A wet track at Rosehill on Saturday will suit Mediterranean when he lines up in the Group 2 $175,000 MTA Run To The Rose (1200m).
Jockey Blake Shinn, above, rides Mediterranean in the Run To The Rose at Rosehill. Photo by Steve Hart.
The Rosehill track was rated a heavy 8 today after receiving 25.5mm in the last twenty-four hours and there are more showers forecast in the lead up to the weekend.
Mediterranean finished an unlucky second on a heavy 10 to Thronum in the Listed $100,000 The Rosebud (1200m) at Randwick on August 6 and co-trainer Paul Snowden isn’t worried about the colt facing another rain affected track.
“You have to look at it like that and he raced on a heavy track the other day and it didn’t seem to be a problem,” Snowden told The Daily Telegraph.
“He just lost his momentum at a very crucial stage at the (300m mark) and he was just treading water waiting for something to happen.”
“(After) the line he is in front and he should have won.”
Paul Snowden trains in partnership with his father Peter and they are hoping that Mediterranean can earn a spot in the Group 1 $1m Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on September 10 and fill the void left by their stable star Capitalist who will miss the Group 1 for the three year olds.
“He has got to do something because he is down in the order of entry (58th) so he needs to earn a bit of cash,” Snowden said.
“I don’t think he was a second-tier horse or anything like that and he was always going to turn out to be in some pretty smart races and he is a pretty good horse himself.”
Golden Slipper winner Capitalist was ruled out of taking his place in the Golden Rose Stakes after failing first up as a short priced favourite when fourth to Star Turn in the Group 3 $150,000 Smithfield RSL Club San Domenico Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill on August 13.
Capitalist has since returned from a short stint in the paddock and will now be directed towards the Group 1 $500,000 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on the first day of the four day Melbourne Cup Carnival.
Blake Shinn takes the ride on Mediterranean in the Run To The Rose and the Smart Missile colt will jump from the barrier nine in the twelve horse field.
Mediterranean is well in contention for the Run To The Rose according to Ladbrokes.com.au who have the colt on the third line of betting at $5 behind San Domenico Stakes winner Star Turn at $3.90 and the John O’Shea trained Impending at $4.60.
Early market order for The Run To The Rose at Ladbrokes.com.au: $3.90 Star Turn, $4.60 Impending, $5 Mediterranean, $5.50 El Divino, $7 Astern, $13 Telperion, $14 Good Standing, $34 Tessera, $41 Manolo Blahniq, $51 Nikitas, $67 Cellarman, $151 Gadfly.
