The $1 million Golden Rose is shaping as one of the most open editions in recent memory, with seven of the nine contenders priced at $16 or shorter. Trainer Gerald Ryan believes that wide-open nature makes the race particularly intriguing.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if any of them won it,” Ryan said. “They’re an even bunch of good horses. You usually get three chances in it and the rest are making up the numbers but I reckon this year there are nine chances in the race.”
Among the leading hopes is Skyhook, trained by Ryan and Sterling Alexiou, who is currently at $6.50 after an impressive win in the Rosebud (1100m) and a strong third behind favourite Tempted in the Group 2 The Run To The Rose (1200m).
The colt has followed a path similar to Menari, who won both the Rosebud and The Run To The Rose in 2017 before finishing third in the Golden Rose behind stablemate Trapeze Artist.
Ryan said while Skyhook, Menari and Trapeze Artist are different types of horses, their lead-ups into the Golden Rose (1400m) have all been strong.
“I don’t like comparing them,” Ryan said. “Menari was unlucky because he pulled a shoe off coming out of the barriers and he was stuffed afterwards. He never raced again. Trapeze Artist just kept going forward. They’re all different horses but they all had good preparations going into it.”
The stable will also be well represented in the Listed Heritage Stakes (1100m) with King Of Pop and Grand Eagle. Ryan expects King Of Pop to improve significantly with the addition of blinkers and a favourable draw.
“King Of Pop will run heaps better. He’s got blinkers on. He’s drawn a barrier, and he won’t be going back,” Ryan said. “People say he went no good at his last start but he ran a faster last 600 (metres) than Skyhook but it was on that track where they couldn’t make ground and he drew wide and went back.”
As for Grand Eagle, Ryan believes the backmarker could be a threat if the tempo is strong, with his main target being the Group 2 Roman Consul Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on October 11.
If you’re planning to back a runner in the Golden Rose, make sure to compare the best betting sites, trusted bookmakers, and leading betting apps for the best odds on the race.
