Golden Rose Stakes Tips & Runner-by-Runner Preview

The Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes headlines Saturday's racing at Rosehill with a top class field lining up.

Mitchell Cashmore looks at the form of every runner in the 2022 Golden Rose Stakes.

Blue Diamond winner, so you have to respect him on that alone. Mark Zahra makes the trip up to Sydney just to ride him, which is a positive sign. But he has done little since that Blue Diamond win and hates wet ground, happy to say he isn’t in this.

Scratched

Was prepared for this race specifically this Spring and showed that he has returned super with a dominant win first up. With that win, he got the scalp of Aft Cabin, who proceeded to make a mess of them last weekend. Easily the best Melbourne horse in the field and has a serious chance of taking the win. Damien Lane coming to Sydney to ride him is a massive positive and he should like the wet as well. 

The Gary Portelli colt has always been thereabouts amongst his class of two and three-year-olds and it wouldn’t shock for him to be in the finish this weekend at large odds. However, his racing pattern should see him get shuffled towards the back and on a track that could be hard to make up ground, it is hard to see him doing that. But nonetheless, he should be nice and strong late if clear in the running, you’d be brave to leave him out of the exotics.

The 60-plus dollar mark is probably appropriate for this horse, considering his form doesn't quite stack up against the rest of the field. However, Chris Waller wouldn’t have him here if he didn’t think he would have some sort of chance, so he could surprise us all. Personally, I say he is here for fitness, more of a horse I want to be on the Spring Champion Stakes, over a longer distance. 

Has never been a factor in his two starts this preparation, maybe just wants longer? I don’t see him playing much of a part here either. 

I have a lot of time for this horse honestly. He is strong, honest, smart and very mature for a three-year-old, everything you want in a horse really. The only reason he is at each-way odds is that he has a different form line to the rest of them, coming from the Ming Dynasty, not the Run to The Rose. But he has some great form behind Kibou, who is a talented horse in his own right. He’s done the 1400 metres before and he can do it again. 

Was expensive in his purchase price at over a million dollars, however, it doesn’t look like he’ll ever be making that back. Not in this.

Was outclassed in the Slipper and will find himself outclassed again here as well. Happy to say that it would take ALOT of Willie Pike magic to get him the win here.

The better chance of the Waller duo in my opinion, but just like Political Debate I want to see him over further. He was strong behind Kibou and Golden Mile in his last two starts but was completely gapped, would be surprising to see him turn the tables now.

Probably one of the better roughies in the race honestly considering the form. However, he’ll be going into his fifth start of the prep and may have already peaked. Last start he almost beat Berkley Square, who is shaping up to be a good chance in some of the Melbourne 3YO features, but apart from that, he has beaten very little and probably finds himself outclassed. 

A talented horse with plenty of ability, just not enough ability to play much of a part here I reckon. One thing is for sure, he’ll be very strong late and if the track is playing in a way where horses can make up ground, he’ll be one to watch in the final 200. 

A month ago, he was shaping up to be a major player in this race. However, in his last start he was smashed convincingly by Golden Mile. Off that alone, I am confident in saying that he won’t be turning the tables on it. 

Here is the interesting one of the field. She is the class horse, no doubt about it, after all, she did win the Golden Slipper from an impossible position. I am not entirely convinced that she has progressed since that 2YO prep. But she is super talented and the wet ground will only help her. I don’t think she wins, but she’s a massive exotic play and a respectable each-way bet. 

Probably the best each-way chance in the race. She will be strong late and as long as she isn’t too far back, Berry can give her a dig in the ribs and she can run over the top of them. Thanks to a soft draw in the 6th barrier, one would think she’ll be able to be ridden forward a bit and get into the strike zone sooner rather than later. She’s classy, she’s fit and she is able to run the distance. Expecting a big showing. 

The favourite of the field and she probably deserves to be, but does she deserve to be this short? All the form lines stack up around her, with the most important one being the narrow second to Zougotcha, who has dominated since. She’s got the gun draw in the 3rd barrier and will probably shoot out of the gates, with J Mac sitting her right on the tail of the leaders, a strong chance to win and potentially gap them if the horses from the back can’t make up ground. 

The main positive about this horse is that we know it’ll most likely get through the deck if it ends up a bog, considering she wasn’t terrible a few weeks ago on the flooded Randwick track. Unfortunately, she is very wide and will need a lot of luck.