Cox Plate winner Adelaide will miss this Saturday’s Group 1 $1m George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill and be saved for the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick on day two of ‘The Championships’.
Adelaide will miss the George Ryder Stakes and be saved for the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Sarah Ebbett.
Champion English jockey Ryan Moore was on hand to ride Adelaide in a gallop at Rosehill this morning and even though he was happy with the workout, Coolmore representative James Bester would like to wait for the Group 1 $4m Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on April 11.
“The final decision will be down to the trainer Chris Waller but it’s highly unlikely he will run in the George Ryder,” Bester told RSN.
“He doesn’t need a race to bring him on for the Queen Elizabeth.
“Ryan was delighted with his gallop this morning. He was up against a horse who was beaten a nose in a 1300 metre Group One last start so you would expect her to be in front.
“He is a naturally clean winded horse and the George Ryder would have just been a preparatory race and he doesn’t need it.”
Adelaide was ridden by Moore when he won the 2014 Group 1 $3m Sportingbet Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley while under the care of Ireland’s number one trainer Aidan O’Brien.
The Galileo four year old was then transferred to Sydney’s premier trainer Chris Waller to prepare him for the rich Sydney Autumn Carnival and ‘The Championships.’
Waller has given Adelaide two barrier trials in preparation for his return to the racetrack with the four year being unplaced in a 900m Rosehill trail on February 17 and then beat two home in a 1200m Warwick Farm trial on a heavy 10 on March 12.
Waller will still be strongly represented in the George Ryder with Sacred Falls, Royal Descent, Moriarty, Weary, I’m Imposing and Kermadec also among the nominations for the $1m weight for age race.
Kermadec is also nominated for the Group 1 $500,000 TAB Rosehill Guineas (2000m) on Saturday and returns to Sydney after finishing an unlucky fourth in the Group 1 $500,000 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on March 7.
The George Ryder will also be without the Bart and James Cummings trained three year old Hallowed Crown who will go around against his own age group in the Rosehill Guineas.
