Pendant
Adrian Bott has declared class mare Tropical Squall has her mojo back and he is putting his faith in her to rebound in the Group 2 Golden Pendant at Rosehill. The four-year-old winner turned in a below par performance when making her spring return in last month’s Winx Stakes (1400m), tiring after...
Parnham laces up for 2024 Black Heart Bart Stakes victory
Ace jockey Chris Parnham believes classy mare Laced Up Heels is a strong contender to make a winning return in Saturday’s Listed Black Heart Bart Stakes (1200m) at Belmont’s final meeting of the season on Saturday. Chris Parnham links up with the Luke Fernie -trained five-year-old after her previous run in Adelaide when...
Linebacker out to upstage Godolphin’s star colts in Golden Rose
Linebacker is one of the few horses rated a genuine chance of spoiling Godolphin’s Golden Rose party and co-trainer Tom Charlton cannot find any chinks in his armour ahead of the Group One showdown. The colt made an eye-catching return when doing his best work late for fourth to Saturday’s rival Traffic...
Gelded Wolfgang ready for Valley test
The unkindest operation for a male racehorse may just be the making or Wolfgang. After showing promise as a colt during his two-year-old year with wins at Morphettville and Doomben, Wolfgang returns for his three-year-old season as a gelding. Wolfgang will have the first start of his campaign at Moonee Valley on...