The spring’s opening million-dollar race for three-year-olds will see the crowds turn up at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday and, while we lack numbers in the field, there’s plenty of emerging stars to consider in our 2025 Golden Rose Stakes Preview.
A race dominated in recent years by last start winners, the Golden Rose has been secured by many an up-and-coming champion including Toorak Toff, Zoustar, Exosphere, The Autumn Sun, Bivouac, and last year’s hero Broadsiding.
So, will we see the filly punters are tempted by salute and beat home the boys?
Or can Waller collect his fourth Golden Rose trophy saddling-up a four-pronged assault including the rails drawn Wodeton?
Read on for our expert runner-by-runner guide to the 2025 Golden Rose!
- To Win: No. 9 Tempted
- Top 3: No. 4 Wodeton
- Top 4: No. 5 State Visit
| 4. Wodeton (1) J: James McDonald 56.5kg 24×24T: Chris Waller | ||
| 9. Tempted (8) J: Ethan Brown 54.5kg 131×1T: Ciaron Maher | ||
| 5. State Visit (6) J: Chad Schofield 56.5kg 324×5T: Ciaron Maher |
1. Beiwacht (2) – Chris Waller
Odds: $8.50 (at time of publish)
The first of four in the field for three-time winning trainer Waller, Beiwacht is a son of the stable’s 2019 champion Bivouac, so he ticks the pedigree box.
This colt has won just one of his seven starts to date but has consistently been running in the money against the best of his age.
His turf triumph had him put two lengths on West Of Swindon with the stable’s better seeded Wodeton third in a Group 2 Silver Slipper upset over the autumn.
His subsequent juvenile performances were flat, including his 11th in the Golden Slipper but he’s been hitting a few more goals this prep.
Fresh he ran third only two lengths off Raging Force here in the Group 3 San Domenico before improving for a second behind Saturday’s favourite Tempted in the Group 2 Run To The Rose.
Those are good form lines, but the post-race comments from jockey Adam Hyeronimus about the way the filly went past this guy and that taking him up to 1400m could be a “risk” is a red flag for mine.
A good type but happier if he was sticking to six furlongs.
2. Nepotism (3) – Michael, John & Wayne Hawkes
Odds: $15 (at time of publish)
Team Hawkes had one of the boom juveniles last season with this Brutal colt who worked quickly through the grades to see out his two-year-old prep with a narrow but convincing Group 1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) victory where he made up all the ground in an impressive last-to-first effort.
He resumed in the Run To The Rose and finished over five lengths back ninth.
On paper that doesn’t read well, but jockey Tyler Schiller said the lack of early pace hampered his mount’s chances and that he finished off well.
Watching the replay, Nepotism does enter the frame late and that bodes well as he goes into the Group 1 fitter and better suited to the 1400m.
He has upside and could feature in something longer in the coming weeks.
At the price he’s one of the more appealing roughies for exotics, so watch for him late.
3. Skyhook (5) – Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou
Odds: $5.50 (at time of publish)
This nicely bred Written Tycoon colt is one I’ve been plugging all prep and is usually forgotten in betting.
This weekend, however, he’s shorter than he’s been all season as one of the considered dangers ready to fire third-up.
He saluted here in the Group 3 Pago Pago back in March before his mid-field Slipper finish.
Relishing a Heavy rated track to kick off his three-year-old campaign, he carted a hefty 60.5kg to victory in the Listed The Rosebud earning him plenty of praise.
A month went between that and the Run To The Rose with the stable keeping him fresh, and he ran well rounding out the trifecta in the traditional lead-up.
Kerrin McEvoy was quick to credit the horse’s performance once he got into the clear and is confident the 1400m will be to his liking.
Can he give this field a shake-up? Potentially.
4. Wodeton (1) – Chris Waller
Odds: $4.60 (at time of publish)
The rails run belongs to Waller’s son of the late Wotton Bassett who is looking to honour his late sire with a Group 1 win that many punters believe is overdue for this classy colt.
He was in the mix in all the two-year-old features including his neck away second in the Golden Slipper and fourth when under a length off Vinrock in the Group 1 Inglis Sires’ over 1400m in a race that has more than held its form.
Second in the San Domenico first-up, he ran fourth in the Run To The Rose with excuses after giving his rivals a big head start.
Caught back and racing wide throughout, his final furlong was scintillating and suggested he’ll enjoy getting back up to 1400m.
The best fancied of the Waller contingent and the master J-Mac comes back in the saddle in another plus.
5. State Visit (6) – Ciaron Maher
Odds: $61 (at time of publish)
Maher bookends the Golden Rose betting markets as he prepares to saddle-up the top fancy and the rank outsider in the hunt for his first success in this prestigious event.
Another Wootton Bassett colt in the mix, State Visit is tipped to run dead last, but I think he has more potential than that especially getting out to 1400m.
I love roughies with credible form to finish in the money behind their better fancied stablemates and, if you’re on the filly Tempted, then be tempted to add this guy to your exotics.
His only win was a Canterbury maiden back in February, but he was far from disgraced when third in the Pago Pago behind Skyhook, second to Vinrock in a thrilling Inglis Sires’ quinella, and only two lengths fourth to Nepotism in the Champagne Stakes over the Randwick mile.
He went around at a similar quote of 60/1 in the Run To The Rose running four lengths off fifth to Tempted in what I thought was a lovely campaign kickoff.
A beauty to look at, one that will appreciate the distance, and he is definitely a forgotten runner that could run Top 4 for mine without surprising.
6. Rivellino (9) – Kris Lees
Odds: $35 (at time of publish)
Lees’ Too Darn Hot colt Rivellino is crying out for 1400m – maybe even further.
He began his career undefeated with three straight wins including the lucrative $2 million Inglis Millennium and the Group 2 Skyline Stakes when home first ahead of Skyhook.
A Golden Slipper fourth and fifth in the blanket finish Inglis Sires’ were both good performances by the then two-year-old.
Another coming via the traditional path of the San Domenico and the Run To The Rose when fourth and sixth respectively, he’s going to improve out of sight getting up in trip.
I like that Nash Rawiller stays on as he believes in this horse and will get every bit out of him.
Can he match them pace wise especially with the likely leader drawn one on his outside?
That’s the question. But if he maintains a position he can run better than his quote suggests.
7. Autumn Boy (7) – Jason Collett
Odds: $5.50 (at time of publish)
Autumn Boy entered the spring carnival as one of the highly-spruiked youngsters to watch being unbeaten as a juvenile.
His wins, however, came in a Canterbury maiden and a Listed Eagle Farm event, so could be a case of fans laying it on a little thick.
No doubt the Tatt’s Stakes win over 1400m in Brisbane was impressive, but he’s one I still think needs to prove he is up to Group 1 grade.
Resumed in the Group 3 Ming Dynasty Quality over the Run To The Rose when sent straight to 1400m and he wasn’t disgraced when a half-length off his better weighted stablemate Sixties at this track and trip on September 13.
Clean away, he wasn’t far off and gets the chance to go one better.
Should take natural improvement out of that and comes back from 58kg to meet them at 56.5kg under the set weights conditions which is a huge advantage now.
Jason Collett sticks with and have to admit, he ticks a few boxes.
I haven’t got him in my first four, but maybe I should!
8. Sixties (4) – Chris Waller
Odds: $14 (at time of publish)
Sixties was the one beating Autumn Boy home in the Ming Dynasty around the course and distance but he had a notable weight advantage which he doesn’t get for the rematch up in grade on Saturday.
In an open market he’s still being kept relatively safe in the markets considering this is his first foray into Group 1 company.
He broke his maiden status in mid-August in his first run as a three-year-old on Randwick’s Kensington track and was enormous putting seven lengths on the next best on Heavy going.
Fifth after that to Grand Prairie in the Group 3 Up & Coming Stakes, I wasn’t impressed by that performance, but King subsequently gave him a peach of a ride, and he recaptured form in the Ming Dynasty.
He’s nicely bred, has shown good fight, and the 1400m is spot on, but I think he’s one that might go backwards in a field of improvers.
If the track was Slow – Heavy, I’d have him in the money but don’t think he’ll get the conditions to suit.
9. Tempted (8) – Ciaron Maher
Odds: $2.90 (at time of publish)
The last in the line-up but the best in betting, Tempted is the sole filly taking on the boys and she’s shown she’s more than capable of handling the colts and geldings.
No filly has won the Golden Rose since Forensics in 2008, so she has history against her.
But I think that’s the only negative, and I’m happy to take this daughter of Street Boss for the win.
She’s putting together a lovely record as a four-time winner from seven starts including giving the likes of Beiwacht and Skyhook something of a hiding first-up in the Run To The Rose.
Her two-year-old season showed all the signs of a filly that will win a Group 1 when saluting in two Group 2 events either side of a close Golden Slipper third.
The Group 2 Percy Sykes performance on April 12 was especially impressive, and she showed it was no fluke kicking off where she left off in the Sydney winner’s stall.
The way she went past Beiwacht fresh was scary, and she’ll only improve.
The 1400m? Can’t see an issue with an extra furlong based on the ease of her 1200m wins so far and she shapes-up as a star in the making.
Happy punting!
Don’t forget to check out our The Punters’ Playbook: Rosehill Spring Carnival Deep Dive for the inside word on the jockeys, trainers and races to watch over the following months!