Up And Coming Stakes Next For Sebring Sun

Sebring Sun will press on to races like the 2015 Up And Coming Stakes and the Golden Rose Stakes following his impressive victory in the Listed The Rosebud (1200m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

Sebring Sun was too good for his rivals in The Rosebud at Royal Randwick on Saturday. Photo by: Steve Hart

Sebring Sun was too good for his rivals in The Rosebud at Royal Randwick on Saturday. Photo by: Steve Hart

Sebring Sun was well-backed in the lead-up to The Rosebud following his maiden race win at Canterbury on July 29 and jockey Brenton Avdulla settled the son of Sebring just worse than midfield in the early stages of the race while big drifter Rageese was settled at the tail of the field.

Avdulla got Sebring Sun to the outside of The Rosebud field coming into the straight and he picked up nicely without being asked for an extra effort before he put away the field in fairly comfortable fashion in the final 200 metres to record a strong win from Voilier and Let’s Make It Rain.

Trainer Gary Portelli has always had a big opinion of Sebring Sun and he believes that the three-year-old has now proven that he is worthy of a place in races like the Group 3 Up And Coming Stakes (1300m) at Royal Randwick on August 22 and the Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill Gardens on September 12.

“I’ve always thought he could step up but you worry when they come up against the better horses,” Portelli told the media after the race.

“I think he has shown he can and he will have to if he’s going to meet horse like Vancouver in the Golden Rose.

“He will go to the Up And Coming Stakes in three weeks and then to the big race.”

Avdulla rode Sebring Sun for the first time since he finished second on debut in the Betting Season Plate (1000m) at Royal Randwick on October 11 and he said that he went into the race full of confidence that the colt would have too much speed for his opposition in the final stages of The Rosebud.

“He is a lovely horse,” he said.

“I had to get a bit further back than I wanted and had to time my run, but I was confident and he did what I expected.”

Sebring Sun is currently available at 2015 The Rosebud odds of $17 with Ladbrokes and he is on the ninth line of betting behind Vancouver ($3.20), Pride Of Dubai ($8), Exosphere ($13), Mogador ($13), Press Statement ($13), English ($15), Headwater ($15) and Lake Geneva ($15).

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.