Rageese is currently available at 2015 Golden Rose Stakes odds of $17, but co-trainer Wayne Hawkes is confident that the promising colt can record an upset win in the Group 1 event at Rosehill Gardens this weekend.
Brenton Avdulla has been booked to ride Rageese in the 2015 Golden Rose Stakes at Rosehill Gardens this weekend. Photo by: Daniel Costello
Rageese started his 2015 Spring Racing Carnival with a slightly flat fourth place finish behind Sebring Sun in the Listed The Rosebud (1200m) at Royal Randwick on August 8, but he was able to record his maiden race win with a comfortable victory at Wyong on August 30..
Hawkes admits that Rageese will face much stiffer competition in the Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) this weekend, but he told Racing Ahead that the Street Cry colt has done everything right ahead of the Group 1 event this weekend.
“He is really, really good,” Hawkes said.
“Nine of nine is a touch ordinary, but it is certainly a race that he is going to be highly competitive in and he has done well to win the other day.
“I know that it was a step back, but it was a step back to give him a bit of confidence, to give him a kill and then away he goes.
“We thought that his first-up win was great, he just got way too far back and got flattened coming out of the barriers.
“He will be in it up to his ears tomorrow.”
While Hawkes is delighted with the condition of Rageese, he is concerned about the wide barrier draw as the three-year-old is set to start from the outside barrier in the Golden Rose Stakes.
Hawkes admits that he is unsure where Rageese will settle in the early stages of the Golden Rose Stakes and he believes that the Sires Produce Stakes runner-up will need some luck in running to record a maiden win at the highest level of racing.
“It is hard to know where he is going to be in the run,” Hawkes said.
“You need to be betting 15 yards after they have jumped with this bloke unfortunately because from 9 of 9 you would hope that you can slot in somewhere.
“When you draw bad barriers you are dictated to by the rest and it makes it very difficult.
“He just needs that little bit of luck in the first 50 yards.”
Rageese is currently available at 2015 Golden Rose Stakes odds of $17 with Ladbrokes, while Exosphere ($3) is a narrow favourite from Press Statement ($3.20) and Speak Fondly ($4.40).
