Godolphin Racing Manager Jason Walsh has confirmed that talented filly Earthquake is all but certain to take her place in the 2014 Tea Rose Stakes field at Royal Randwick tomorrow.
Earthquake has the chance to return to winning form in the 2014 Tea Rose Stakes at Royal Randwick this weekend. Photo by: Steve Hart
Trainer John O’Shea revealed yesterday that he was considering withdrawing Earthquake from the Tea Rose Stakes, but Walsh told Racing Ahead that the daughter of Exceed And Excel had impressed the Godolphin trainer in the last 24 hours.
“We have all but made up our mind,” Walsh said.
“We are very happy with her this morning and her normal trackwork rider said that she was very bright and well.
“John walked her around the road yesterday afternoon and he is very pleased with her.
“At this stage we are definitely running and we are hoping that she will run very well.
“A final decision will be made prior to scratching time this morning, but at this stage we will be presenting her tomorrow and are expecting her to run at her best.”
Earthquake returned to the races in the Group 2 Furious Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on September 6 and led in the early stages of the race before she tired in the final stages to finish third behind the undefeated Winx and Alpha Miss.
Walsh said that Godolpin were happy with the performance of Earthquake in the Furious Stakes and he believes that the three-year-old has taken plenty of improvement out of her first-up run heading into the Tea Rose Stakes.
“We were very pleased with it,” Walsh said.
“As we said going in, it was far from ideal starting first-up on a heavy track like she did, but she was genuine and strong to the line.
“They are a strong group of three-year-old fillies and the winner was impressive, but she has come on a lot.
“She has made significant improvement there in the past couple of weeks.”
Earthquake will be having her first race start over 1400 metres in the Tea Rose Stakes and Walsh admits that the brilliant filly is no certainty to run out the trip.
Walsh said that he is confident that Earthquake can run out a strong 1400 metres due to her ability to settle in the early stages of races and he revealed that a decision will be made about whether the Group 1 winner presses on to races like the Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) and Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) after Godolphin see how she performs in the Tea Rose Stakes.
“We don’t really know that answer until tomorrow,” Walsh said.
“She is a very relaxed filly and you would have noticed that throughout her two-year-old year that she settled very well in running and she can take up a position and then drop the bridle, which is important.
“Being by Exceed and such a brilliant two-year-old there is a question mark, but we are confident at this stage that she will get seven (furlongs) and we will decide if we keep going based on her performance tomorrow.”
Earthquake is currently available at 2014 Tea Rose Stakes odds of $2.70 and is on the second line of betting behind Furious Stakes winner Winx ($2.25).
