On Saturday Royal Randwick hosts the opening Group 1 race meeting of the Sydney Spring Racing Carnival and a key support act on the card is the 2017 Tea Rose Stakes for Flight Stakes bound fillies.
Silver Shadow – Furious Stakes double winner Formality is up in distance for the 2017 Tea Rose Stakes at Randwick on Saturday. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
Racing in Sydney on the weekend is headlined by the latest run by Winx who chases win number 20 on the trot in the Group 1 George Main Stakes (1600m), a race she won on way to her second Cox Plate success last season.
Also on the program a host of smart three-year-old fillies will do battle in the Group 2 $200,000 Tea Rose Stakes (1400m), the set weights clash attracted a bumper 17 nominations on Monday.
The Tea Rose Stakes is the traditional spring lead-up into the Group 1 $500,000 Flight Stakes (1600m) back at Randwick in a fortnight, a double last completed by First Seal (2014).
In flying form and heading the Tea Rose Stakes nominations is the Lindsay Park-trained Formality chasing her third win from as many starts this time in.
The daughter of Fastnet Rock took out the Group 2 Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m) and then the Group 2 Furious Stakes (1200m) in narrow fashion to kick off her three-year-old bid.
The Blue Diamond placegetter will need to be improving as she gets out over 1400m for the first time and faces the same gun fillies that have been hot on her heels this campaign.
Pre-field Tea Rose Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au have Formality as the $4.60 third elect, futures markets led by Champagne Cuddles ($3.20).
The Bjorn Baker-trained improver is third-up and comes off two close placings in the traditional lead-up races behind Formality.
The daughter of Not A Single Doubt ran third first-up in the Silver Shadow before a nostril flare separated her and the winner for her Furious Stakes second, which she is tipped to go one better than for breakthrough black-type win on the weekend.
The other top Tea Rose Stakes contender according to the bookies at nomination stage is Formality’s stablemate, Tulip ($4), who comes off a first-up second over 1200m at Moonee Valley.
She is back in Sydney for the first time since her fifth to Invader in the Group 1 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) in April, before which the Group 3 winning daughter of Pierro finished third to She Will Reign in the Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m).
Other standout entries include the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Pandemonium coming off successive wins over 1400m and 1600m respectively in Sydney, Sepoy filly Alizee whose latest run produced a fourth when a half-length off Formality in the Furious Stakes and third placegetter in the same lead-up I Am Excited.
Check out the full Tea Rose Stakes 2017 nominations below, markets at Ladbrokes.com.au to be updated on Wednesday when the official field is released by Racing NSW.
2017 Tea Rose Stakes Nominations
Randwick Racecourse – 16/09/2017
| # | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Ballot | Weight | Hcp. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11302×11 | FORMALITY | F | 3 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 1 | 56kg | 88 |
| 2 | 124135×2 | TULIP | F | 3 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 2 | 56kg | 83 |
| 3 | 1x1x32 | CHAMPAGNE CUDDLES | F | 3 | Bjorn Baker | 3 | 56kg | 80 |
| 4 | 15195×4 | ONE MORE HONEY | F | 3 | John P Thompson | 4 | 56kg | 78 |
| 5 | 3x4113x7 | WHISPERED SECRET | F | 3 | Kris Lees | 5 | 56kg | 82 |
| 6 | 140x1x12 | CELLARGIRL | F | 3 | Kelly Schweida | 6 | 56kg | 76 |
| 7 | 425×124 | ALIZEE | F | 3 | James Cummings | 7 | 56kg | 78 |
| 8 | 324×621 | SWEET DEAL | F | 3 | John P Thompson | 8 | 56kg | 66 |
| 9 | 43x5862x4 | AFRICAN RAINBOW | F | 3 | Bjorn Baker | 9 | 56kg | – |
| 10 | 31×53 | I AM EXCITED | F | 3 | David Pfieffer | 10 | 56kg | 78 |
| 11 | 359×411 | PANDEMONIUM | F | 3 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | 11 | 56kg | 70 |
| 12 | 2×311 | ACQUME | F | 3 | Brad Widdup | 12 | 56kg | 70 |
| 13 | 112 | REGIMEN | F | 3 | James Cummings | 13 | 56kg | 71 |
| 14 | 36x57130x2 | LEGAL GIRL | F | 3 | Clarry Conners | 14 | 56kg | 63 |
| 15 | 40×021 | TORVILL | F | 3 | Clarry Conners | 15 | 56kg | 63 |
| 16 | 6×13 | BELLA SUCCESS | F | 3 | Chris Waller | 16 | 56kg | 62 |
| 17 | 674×34 | SMOOTH LANDING | F | 3 | John P Thompson | 17 | 56kg | – |
