RACING editor Ray Thomas takes a look at the top five talking points and storylines to follow this weekend.
1: THE LAST SLOT
EVEREST slot-holders Max Whitby and Neil Werrett could be ready to make their announce their runner in the world’s richest turf race after the Rosehill Gardens and Caulfield meetings on Saturday.
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READ NOWWhitby and Werrett have the only slot left open before completing the 12-horse field for the $13 million The TAB Everest on October 13.
They have plenty of options to consider including assessing the winners of the two Group 1 races, the $1 million Golden Rose (1400m) at Rosehill and the $500,000 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.
The Golden Rose is restricted to three-year-olds but brilliant colts like Graff and Zousain have been mentioned as possible Everest runners if they win Saturday’s feature sprint.
Sandbar’s owner, Damion Flower, has ruled out sending his colt to The Everest even if he wins the Golden Rose.
Flower, who has an Everest slot and has already selected English to run in the big race, said an Everest start for Sandbar was a topic of conversation with his trainer Brad Widdup earlier this week.
“Brad and I were talking about what we would do if Sandbar won the Golden Rose but we both agree this colt is an Everest horse but he is 12 months away,’’ Flower said.
“I also liked Brad’s comment that they are only three-year-olds once. Sandbar can go to the Roman Consul Stakes next and then the Coolmore Stud Stakes. Then we can look at the TJ Smith Stakes in the autumn and hopefully the Everest next year.’’
At Caufield, the Godolphin stable is well represented in the Rupert Clarke Stakes with the James Cummings-trained duo Home Of The Brave ($4.40 favourite) and Osborne Bulls ($6) expected to prove hard to beat. Home Of The Brave is certainly on the radar of Whitby and Werrett after his outstanding win in the Theo Mark Stakes at Rosehill last start.
If Jungle Cat wins at Caulfield, he could suddenly emerge as an Everest contender.
2: GOLDEN PENDANT TO GROUP 1
THE debate continues about if and when Sydney’s feature spring race for fillies and mares, the Group 2 $400,000 Golden Pendant (1400m) is run at Rosehill on Saturday and again there is debate about when this race will be raised to Group 1 level.
The Golden Pendant was first run in 2010 and was raised to Group 2 level in 2015. The honour roll of winners is outstanding and includes champion mare More Joyous.
The last three winners of the race, Peeping (2015), Tycoon Tara (2016) and Daysee Doom (2017) all won Group 1 races after taking the Rosehill race.
“We have targeted the Golden Pendant as a potential Group 1 race as we don’t have a ‘major’ for the mares in the spring,’’ Australian Turf Club’s James Heddo said. “The ATC understands the race ratings must continue to improve but this is a clearly a race we would like to elevate to Group 1 status in the future.’’
3: HE’S BACK
REIGNING premier jockey Brenton Avdulla returns to his first Sydney Saturday meeting in two months at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
Avdulla rode 92 winners to claim the Sydney title last season but is yet to get off the mark in 2018-19 after he took up a Japanese riding contract in August, riding 14 winners in five weeks.
He only returned to Sydney racing earlier this month but rode at Flemington last Saturday where he won on brilliant filly Smart Melody. Avdulla is giving away a sizeable start to his rivals in the premiership with James McDonald the early leader on 21 wins.
But Avdulla has a strong book of seven rides at Rosehill, including Jonker in the Group 1 Golden Rose, Princess Posh (Group 2 Golden Pendant), Kingsguard (Group 2 Shannon Stakes) and Irukandji (Group 3 Gloaming Stakes).
4: OLLIE – STILL GOING STRONG
HALL of Famer Damien Oliver also returns to Sydney racing on Saturday with three rides, including Seabrook in the Golden Rose and Prompt Response in the Golden Pendant.
Oliver rode the 114th Group 1 winner of his remarkable career – an Australian record – on Grunt in the Makybe Diva Stakes last Saturday. The champion jockey rode his first Group 1 winner 28 years ago in the Sir Rupert Clarke (then VicHealth Cup) on Submariner.
5. THE BUSH STARS
THE Sydney spring carnival might be dominating the headlines but a Scone meeting on Friday will hold more interest than usual.
Brilliant duo Frankely Awesome and Burning Crown put their unbeaten records on the line in separate races at Scone. Frankely Awesome, a three-year-old filly by English superhorse Frankel, scored a stunning debut win at Newcastle earlier this month, coming from well back on the turn to win by more than three lengths.
The Kris Lees-trained Frankely Awesome takes on older horses in a class 2 over 1600m.
Burning Crown, trained by Sue Grills, also goes straight to a class 2 over 1100m after a runway maiden win on debut. The three-year-old chestnut put more than six lengths on his rivals at Gunnedah last month, running fast time without being fully tested.
Waller still has High hopes for Metrop
TRAINER Chris Waller has sent form stayer Carzoff to the spelling paddock but has produced another hopeful for The Metropolitan in High Bridge, an impressive winner at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.
Waller confirmed on Thursday that Wyong Cup-Newcastle Gold Cup winner Carzoff won’t race again this spring but the trainer still has a powerful presence in the Group 1 The Metropolitan on September 29 with Brimham Rocks ($5) and Libran ($7) the early favourites.
Former English hurdler High Bridge has firmed from $21 to $11 for The Metropolitan after scoring his second win from as many Australian starts.
High Bridge is only 77th in the official Metropolitan order of entry but the race has a high attrition race and it is expected the gelding will gain a start next week.
Waller certainly has some real depth in his middle distance and staying ranks this season as evidenced at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday, where his stable has eight of the 16 runners in the Fugen Handicap (2000m) including $4.80 favourite The Lord Mayor, another potential The Metropolitan runner.
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Trainer James Cummings has decided instead to start Avilius in The Bart Cummings (2500m) at Flemington on October 6 as the race has a ballot-free exemption into the $7.3 million Melbourne Cup for the winner. Avilius has won each of his three Australian starts brilliantly including the Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes last week.
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BRAVE Smash is likely to have his final lead-up into The Everest in the Moir Stakes next week. Trainer Darren Weir was considering sending Brave Smash back to Sydney for the Premiere Stakes on September 29 but is now favouring the Moir Stakes, setting up a clash with stablemate and fellow Everest hopeful Nature Strip. The Premiere Stakes is still shaping as a mini-Everest with Redzel, In Her Time, Santa Ana Lane, Shoals and Invincible Star likely to clash.