The 2015 Golden Rose Stakes field has been released and only nine gallopers are set to contest the Group 1 event at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
Exosphere stamped himself as a Golden Rose favourite with an impressive win in the Run To The Rose. Photo by: Steve Hart
The Run To The Rose is the traditional lead-up race to the Golden Rose Stakes and it is set to be the key form reference for the 2015 edition of the race.
Exosphere was a big drifter in the lead-up to the Group 2 Run To The Rose (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on August 29, but he showed an impressive turn-of-foot in the final stages of the race to record a most impressive victory.
Press Statement carried the top weight of 60 kilograms in the in The Run To The Rose and he was still able to stamp himself as a leading Golden Rose Stakes contender with a tough second place finish.
The Hinchinbrook colt started his racing career with two wins from as many starts in Sydney before he made the trip to Brisbane to score an impressive win in the Group 1 JJ Atkins (1600m) at Doomben on June 6.
The other horse that is set to come out of the Run To The Rose is Godolphin-owned Holler, who returned to a semblance of his best form with a fighting third place finish in the Group 2 event.
Holler will be joined in the 2015 Golden Rose Stakes field by stablemate Shards, who started his 2015 Spring Racing Carnival campaign with a fast-finishing win in the Group 3 Up And Coming Stakes (1300m) at Royal Randwick on August 22.
Hong Kong-based hoop Joao Moreira has been booked to ride Shards in the Golden Rose Stakes and the Medaglia D’Oro colt will likely be settled in the second half of the field after he jumps from barrier six.
Sebring Sun chased Shards home in the Up And Coming Stakes, but he will have the chance to turn-the-tables on his rival in the Golden Rose.
The Gary Portelli-trained colt started his spring campaign with a maiden win at Canterbury on July 29 and he was too strong for his rivals in the Listed The Rosebud (1200m) at Royal Randwick on August 8, but he was left with too much work to do in the Up And Coming Stakes.
Gai Waterhouse will not have Vancouver in the 2015 Golden Rose Stakes field, but she will be still be represented by talented filly Speak Fondly, who has recorded two wins from as many starts this preparation.
Speak Fondly led from start to finish when she returned to racing in the Group 2 Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on August 22 and she earnt an opportunity against the colts when she won the Group 2 Furious Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
Another horse that will bring winning form into the Golden Rose Stakes is Peter Moody-trained Gold Symphony, who will jump from the inside gate with Tommy Berry in the saddle.
Gold Symphony bounced back from a defeat at Flemington on July 18 to win the Group 3 Vain Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on August 15 and he put himself into Golden Rose contention with another tough win in the Group 3 McNeil Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on August 29.
The 2015 Golden Rose Stakes field is rounded out by Team Hawkes-trained Rageese (barrier nine) and The Rosebud placegetter Let’s Make It Rain (barrier eight).
