Golden Pendant short price favourite Catkins will chase an elusive Group 1 win later in the Spring Carnival if she performs up to expectation and wins her second start this preparation at Rosehill on Saturday.
Catkins is expected to win again in the Golden Pendant at Rosehill. Photo by Steve Hart.
Catkins scored the easiest of wins first up from a spell as the $1.90 favourite in the Group 3 $125,000 Irresistible Pool & Spas Sheraco Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on September 13 and is odds on again facing similar opposition under similar conditions in the Group 3 $300,000 PJ’s Irish Pub Parramatta Golden Pendant (1400m).
In early markets for the Golden Pendant, Catkins dominates the betting at $1.55 with Ladbrokes.com.au with the David Vandyke trained mare Arabian Gold the only other runner under double figures at $6.50.
The Chris Waller trained mare should be winning again on Saturday with the premiership trainer looking to secure a Group 1 win for Catkins when she lines up in the Group 1 $500,000 Myer Classic (1600m) at Flemington on November 1 for the second year in succession.
Catkins was denied a win at the top level by the smallest possible margin when stablemate Red Tracer got the judge’s nod in a tight photo finish in last year’s Myer Classic.
“She’s a very good horse, and good horses make it look easy,’’ Waller told The Daily Telegraph.
“She should be hard to beat again on Saturday. Her rivals will have to improve to beat her. We’re hoping to get her to the Myer Classic.”
“The mile is a bit beyond her best distance, but Saturday will be a good step for her.”
Waller will have to find a suitable lead up run into the Myer Classic after the Golden Pendant but Catkins looks the standout mare of the Spring with the absence of Red Tracer who was retired to stud at the end of the Brisbane Winter Carnival.
“We’ll have to find another run between now and (the Myer Classic),” Waller said.
“Last year she ran at Moonee Valley and then backed up seven days later. But (former stable star) Red Tracer won’t be there this year in the Myer, so we don’t have to worry.’’
As well as her second in the Myer Classic last year, Catkins was also Group 1 placed when third behind Steps In Time and Sweet Idea in the Group 1 $600,000 Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Rosehill during the Sydney Autumn Carnival earlier in the year.
Catkins will be fronting up again to My Sabeel, Neena Rock and Estonian Princess who finished second, third and fifth behind her in the Sheraco Stakes with the well performed Arabian Gold the new mare to contend with.
Arabian Gold struck a golden patch of form in the Autumn with wins in the Group 3 $200,000 TAB Adrian Knox Stakes (2000m) at Randwick and the Group 3 $150,000 Johnnie Walker Frank Packer Plate (2000m) at Randwick.
Vandyke then travelled to Brisbane with Arabian Gold for the Winter Carnival and the mare continued on her winning way with a victory in the Group 2 $175,000 XXXX Gold The Roses (2000m) at Doomben before running second to Tinto in the Group 1 $400,000 Treasury Casino & Hotel Queensland Oaks (2400m) at Eagle Farm.
