Godolphin trainer James Cummings’ stellar start to the spring looks set to continue in Sydney on Saturday with his pre-race favourite, In Secret, coming up trumps with barrier three following the release of the official 2022 Golden Rose Stakes field.
Run To The Rose winning filly In Secret is favourite to take out the 2022 Golden Rose Stakes in Sydney this weekend. Photo: Steve Hart.
A class line-up of 17 three-year-olds faces off in this season’s Group 1 $1 million Chandon Golden Rose Stakes (1400m).
Golden Rose betting at Ladbrokes.com.au has In Secret on top for the Rosehill feature following the I Am Invincible filly’s last start Group 2 Run To The Rose (1200m) win at the track on September 10.
The fellow Cummings-trained Bivouac (2019) donning the Royal Blue was the last horse to complete the Run To The Rose – Golden Rose double.
Cummings is now hoping In Secret can be the next from her favourable gate on Saturday with jockey James McDonald coming back aboard.
McDonald partnered In Secret for her first-up Group 2 Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m) second before Tommy Berry came aboard in The Run To The Rose.
The Silver Shadow form was franked over the weekend with the winning filly Zougotcha claiming victory in the Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes (1400m) with McDonald in the saddle.
McDonald chases his third Golden Rose trophy on Saturday having ridden back-to-back winners for trainer John O’Shea with Exosphere (2015) and Astern (2016).
To do so, he will need to break a notable hoodoo for the fillies in the event with Forensics (March, 2008) the last to beat home the boys in the Golden Rose Stakes results.
Cummings, who also co-trained the race’s 2014 winner Hallowed Crown in partnership with his late grandfather Bart, plays a very strong hand in the event this year also saddling-up the other early fancy Golden Mile from barrier 11.
Sam Clipperton rides the in-form Astern colt who put the writing on the wall with his runaway three-length Group 3 Ming Dynasty Quality win at the track and distance on September 10.
Cummings’ father, Anthony, is also out to add to his Golden Rose silverware.
He prepared the 2008 winner Duporth and returns in 2022 with a livewire chance in She’s Extreme.
Berry partners the well-performed Extreme Choice filly who was huge during her two-year-old season in the autumn.
She’s Extreme was runner-up in the Group Inglis Sires’ (1400m) Berry rode her to a good win in the Group 1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) over the mile in the wet.
The filly is second-up this weekend after running third fresh in the Group 2 Furious Stakes (1200m), and she looks fit and ready to fire in the Group 1.
The other classy fillies in the mix this year are Gary Portelli’s Golden Slipper- Inglis Sires’ double winner Fireburn and the Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Paris Dior who drew wide in barriers 16 and 14 respectively.
Rebel Dane filly Fireburn returned with a credible fifth in the Run To The Rose after her outstanding two-year-old campaign.
She will be better over further second-up this weekend, and the $3.8 million earner shapes-up as one of the key dangers despite her wide alley.
Co-trainer Peter Snowden prepared three Golden Rose winners between 2007 and 2012, including the last filly to salute.
He is back with Paris Dior this weekend who he trains in partnership with his son Paul.
The gun daughter of Pierro won the Group 2 Percy Sykes Stakes (1200m) on a Heavy (10) back in April and was eye-catching when fourth first-up in the Furious Stakes earlier in the month.
Mick Price & Michael Kent Junior saddle-up the other last start winner in this year’s Golden Rose field with Rubick colt Jacquinot jumping from barrier five with Damian Lane in the saddle.
The Victorian visitor was good in the autumn when running a devastatingly close third in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) before his Golden Slipper sixth.
Fresh on August 27 he won Caulfield’s Group 3 HDF McNeil Stakes (1200m) defeating Aft Cabin.
Aft Cabin franked the Melbourne form when easily accounting for his rivals with a 3.5 length victory in the Group 3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude (1400m) over the weekend.
The other standout chances in the million-dollar showdown include rails-drawn Snitzel colt Best Of Bordeaux from the Gold Coast and the untapped Star Witness colt Fast Witness for the Ciaron Maher & David Eustace stable.
Best Of Bordeaux brings in some strong form lines having run second in the Golden Slipper during the autumn and finishing second two runs in behind In Secret in the Run To The Rose.
Click here for the latest 2022 Golden Rose Stakes betting odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.
2022 Golden Rose Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Probable Weight | Penalty | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13144×0 | DAUMIER | Anthony & Sam Freedman | Mark Zahra | 7 | 56.5kg | 101 | ||
| 2 | 112×52 | BEST OF BORDEAUX | Kacy Fogden | 1 | 56.5kg | 94 | |||
| 3 | 1536×1 | JACQUINOT | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | Damian Lane | 5 | 56.5kg | 92 | ||
| 4 | 11x319x7 | SEJARDAN | Gary Portelli | Jason Collett | 8 | 56.5kg | 92 | ||
| 5 | 2312×8 | POLITICAL DEBATE | Chris Waller | Kerrin McEvoy | 13 | 56.5kg | 88 | ||
| 6 | 11×76 | PROMITTO | David Atkins | Nash Rawiller | 2 | 56.5kg | 86 | ||
| 7 | 1×21 | GOLDEN MILE | James Cummings | Sam Clipperton | 11 | 56.5kg | 82 | ||
| 8 | 64713×6 | BROSNAN | Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou | Tim Clark | 17 | 56.5kg | 80 | ||
| 9 | 140×76 | SEBONACK | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | William Pike | 9 | 56.5kg | 77 | ||
| 10 | 2215×33 | BASQUIAT | Chris Waller | Chad Schofield | 12 | 56.5kg | 76 | ||
| 11 | 2112 | FAST WITNESS | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | Regan Bayliss | 10 | 56.5kg | 76 | ||
| 12 | 1×33 | MILLANE | Peter G Moody | Luke Nolen | 4 | 56.5kg | 74 | ||
| 13 | 22×18 | ZOU TIGER | John O’Shea | Ben Melham | 15 | 56.5kg | 68 | ||
| 14 | 4111112×5 | FIREBURN | Gary Portelli | Brenton Avdulla | 16 | 54.5kg | 108 | ||
| 15 | 421721×3 | SHE’S EXTREME | Anthony Cummings | Tommy Berry | 6 | 54.5kg | 102 | ||
| 16 | 11×21 | IN SECRET | James Cummings | James McDonald | 3 | 54.5kg | 94 | ||
| 17 | 212x1x4 | PARIS DIOR | Peter & Paul Snowden | Blake Shinn | 14 | 54.5kg | 90 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
