He has twice claimed victory in the Golden Rose, and jockey Tommy Berry believes Raging Force deserves a chance to work his way into contention for this year’s edition of the Group 1 race.
The progressive two-year-old made it three wins in a row this preparation with an impressive display in the Thank You ATC Members Handicap (1100m) at Rosehill, showing a new element to his racing pattern by settling off the pace before surging to victory.
Berry, who piloted Epaulette (2012) and Ole Kirk (2020) to Golden Rose glory, was full of praise for the colt’s performance and maturity.
“Every time in the winter you find one or two nice colts and fillies that have just taken a little time to mature and he was one of them,” Berry said.
“When he jumped so well, I really wanted to take the lead on him today and take bad luck out of the equation, but when they went too quick for him, he came back to me and relaxed well. He handled the situation perfectly.
“He is up and running and heading towards the Rosebud, Run To The Rose and Golden Rose where the horses that have already proven themselves at the top level are still just getting fit.
“He is already fit and he might just be able to catch them napping, hopefully.”
Raging Force was considered a strong chance in the Breeders’ Plate (1000m) last October but sustained an injury during the race that forced him to miss the autumn carnival in Sydney.
Since returning, the son of Cosmic Force has continued to impress, with Saturday’s win cementing his status as one to watch in the spring. Trainer Peter Snowden intends to give the colt a short break before lifting the bar.
“He’s got a lovely attitude, a lovely, big action and he’s probably better on top of the ground as well,” said stable representative Aaron Lau.
“He is very progressive and it’s exciting going forward.
“We just wanted to see him come here today and do it. It’s all well and good when you’re in the midweeks but coming here on a Saturday with a performance like that, you can map ahead.”
Raging Force ($1.70 fav) scored by 2-1/4 lengths from Horseshoe Hill ($7) with Lull ($21) finishing a further 2-3/4 lengths away. Purchased for $150,000 at the Inglis Classic Sale by Darby Racing, the colt continues to repay connections with interest.
