The 2015 Rosehill Guineas field has been released and seven gallopers are set to contest the Group 1 event at Rosehill Gardens this weekend.
Hallowed Crown has been included in the 2015 Rosehill Guineas field. Photo by: Steve Hart
Hallowed Crown (barrier seven) has been the star three-year-old of the 2015 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival to date and he has the chance to record a third win at the highest level of racing in the Rosehill Guineas on Saturday.
The Street Sense colt returned to racing with a tough victory in the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill Gardens on February 21 before he upstaged Sweynesse and Shooting To Win to take out the Group 1 Royal Randwick Guineas (1600m) on March 7.
Sweynesse (barrier five) is also set to back-up in the Rosehill Guineas and the Lonhro colt will be stepping-up to 2000 metres for the first time since he finished an unlucky eighth in the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 25.
The three-year-old has finished behind Hallowed Crown in both the Hobartville Stakes and the Royal Randwick Guineas, but has previously had two race starts over 2000 metres, while Hallowed Crown will be stepping up to the trip for the first time.
Rounding out the horses in the Rosehill Guineas field that contested the Royal Randwick Guineas a fortnight is Chris Waller-trained Preferment.
Preferment (barrier one) has made a slow start to his autumn campaign and he finished at the tail of the field in the Royal Randwick Guineas, but the Victoria Derby winner is sure to relish the step-up to 2000 metres this weekend.
Another race that is set to prove a key form guide to the Rosehill Guineas is the Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2400m).
Mongolian Khan (barrier six) has won six of his seven race starts and he stamped himself as one of the most promising stayers in Australasia when he recorded a tough victory in the New Zealand Derby at Ellerslie on February 28.
The Holy Roman Emperor colt took out the Group 2 Waikato Guineas (2000m) at Te Rapa, but trainer Murray Baker is unsure whether the three-year-old can win the Rosehill Guineas this weekend and believes that he will be better suited in the Group 1 Australian Derby (2400m) at Royal Randwick on April 4.
Donna Logan-trained Volkstok’N’Barrell (barrier two) finished second behind Mongolian Khan in the New Zealand Derby and he will have the chance to turn-the-tables on his rival in the Rosehill Guineas.
Volkstok’N’Barrell is also on a New Zealand Derby path, but has shown an ability to perform at his best over shorter trips after taking out the Group 2 Great Northern Guineas (1600m) and Listed Karaka Mile (1600m) in New Zealand this preparation.
Hampton Court (barrier four) will have an opportunity to record a second Group 1 win over 2000 metres in the Rosehill Guineas, but has failed to perform at his best in two race starts this preparation, while the final field is rounded out by Allan Denham-trained Pounamu (barrier three).
