The 2015 Golden Pendant field has been released and Catkins is set to contest the Group 2 event that will be held at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
Catkins returned to racing with an outstanding win in the 2015 Sheraco Stakes. Photo by: Steve Hart
Catkins failed to fire in the Group 1 Tattersall’s Tiara (1400m) at the end of her autumn campaign and trainer Chris Waller indicated before her first-up run that the Dubawi mare was far from peak fitness, but she returned to her blistering best to record a most impressive victory in the Group 3 Sheraco Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on September 12.
The six-year-old was included in the nominations for the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) that was released earlier in the week, but Waller has elected to keep her in Sydney and she will have the chance to win the Golden Pendant for the first time after she was upset by Arabian Gold in the race last year.
Arabian Gold has changed stables since she took out the Golden Pendant last year, but her new trainer Gai Waterhouse has given her the chance to defend her title in the $400,000 race.
There was plenty of support in the lead-up top her return to racing in the Group 2 Tramway Stakes (1400m) and she could finish no better than fourth behind Hooked, but she is sure to have taken plenty of benefit out of the run.
Arabian Gold is joined in the 2015 Golden Pendant field by stablemate Amanpour, who is the only Group 1 winner in the feature event.
Amanpour took out the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) in the final race start of her 2015 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival campaign, but she was very disappointing when she returned to the races in the Group 2 Theo Marks Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill Gardens on September 12.
The Sheraco Stakes is set to be the key form reference for the Golden Pendant as Slightly Sweet and Peeping are also set to back-up this weekend, while Two Blue, Berry Delicious and Vergara will come out of the Group 3 Tibbie Stakes (1400m) that was held at Newcastle on September 18.
Two Blue produced a typically consistent performance to finish second behind She’s Clean, while Vergara and Berry Delicious both missed the placings.
Hugh Bowman has reclaimed the ride on Catkins after James McDonald rode her to victory in the Sheraco Stakes, while Tommy Berry will take the ride on Arabian Gold.
