Rosehill rated Dead 5 for Golden Rose Stakes Day

For the first time in a month Sydney won’t be racing on a heavy surface with the Rosehill track being rated a dead 5 for Golden Rose Stakes Day.

Hallowed Crown is well in contention for the Golden Rose Stakes.

Hallowed Crown is well in contention for the Golden Rose Stakes. Photo by Steve Hart.

The Rosehill track continued to improve all week after being rated heavy on Monday but Australian Turf Club General Manager for racecourses Lindsay Murphy was hopeful it would reach the dead range with favourable weather conditions heading into the weekend.

“We’re not that far off a dead track, so what happens with the weather in the next 24 hours will be critical,” Murphy said on Friday.

And with no rain recorded in the last twenty-four hours the track was rated a dead 5, but the Sydney forecast for Saturday is for a possible shower or two.

The dead track rating has kept the scratching numbers down with only seven for the eight card program.

World Wide is the only scratching out of the four Group races but the Bede Murray trained eight year old will take his place in the easier $85,000 McGrath Estate Agents Handicap (1800m) after being withdrawn from the Group 3 $125,000 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m).

The John Sadler trained Excited Spirit is out of the McGrath Estate Agents Handicap and Reflectance is out of the $85,000 Sportsyear Sprint (1200m) but will run in the $85,000 PJ’s Irish Pub Parramatta Handicap (1400m) which has been hardest hit with the field being reduced to eleven runners after the withdrawal of Rock Hero, Mountain View, Tonopah and Marwood.

The Peter Moody trained Bring Me The Maid has maintained her spot at the head of Group 1 $1m De Bortoli Wines Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) market order and is the clear cut favourite at $3.80 with Ladbrokes.com.au

Better Land, also from the Moody stable, continues to receive plenty of support and shares the second line of betting at $5.50 with the Bart and James Cummings trained Hallowed Crown.

Nostradamus from the Team Hawkes camp and the Gai Waterhouse Group 1 winner Almalad both eased overnight and are now each marked at $10.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.