The Galaxy is a Group 1 horse race held each year at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Sydney.  This event is run over 1100 metres under open handicap conditions, and worth a total of $400,000 in prizemoney.  The Galaxy has been through a number of changes over the years, starting out in 1972 and hosted at a number of venues around Sydney.

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The Galaxy is run on Rosehill Guineas Day, where it is held alongside the Rosehill Guineas and George Ryder Stakes.  Even though it is the least prestigious of the three Group 1 races on the day, The Galaxy always manages to attract a strong field of sprinters.  The Galaxy has become one of the most exciting sprint races of the Sydney autumn racing carnival, with events like the Group 2 Challenge Stakes providing a good lead up to this event.

This race was originally run as a Principal Race, before becoming a Listed race in 1979, a Group 2 race in 1980, and a Group 1 race in 1984.  The Galaxy was originally held at Randwick Racecourse, before moving to Warwick Farm in 2007 and back to Warwick Farm between 2008 and 2012.  It was only in 2013 that The Galaxy took its current home of Rosehill, joining the race program on Rosehill Guineas Day.

Some of the notable horses to have won this event over the years include Bel Sprinter in 2013, Nicconi in 2009, Typhoon Zed in 2008, Spark Of Life in 2004, Mistegic in 2002, Gold Ace in 1996, and the brilliant Schillaci in 1992.  If you go a bit further back into history, notable winners of The Galaxy also include Bletchingly in 1975, Luskin Star in 1978, Grey Receiver in 1981-82, and Mr Tiz in 1991.

In the news:

Tim Clark fears the handicapper might have cruelled his chances of winning a third Group One Galaxy aboard smart sprinter Famous Seamus at Rosehill on Saturday.

The gelding has 56.5kg in the 1100 metre feature and will concede weight to proven Group One performer Temple Of Boom and the flying Rain Affair, a four-time placegetter at the elite level.

Famous Seamus will be stepping out in top company for just the second time, his only other attempt being in last year’s Stradbroke Handicap when he finished among the tailenders.

“I think he’s pretty poorly weighted,” Clark said.

“He’s giving weight to Rain Affair who I know hasn’t been at his best but he has been Group One placed multiple times.”

The Galaxy has been a defining race in Clark’s career.

He landed his first Group One triumph in the 2008 edition aboard Typhoon Zed and was again in the winner’s stall three years later aboard Atomic Force.

If Famous Seamus wins on Saturday it will give Clark his sixth Group One success in Australia and half of those will have been in the Galaxy.

Despite his concerns over the handicapping, Clark believes Famous Seamus has an attractive profile.

The five-year-old has been carefully managed by trainer Noel Mayfield-Smith and the jockey saw plenty of merit in his first-up performance when he worked home strongly for third behind Galaxy rivals Villa Verde and Snitzerland in the Challenge Stakes.

It came on the back of a spring campaign in which he won a Listed race at Randwick and was Group Three placed behind Lankan Rupee in Melbourne.

“It was probably a career-best first-up run from him,” Clark said of the Challenge effort.

“That is probably going to be the right form race for this.”

Famous Seamus is a $12 chance with betting headed by Snitzerland who trainer Gerald Ryan has warned could be scratched if the track remains heavy.