Brilliant debut winner Alaskan Rose will be on trial for a start in the Group 1 $500,000 Schweppes Thousand Guineas (1600m) on October 10 when she steps out at Caulfield on Saturday.
Jockey Steven Arnold rides Alaskan Rose in the Montague Tree Handicap at Caulfield. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Alaskan Rose could not have been more impressive when she scored a four and a half lengths win in the $40,000 BenchMark 64 Handicap over 1300m for the three year olds at the midweek Sandown meeting on August 12.
Trainer Mike Moroney is keen to give her experience going around the tricky Caulfield track and the Encosta De Lago filly is currently the solid $2.10 favourite at Ladbrokes.com.au for the $80,000 Montague Tree BenchMark 78 Handicap (1400m) for the three year old fillies.
“It’s a look around Caulfield because we are pretty keen on the Guineas,” Moroney told the Sportsman.
“She needs a bit of practice there and this will be the first of probably two runs before that.”
Jockey Steven Arnold let Alaskan Rose roll forward from a wide barrier at Sandown but Moroney said that the talented hoop has more options this week from a good barrier draw at two in the ten horse field.
“It’s a different dimension than last time when she drew out wide,” Moroney said.
“She wasn’t that good to begin first up but Steve went forward on her to take bad luck out of the equation. We have ridden her back in jump outs and finished off well so it looks like she isn’t one dimensional.”
Moroney had a high opinion of Alaskan Rose before he took her to the races and wasn’t frightened to produce her at a city meeting for her first race start.
“We don’t run too many in town first up unless we think they are pretty good,” Moroney said.
“All her trials were good, we hadn’t really let her go so we were pretty confident that she was well worth having a go.”
In early Thousand Guineas markets at Ladbrokes.com.au Alaskan Rose is on the fourth line of betting at $15 behind the Peter Moody trained Pasadena Girl at $7, Colin Little’s Jalan Jalan at $8 and Gai Waterhouse’s Golden Slipper placegetter English at $10.
Montague Tree Handicap market order at Ladbrokes.com.au: $2.10 Alaskan Rose, $5 Sailing By, $8 Giulietta, Air Apparent, $8.50 Sebring Sally, $18 Circle Game, $19 Overstay, $20 Eclat, $21 Shining Star, $101 Tia.
