Veteran jockey Jim Cassidy will be looking for more Autumn Group 1 glory when he partners Sea Siren in the Group 1 $350,000 Canterbury BMW Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
Sea Siren (outside) beating Mental in the Manikato Stakes at Moonee Valley. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Cassidy took his overall Group 1 tally to ninety-seven last Saturday at Rosehill with a winning Group 1 double on long shot Foreteller in the $400,000 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) and on super three year old colt Pierro in the Group 1 $350,000 Cellarbrations Canterbury Stakes (1300m).
Randwick trainer John O’Shea decided to run Sea Siren first up in the Galaxy with 56kg and Cassidy is certain to give the multiple Group 1 winning mare the run of the race from barrier two.
“It’s a fair weight. We think the weight’s OK so she will run and she’s in very good order, ready to go,” O’Shea added.
Sea Siren is having her first run since a disappointing ninth to Lord Kanaloa in the Group 1 HK$15m Longines Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) at Sha Tin in Hong Kong on December 9.
The Fastnet Rock mare went to Hong Kong as one of the favourites after winning the Group 1 $500,000 Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on October 26 beating the Peter Snowden trained Mental who then reversed the placings in the Group 1 $1m Patinack Farm Classic (1200m) at Flemington on November 10.
“She had no luck in Hong Kong where she was absolutely poleaxed, and it will be nice to turn things around for the owners and trainer John O’Shea. She’s going great,” Cassidy said.
Sea Siren has an excellent first up record winning both the Manikato Stakes and the Group 1 $400,000 Bundaberg Distilling Co. BTC Cup (1200m) at Doomben during last year’s Brisbane Winter Carnival at her first run back from a break.
The Galaxy has pulled together a capacity field of fourteen runners plus four emergencies but the big field hasn’t done Hay List any favours with the top weight coming up with gate fourteen in the original draw with all the emergencies drawn inside.
This year’s running of the Galaxy has been brought forward and is now sandwiched in between the Group 2 $175,000 Challenge Stakes (1000m) at Warwick Farm on March 16 and the Group 1 $1m Darley T J Smith (1200m) at Randwick on April 13.
The progression of distances from the 1000m to the 1200m has been welcomed by trainers, especially Rosehill mentor Gerald Ryan who will be saddling up speedster Snitzerland in the Galaxy after the filly set a new 1000m Warwick Farm track record in the Challenge Stakes.
“The programming changes are a great idea, I really like the concept,” Ryan said.
“Having The Galaxy before the T.J. Smith is a sensible move.”
The Galaxy has attracted a great bunch of sprinters including Victorian sprinter Bel Sprinter (barrier 15), last year’s winner Temple Of Boom (10) and Peter Moody’s Golden Archer (4) as well as local hopes Decision Time (12), Tiger Tees (18) and Howmuchdoyouloveme (3).
