Rosehill Guineas May Be Too Short For Mongolian Khan

Trainer Murray Baker has revealed that the 2000 metres of the 2015 Rosehill Guineas may prove too short for New Zealand Derby winner Mongolian Khan.

Murray Baker is chasing more silverware in Australia with Mongolian Khan during the 2015 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival. Photo by: Steve Hart

Murray Baker is chasing more silverware in Australia with Mongolian Khan during the 2015 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival. Photo by: Steve Hart

Mongolian Khan took out the Listed Guineas Prelude (2100m), Group 2 Waikato Guineas (2000m) and Group 2 Avondale Guineas (2100m) in his summer preparation in New Zealand before he outstayed Volkstok’n’barrell to win the Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie on February 28.

Baker told Racing Ahead that Mongolian Khan will be going into the 2015 Rosehill Guineas fresh after a brief stint in the spelling paddock, but feels that 2000 metres is short of the Holy Roman Emperor colt’s best and believes that the three-year-old will be better suited in the Group 1 Australian Derby (2400m) at Royal Randwick on April 4.

“He seems to have settled in very well here and he will go into the race probably a little bit fresh,” Baker said.

“He hasn’t raced for three weeks and he had a bit of a break in the spelling farm after the Derby win.

“It will be interesting to see how he goes.

“He has a good record past a mile and he certainly stays well.

“He is a relaxed horse in the run and he has the pace to take a position.

“It is going to be interesting this week, but I feel that he is more a of a long distance horse than a 2000 metres horse.

“It looks like a very good race this week and if he is running on then we will be happy.”

Mongolian Khan has shown plenty of tactical versatility during his racing career to date and has generally been ridden fairly aggressively by jockey Opie Bosson in his past four starts at Stakes level.

Bosson elected to settle Mongolian Khan right on the speed in his previous starts over 2000 and 2100 metres, but Baker said that the three-year-old does not necessarily have to take up the running in the early stages of the Rosehill Guineas, while Baker is not concerned about how the Rosehill Gardens track is presented this weekend.

“I will just leave it up to Opie and see how the race pans out,” Baker said.

“I would say that he wouldn’t be too far from the pace.

“He has won three on soft and three on good going and we will just take it how it is.”

Mongolian Khan is currently available at 2015 Rosehill Guineas odds of $6 and is on the fourth line of betting behind Hallowed Crown ($4), Sweynesse ($4) and Kermadec ($4.20).

About The Author

Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.