This Saturday in Sydney the winter black-type action continues with 2015 Civic Stakes Day headlined by the sprinters facing off in the $100,000 Listed Civic Stakes (1350m).
There are eight races on the Rosehill line-up on the weekend and we will be offering the hottest markets on all the events including the meeting’s namesake race that runs as Race 6 at 3:05pm (AEST).
Supporting the Civic Stakes in Sydney are seven handicap events from the two-year-olds facing off in the first at midday until the last on the card at 4:25pm.
See below for a brief preview on the entire Rosehill race card for Civic Stakes Day and don’t forget to check out all our weekend odds and promos for the best value winter wagers.
Feature Race
Race 6 – 3:05pm $100,000 Listed Civic Stakes (1350m)
A full field is engaged for the feature race on the program where Peter & Paul Snowden’s Group 3 WJ Healy Stakes winner Dothraki leads the line-up. The Mossman four-year-old beat a tougher class home at the Gold Coast on Tiara Day, has good Rosehill form (5-1-3-0) but has the 59.5kg top weight and wide barrier (13). On the short back-up from a win at the track last weekend is the Kristen Buchanan-trained Two Blue, also wide in barrier 14 but in good form and dropping back from 57.5kg to the 54kg minimum on the weekend. See The World and Dances On Stars both have better barriers and look on the improve so represent the danger.
Supporting Races
Race 1 – 12:00pm $85,000 McGrath Estate Agents Handicap (1200m)
The juveniles face off in the opener, all but one in the 12 horse field with previous race experience. Equal 58kg top weights are the Paul Perry-trained Surfin’ Safari who has won three from five to date including over 1100m on a Heavy (10) at Warwick Farm last time out and Chris Waller’s returning Encosta De Lago colt Vanbrugh last seen running fifth in the Group 2 Pago Pago Stakes (1200m) in mid-March. Better in the weights and boasting strong claims are the likes of Inglis Nursery placegetter from December Let’s Make It Rain, the rails-drawn Ramla Bay and Team Snowden’s Not A Single Doubt colt Hail The Chief.
Race 2 – 12:35pm $85,000 TAB Place Multi Handicap (1900m)
This staying feature is headlined by Waller’s 60.5kg top weight Bagman in gate six who comes off a second over 2000m at the track from June 13. That’s a lot of kilos for the class import so looking beyond him at a lighter weighted chance, like the stablemate Reigning in gate two with 57kg who was the winner of the same lead-up race. Lucky Lago (54kg) is wide (barrier 10) but has time to overcome the gate for Peter & Paul Snowden and is racing well including a last start third in a Gold Coast black-type.
Race 3 – 1:10pm $85,000 More Than Ready @ Vinery Handicap (2400m)
Eleven in the mix for this mile and a half showdown where Waller is again out to make an impact with a last start winner, Glyn Schofield riding four-year-old import Soviet Courage from the inside alley after a Randwick win in the mud over 2600m on June 20. Goulburn-based Dubawi mare Shubawi was runner-up in that race and also backs up here down in distance, while the lightly-raced Bjorn Baker-trained O’Reilly four-year-old Mr Steal shoots for his third straight win at start number five.
Race 4 – 1:45pm $85,000 TAB Rewards Handicap (1500m)
Plenty of in-form hopes here including the Gai Waterhouse-trained Eisenhower with a win and two seconds at his three latest runs, most recent was over this track and distance when under a length away second carrying 60kg. Does have a kilo more here though so probably put a line through him and look at the returning stablemate Duccio, racing for the first time since a Dulcify second over the Randwick mile last October, if you want a Waterhouse runner. They are a better Place than Win chance though with the John O’Shea-trained Careless pretty hard to go past for the victory going from the allocated 59.5kg to just 47kg with the apprentice claim of Winona Costin, the Exceed And Excel three-year-old second at Canterbury last start on the back of wins at Scone and Rosehill respectively.
Race 5 – 2:25pm $85,000 Ruben Guthrie in Cinemas July 16 Handicap (1200m)
In the outside barrier (12) the Marc Conners-trained Fiftyshadesofgrey is still worth consideration based on the ace lead-up form with back-to-back seconds over 1100m here before a win over Two Blue, who franked the form with a win last weekend, at this track and distance on June 13. Goes up from 54kg to 56kg but is still looking good in the weights led by Gregory Hickman’s last start Randwick winning mare Private Secretary (60kg). Also like the Kris Lees-trained Savoureux drawn a treat in gate two who won here two back before a fifth when a Heavy (10) track got the better of the progressive filly last start.
Race 7 – 3:45pm $85,000 TAB.Com.Au Handicap (1100m)
Sole last start winner in the mix here is the Kris Lees-trained Brook Road who won first-up on June 13 at this track and distance with 58.5kg, the four-year-old daughter of God’s Own to relish the drop back to 56kg with Blake Shinn staying on. Plenty of apprentices getting rides to help their mounts in the weights including the Gary Portelli-trained Straturbo who Winona Costin rides on just 47kg, the Stratum gelding coming off a first-up fourth behind fellow runner Brook Road. Mount Nebo is an interesting addition, the Wyong-trained sprinter back in Sydney after some good Queensland runs including a Glasshouse Handicap fourth in mid-May last time out.
Race 8 – 4:25pm $85,000 Cellarbrations Handicap (1500m)
BenchMark 84 to close the card on Saturday afternoon where Chris Waller’s flying Duelled four-year-old Marenostro looks to retain an undefeated record this time in with a fourth straight win, the latest of his wins being over 1550m at Canterbury on June 24. Drops in the weights, has Tye Angland aboard and drawn well in gate six. Also drawn well with the rails run is the Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Great Esteem looking to atone for some poor recent form, while Moral Victory is racing towards something nice at a track the gelding loves.