Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr are optimistic that Guest House is in prime condition for the Golden Rose, despite a preparation that hasn’t been entirely straightforward.
A few hours after jockey Zac Lloyd exercised the Golden Slipper winner at Rosehill trackwork on Tuesday, the colt drew barrier five for this Saturday’s $1 million Group 1 race, which has attracted a field of 13 runners.
The Golden Rose will be Guest House’s second start this campaign, following a track record victory in the Group 3 San Domenico Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill on August 29.
The son of Home Affairs required some recovery time after that run, leading Price and Kent to bypass their planned second-up appearance in the Group 2 Run To The Rose (1200m). They are now pleased with his strong recovery in the lead-up to the Golden Rose.
Kent is drawing confidence from the stable’s 2022 success with Jacquinot, as Guest House targets the feature race this weekend.
“I think it was a very wise decision to skip the Run To The Rose,” Kent commented.
“The horse was clearly quite forward in condition and the fact that he could run a track record first up showed that.
“We won with a similar training pattern with Jacquinot in the Golden Rose; he won the McNeil on the same weekend (as the San Domenico) and went four weeks in.
“If he runs to his best and he gets the 1400 metres, he’s the one to beat for sure.”
The betting market seems to concur, with Guest House installed as the short-priced favourite. He is followed by Run To The Rose winner Warwoven, who drew the inside alley, and St Gotthard, who was relegated to second favourite after drawing gate nine.
Guest House is aiming to create history in the Golden Rose, a race that has held Group 1 status since 2009. No Golden Slipper winner has managed to win the Golden Rose in that time, despite its rise to become one of Australia’s most lucrative three-year-old races. Fireburn’s fifth placing behind Jacquinot represents the best result for the four Slipper winners who have contested the Golden Rose since 2009.
