Golden Rose fancy Yankee Rose is back in contention for the first Group 1 of the Sydney Spring Carnival on Saturday with a pleasing gallop in between races at the Sunshine Coast races on Sunday.
Yankee Rose, above, is back in the mix for the Golden Rose at Rosehill. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Trainer David Vandyke put the blinkers back on her in the gallop and she will wear the hood again when she lines up in the Group 1 $1m De Bortoli Wines Golden Rose (1400m) at Rosehill on the weekend.
Yankee Rose has had an interrupted preparation for her Spring Carnival return with poor barrier trial performances and minor injuries but Vandyke was feeling better after the filly’s latest gallop.
“She had a good blow and her heart rate was up but her recovery was good,” Vandyke told Sky Thoroughbred Central.
“She is a frustrating filly to train. She doesn’t do a lot in training or trials and she had a joint issue a couple of weeks ago.
“I put the blinkers on and we saw an improved horse.
“She was committed to the cause and really worked to the line strongly.
“Bringing her to the races and putting the blinkers has done the trick.”
Yankee Rose failed to fire in two recent Sunshine Coast barrier trials and it looked like the All American filly was struggling to regain her two year old form that saw her run second to Capitalist in the Group 1 $3.5m Longines Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill before winning the Group 1 $1m Inglis Sires’ (1400m) at Randwick during the Sydney Autumn Carnival.
But Vandyke will now send the filly back to Sydney on Thursday with an air of confidence of winning her second Group 1 trophy before going on to run in the Group 1 $500,000 Flight Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on October 1.
“I’ll do a bit with her on Wednesday and she will leave for Sydney on Thursday,” Vandyke said.
“She runs in the Golden Rose and then it’s three weeks to the Flight Stakes which is her most serious goal this preparation.”
Honk Kong based jockey Zac Purton was aboard Yankee Rose during the Autumn and will fly in again to partner the filly on the weekend.
One time Golden Rose favourite, Yankee Rose is now on the fourth line of betting at $9 with Ladbrokes.com.au behind the John O’Shea trained Astern at $3.20, Team Hawkes’ Divine Prophet at $4 and $5 chance Omei Sword from the Chris Waller stable.
Early Golden Rose market order at Ladbrokes.com.au: $3.20 Astern, $4 Divine Prophet, $5 Omei Sword, $9 Yankee Rose, $10 Impending, $11 Derryn, $15 El Divino, $17 Thronum, $19 Mediterranean, $26 Good Standing $31 Nikitas.
