Field of 12 to contest the Run To The Rose

A high quality field of twelve three year olds are set to contest the Group 2 $175,000 MTA Run To The Rose (1200m) at Rosehill on Saturday.

Astern, above, is one of four runners for trainer John O'Shea in the Run To  The Rose at Rosehill. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Astern, above, is one of four runners for trainer John O’Shea in the Run To The Rose at Rosehill. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

The Team Hawkes trained Star Turn opened up his Spring Carnival campaign with an impressive first up win in the Group 3 $150,000 Smithfield RSL Club San Domenico Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill on August 13 and gets his chance to make it two from two this campaign.

Star Turn has drawn barrier five and will be ridden again by Tommy Berry and the Star Witness colt has the chance to secure a spot at the top of the Golden Rose Stakes market at Ladbrokes.com.au if he can find his way to the winner’s stall again.

Trainer John O’Shea will saddle up four Godolphin owned colts looking to enhance their chances for the Golden Rose Stakes, Astern, Tessera, Telperion and Impending.

Astern will wear the number one saddle cloth with James McDonald aboard and will jump from barrier three.

Tessera has drawn next to him at four with Kathy O’Hara in the saddle while Impending will jump from barrier six with Brenton Avdulla getting the mount.

Telperion has figured the worse of the O’Shea quartet in the barrier draw and will jump one from barrier eleven with Jason Collett booked to ride.

The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained El Divino has drawn the rails with Hugh Bowman given the job of steering the half-brother to champion mare Winx.

El Divino is set to clash again with Astern after the pair dead heated in the Group 3 $200,000 Widden Kindergarten Stakes (1100m) at Randwick on the first day of ‘The Championships’ during the Sydney Autumn Carnival.

Premiership winning trainer Chris Waller has two runners in Cellarman and Nikitas.

Cellarman has drawn barrier eight with Kerrin McEvoy to ride and will be having his first run back since winning the Listed $100,000 Wintergarden Stakes (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 25 while the former Queensland trained Nikitas will be having his first start for the Waller stable.

Father and son racing team of Peter and Paul Snowden will saddle up the promising Mediterranean who will jump from gate nine with Blake Shinn on board.

Gadfly from the Paul Perry stable has drawn the outside at twelve with Tim Clark and former New Zealand colt Manolo Blahniq, now prepared by Mornington trainer Tony Noonan, has drawn well at barrier two for Joshua Parr.

James Cummings has Good Standing representing the stable and the Artie Schiller colt has drawn wide at ten with Glyn Schofield to ride.

Early market order for The Run To The Rose at Ladbrokes.com.au: $3.90 Star Turn, $4.80 Impending, $5.50 El Divino, Mediterranean, $7.50 Astern, $9 Telperion, $13 Good Standing, $31 Tessera, $41 Manolo Blahniq, $51 Nikitas, $81 Cellarman, $151 Gadfly.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.