The ThoroughbredNEWS team look at different aspects of the form ahead of another top weekend of domestic and international action. There may or may not be winners, but there are definitely some interesting points of view worth a closer look…
Odds with TAB.com.au as at Friday 7.00am. Race times are all Australian Eastern Standard Time
Rosehill Race 2 - 12:25pm Midway Handicap (1300m)
PEACE OFFICER (NZ) has shown promise right from a very early stage of his career, having been thought good enough to contest the Skyline Stakes and Pago Pago as a juvenile by multiple Golden Slipper winner trainer Clarry Connors. His first-up win followed two good placings when last in work — one behind Chris Waller’s emerging talent Rediener. Peace Officer (NZ) was forward enough to win over 1300m at his first start since April and the gelding can continue his development under the recent Hall of Fame inductee. — PF
TAB.com.au Odds: $2.40
Rosehill Race 3 - 1:00pm Irresistible Pools & Spas Bm88 Handicap (1900m)
Unfortunately Josh Parr misses riding the Snowden’s UNSPOKEN (IRE) after his fall at Warwick Farm on Wednesday left him with concussion and no doubt a nasty headache which may not be helped if the five-year-old Territories (Ire) gelding repeats their winning run in the Benchmark 78 over 1500m at Rosehill on September 9th. Resuming for his second Australian campaign, Unspoken and Parr were much too good winning in stylish fashion carrying 60.5kg. Down to 58.5kg for Saturday and up in trip, Unspoken, well bred out of the Dubai Destination mare Silent Secret, looks like he is continuing the reputation in the NH of his sire producing good quality handicap gallopers, otherwise known as good racehorses. - RB
TAB.com.au Odds: $3.90
Rosehill Race 4 - 1:35pm Listed Petaluma Heritage Stakes (1100m)
Finally we get to see BARBER back at the races with the Exceed And Excel colt resuming after his two-year-old career yielded a Group 3 win in the Blue Diamond Stakes Prelude over 1100m in February followed by unsuccessful runs in the Blue Diamond Stakes and Golden Slipper. He finished with a third on a Heavy 8 in the Group 3 Kindergarten Stakes over 1100m at Randwick on April 1st. Back on Good ground for his spring debut, he has to carry top-weight of 58.5kg under Nash Rawiller with the widest barrier of 8. Good names have won this race, Lonhro for example and recently Home Affairs, so we will watch to see if Barber can cut his name onto the honours board. - RB
TAB.com.au Odds: $10.00
Caulfield Race 6 - 3:00pm Group 3 Equine Pathways Lamaro’s Testa Rossa (1400m)
The second-up effort of AMENDABLE was almost impossible to miss, the 4-year-old son of Lonhro closing rapidly over the final stages of the Memsie Stakes and taking off ground of Mr Brightside (NZ) and company on the line. Though the form guide shows that he only finished fifth at his previous outing, the improver showed he is a genuine talent in progress and victory in this grade is a stepping-stone to bigger and better things. While Amendable might be too short to back in this event, his last-start effort was too good to support any of his rivals to beat him. — PF
TAB.com.au Odds: $1.90
Rosehill Race 8 - 4:00pm Group 1 KIA Golden Rose (1400m)
A must watch with sub-plots everywhere, MILITARIZE (NZ) with blinkers on for the first time to apply focus for the Dundeel colt who is really needing the 1600m of the Caulfield Guineas; stablemate SHINZO back first up from winning the Golden Slipper and trying to overcome the traditional Slipper question next season of winning again; CYLINDER third up with two black-type wins already on the board this campaign; the filly CHARM STONE up from Victoria with a very good win in the Listed Atlantic Jewel at The Valley to go with her first up win in the Group 3 Quezette taking on the colts and one gelding in ENCAP at this level. Joao Moreira and Ryan Moore are back with apprentices Zac Lloyd and Dylan Gibbons ready to test their mettle against the world’s best. Where else in the world would international jockeys face off against leading apprentices at Group 1 level. Roll up for a 4.00pm showdown. - RB
Caulfield Race 9 - 4:55pm Live Life Foundation Underwood Stakes (1800m)
It’s probably best to forget that ALENQUER (FR) went around in the All-Star Mile and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and judge the import on his very good form overseas. A Group 1 winner over 2112m in elite weight-for-age company, the lightly-raced 6-year-old is a genuine W.S. Cox Plate candidate and can put behind him two abject failures with a bold showing at his first start as a gelding. While the best of Alenquer has been seen on rain affected tracks, he’s mixed it with the best on all surfaces and is not to be under-estimated in this highlight event of a compelling weekend. — PF
TAB.com.au Odds: $101.00
