Caulfield Guineas The Likely Target For Rageese

Co-trainer Michael Hawkes has revealed that the 2015 Caulfield Guineas is set to be the major 2015 Spring Racing Carnival target for Rageese.

Rageese finished a close second behind Pride Of Dubai (pictured) in the 2015 edition of the Caulfield Guineas. Photo by: Steve Hart

Rageese finished a close second behind Pride Of Dubai (pictured) in the 2015 edition of the Caulfield Guineas. Photo by: Steve Hart

Rageese made his racing debut with a flat effort behind Sampeah at Rosehill Gardens on November 29 last year, but he produced a most improved performance to finish second in the Group 2 Pago Pago Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 14 before he was only narrowly denied by Pride Of Dubai in the Group 1 Sires Produce Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick on April 6.

Hawkes believes that Rageese was very unlucky not to win a race during his two-year-old campaign, but he told Racing Ahead that the Street Cry colt had returned to his Rosehill Gardens stable as a much bigger horse and looks as though he will be an ideal horse for both the Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill Gardens on September 12 and the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on October 10.

“He was probably a bit unlucky that day not to win at Rosehill,” Hawkes said of Rageese in the Pago Pago Stakes.

Tommy (Berry) came out a big wide, he probably should have stayed on the inside and he definitely would have won that day.

“After that run he was a tired horse and we got to the Sires, where I thought he was a very good chance and he nearly pulled it off.

“It was a super effort, but he was just a big baby and he has come back now and he looks enormous.

“He is bigger, he is stronger, he is still a maiden, but hopefully something like the Golden Rose or possibly the Caulfield Guineas is for him down the track.

“You will see the best of him once he gets to the mile.”

Rageese, along with the likes of Vancouver and Pride Of Dubai, will have the opportunity to become the first horse since In Top Swing in 2003 to win the Golden Rose and the Caulfield Guineas in the same year, while he will have the chance to join Lonhro (2001) and All Too Hard (2012) as the only Team Hawkes-trained winners of the Caulfield Guineas.

Vancouver is currently available at 2015 Caulfield Guineas odds of $4 and is a clear favourite from Pride Of Dubai ($6), Press Statement ($8), Exosphere ($9), Ready For Victory ($11) and Mogador ($13).

About The Author

Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.