Festival Stakes Day is slated for Rosehill Gardens on Saturday, November 30th and another ten races are on the program.
It has been a fine, if not hot week in the greater Sydney metropolitan region and at publish, we’re faced with a track rated in the Good (4) range, while the rail will be left in the true position around the entire course.
Check out all of my Festival Stakes Day tips below!
Race 1 - 12:35pm AEDT
Ranvet Handicap (1100m)
Icarian Dream looms as the one to beat in the first on Festival Stakes Day.
The Blue Point filly stamped herself as one to watch by winning on debut at Warwick Farm, while she was last seen finishing a credible fourth behind North England in the Golden Gift.
She has a fitness and experience edge over all of these rivals.
3 Units Icarian Dream
Race 2 - 1:10pm AEDT
Highway Handicap (1100m)
Ramones resumes in a winnable Highway Handicap this week.
The Zoustar gelding hasn’t been seen at the races since June, but he turned in some fine performances during his last prep, winning in BM64 company and only just missing in a couple of races not dissimilar to this one.
His fresh record is good, and he’s trialled well ahead of his return.
2 Units Ramones
Race 3 - 1:45pm AEDT
Midway Handicap (2000m)
I’m happy to give Piraeus another chance in this week’s Midway race.
The Richard & Will Freedman-trained gelding has continued to improve with each of four runs back this time and takes his place in this race following consecutive second placings in the Four Pillars Midway and a BM72 race on The Hunter Day.
He’s hard fit, the rise in trip suits and the booking of Tommy Berry adds further confidence.
1 Unit Piraeus
Race 4 - 2:20pm AEDT
Precise Air Handicap (1400m)
Drift Net is third-up and ready to win on Festival Stakes Day.
The Exceed And Excel mare ended her last prep with consecutive wins, including a BM72 race at Warwick Farm, and after running on well to finish within a length of the winner at Randwick-Kensington first-up this time, she was only just denied at Rosehill last time out.
Fitter third-up, this looks a perfect race for her.
3 Units Drift Net
Race 5 - 2:55pm AEDT
Chandon Garden Spritz Handicap (1800m)
Bullets High looks well placed again at Rosehill Gardens this week.
The Ace High gelding won in BM72 company in his first run back from a break, while he has only just been denied in a pair of Saturday BM78 contests since.
The 1800m looks perfect for him this week, and he’s drawn to receive a lovely run under Timmy Clark.
2 Units Bullets High
Race 6 - 3:30pm AEDT
Country Classic (2000m)
Galano steps out for the Ladbrokes Racing Club in Saturday’s Country Classic, and it looks a lovely feature race for him.
The son of Snitzel mixed his form a little for Team Hawkes last time in but in three runs since transferring to Paul Messara & Leah Gavranich, he has won in BM66 company notably, and he was luckless at Canterbury last time out.
I like that he gets out to the 2000m this week and with only 55.5kgs in tow, I think he can fight out the finish again.
1 Unit E/W Galano
Race 7 - 4:05pm AEDT
Listed Starlight Stakes (1100m)
The Starlight Stakes is a lovely race for veteran sprinter, Front Page.
Front Page was only just denied in The Kosciuszko in his first run back from a break, while he again only just missed behind an in-form Rey Magnerio at Listed level at Flemington last time out.
Fitter third-up, this looks to be a weaker race, and he can go forward and make all of his own luck up on the speed.
2 Units Front Page
Race 8 - 4:45pm AEDT
Group 3 Festival Stakes (1500m)
St Lawrence is chasing a hat-trick when he takes his place in the Festival Stakes.
It had been well over a year of near misses for the Redwood gelding, but he returned to winning form in a strong BM94 race at Randwick in early October and franked that effort by winning the Little Dance last time out.
The floodgates might be open now, and I thought that this was an ideal black type target for him.
2 Units St Lawrence
Race 9 - 5:20pm AEDT
Listed ATC Cup (2000m)
Townsend takes winning form into the ATC Cup and can make it two in a row.
Townsend spent well over a year in the paddock after failing to beat a runner home in the 2023 Ming Dynasty Quality but returned to action with an eye-catching effort behind Sounds Of Heaven at Randwick in late October.
Having returned to winning form in BM88 company up at Newcastle on The Hunter Day, this really does look a perfect race for him, and any improvement would see him extremely difficult to beat again.
3 Units Townsend
Race 10 - 5:55pm AEDT
Kia Ora Prague Handicap (1100m)
Confess Our Dreams is racehorse in form, and she has opened favourite in betting ahead of the last on Festival Stakes Day.
Confess Our Dreams was only just denied at each of her first two runs back from a break but broke back into the winner’s stall third-up at Warwick Farm in October.
She franked that performance with a dominant win, one of the best of her career so far here at Rosehill Gardens last time out, and a repeat of that performance would see her extremely difficult to toss again.
2 Units Confess Our Dreams