The James Cummings-trained favourite Cylinder pulled a rabbit out of the hat finally getting into the clear with just metres to spare to post a narrow but commanding win for the punters in the 2023 Run To The Rose results in Sydney.

2022 Run To The Rose winner Cylinder was outstanding late to get out and win on his way to the Golden Rose. Photo: Steve Hart.

The talented Godolphin-raced Exceed And Excel colt took his record up to four wins from eight starts going back-to-back this prep with an eye-catching second-up victory in the Group 2 $300,000 Run To The Rose (1200m).

“He’s a crack colt. He was our best two-year-old last season and it’s great for the stable he’s now come back and he’s two out of two,” winning trainer Cummings told Sky Thoroughbred Central post-victory.

“He’s out of a Street Cry mare and he’s a good racehorse and that can take him a long way.” 

Fresh the autumn’s Golden Slipper runner-up narrowly won the Group 3 Vain Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield.

He was an easing but still short-priced favourite back in Sydney for the Run To The Rose at Rosehill, the same track he won the Group 2 Silver Slipper Stakes (1100m) at as a two-year-old back in February, and didn’t disappoint.

It was a tough watch early for favourite backers as Cylinder ($2.50F) got caught-up in a bunched field led around by the brave Michael Freedman-trained Moravia.

The front-runner did the early work from the wide alley to cross the entire field and lead, while Cylinder was caught back in fifth.

Snitzel colt Moravia, coming off a second in the Group 3 San Domenico Stakes at the track on August 26, was still leading onto the straight with 400m to go and looked a chance to go all-the-way.

Inside the final 50m however jockey Nash Rawiller finally got his run on the top elect and the classy Cylinder ($2.45) dashed home late to hit the line first in a close finish.

“He’s got up and claimed The Run To The Rose a fortnight out from the Golden Rose, and what a great energy-saving run that he had but he really had to knuckle down and sprint quick when the gap (came) – I don’t even think it was a gap, it might have been half a gap,” Cummings said.

“He’s been able to get up and beat a very promising young horse who was great in the San Domenico, Moravia.  

“He really had to knuckle down, he had no time at all to float around and think about anything.

“I like the way the horse switched off and all of a sudden there were, three, four horses ahead of him in the run and he wasn’t getting the commentary about the cheap lead or the map favours that he might have gotten after the draws came out during the week after acceptances.

“He just zapped along like a very good colt and he’s setting himself up very well for the early part of the spring.”  

Moravia ($14) after doing all the hard work early was terrific holding on for second, while Nadal ($11) from the Maher/Eustace stable dashed up to complete the Run To The Rose trifecta after missing the kick.

It was a superior effort from the Run To The Rose winner who set himself up to improve again going into the Group 1 $1 million Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) back at the track on September 23^rd.

“I think the Golden Rose looks very nice for the horse. He will have to stretch to seven (furlongs) but two runs under the belt, he can certainly do that,” Cummings said.

“We should have our options open for all races. Perhaps it was the run of a horse who shouldn’t have won today and yet he managed to find a way to do it and that’s the mark of an exceptional horse.

“It’s outstanding for Cylinder. He was big first-up and now he’s had another good lung burner there so he should be ready to go in a fortnight’s time.”

Bivouac (2019) was the last horse to complete the Run To The Rose – Golden Rose double.

Current all-in 2023 Golden Rose odds at Ladbrokes.com.au on Cylinder have him at $4 to be the next and are available in full by clicking here.

Cylinder may also have put his hand up for a slot in the $20 million The Everest (1200m) at Randwick on October 14^th.

Giga Kick last year won The Everest as a three-year-old and futures The Everest 2023 betting at Ladbrokes.com.au has Cylinder at $11 to gain a slot and repeat the feat.

2023 Run To The Rose Results & Finishing Order

Table Credit: Racing Australia.