Continuing a killer day at Rosehill Gardens for trainer Gerald Ryan, progressive colt Trapeze Artist upset a field of better fancied three-year-olds to take out the Golden Rose Stakes 2017 at big odds on way to a possible Epsom Handicap run in seven days’ time.

Upset Golden Rose Stakes winner Trapeze Artist could back-up in the Epsom Handicap 2017 against the older horses. Photo: Steve Hart.

Earlier on the card Ryan won the Group 2 Shannon Stakes (1500m) with Washington Heights, who is now exempt from ballot for next weekend’s Group 1 $1 million Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Royal Randwick.

Ryan was sketchy post-race about backing Washington Heights up in the Epsom Handicap field, but was quick to name the mile classic as a target for his shock Golden Rose Stakes winner Trapeze Artist.

“Don’t be surprised if this horse backs up in the Epsom next week with 48 [kg] on his back,” Ryan said.

Plenty of punters expected Ryan to win the Group 1 $1 million Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) for the first time this Sydney Spring Racing Carnival, but not with $41 outsider Trapeze Artist.

The Golden Rose odds firmly favoured his The Run To The Rose winning stablemate Menari ($2.35), out to do the double four the fourth year on the trot.

Instead Menari had to settle for third in the official Golden Rose Stakes trifecta, dominated by runaway winner Trapeze Artist and completed by the Bjorn Baker-trained filly Champagne Cuddles who ran third after coming from last in running.

Snitzel colt Trapeze Artist was the forgotten horse in the Golden Rose field coming off a lead-up fourth behind Gold Standard at the track a fortnight back in the Group 2 Stan Fox Stakes (1500m).

“I was really happy with the horse going into the race,” Ryan said of Trapeze Artist.

“I wasn’t surprised…this horse has been flying under the radar. Because of the path I’d taken him everyone just forgot about him.

“He’s only been aimed at one race and one race only and he’s done it today.

“I said he’d run top three….he’s beaten them easy.”

Dropping back to 1400m third-up, the Group 3 Black Opal Stakes winner was rock hard fit and relished having the blinkers back on to sharpen him up.

Trapeze Artist showed his class as a juvenile in the spring when only one and a half-lengths third to Invader at Randwick in the Group 1 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m), the horse beaten that day by a Heavy (8) track.

Firmer going on Golden Rose Day and a perfectly-timed ride by jockey Tye Angland who as aboard the horse for the first time had Trapeze Artist back in winning form.

His short-priced stablemate Menari was one of the first into stride before settling third in running behind the leaders Perast and The Mission who set a blistering pace up front.

That hard pace in the Group 1 suited some better than others, especially Trapeze Artist who loomed at the point of the turn and was going better than anything else.

He raced away for an absolutely sensational win in the high-pressure event, making up all the ground and bolting in in front of a gun field of three-year-olds.

“He won it a long way out,” Angland said.

The colt was equal 79^th on the Epsom Handicap ballot prior to his Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes win, but now looks set to become the first three-year-old in the race since 1987.

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2017 Golden Rose Stakes Results & Finishing Order

Rosehill Race 7 – 23/09/2017