Again, the Australian Turf Club and Racing NSW have asserted their foresight in establishing the $1m Golden Rose Stakes of 1400m as a principal national stallion-making event.
Who from this top crop of 3yo’s can match last year’s winner Bivouac, who at $15 for The $15m Everest has won Newmarket Handicap and will surely retire to Darley Kelvinside in the Hunter Valley.
Second placing Yes Yes Yes went onto win The $14m Everest in record time, and is now highly popular at Coolmore Stud. The ‘exciting’ Exceedance won the Coolmore Stud Stakes and stands at Vinery Stud.
What of 2018, with the winner The Autumn Sun standing at ‘his home of birth’ Arrowfield Stud, Zousain also ‘returning home’ standing at Widden Stud and Graff to later retire to Aquis Farm.
The yearly list goes on.…Trapeze Artist at Widden Stud, both Astern and Exsophere at Darley Kelvinside, but it’s Zoustar at Widden Stud who is Champion First, Second and Third Season Sire.
And what of this year’s field headed by the Robert Heathcote trained $2.20 favourite Rothfire, who impressively won the Run to The Rose and is the ‘slot’ choice of MiEverest for The $15m Everest.
At $6.50 for the Golden Rose is the Up and Coming Stakes winner North Pacific, trained by Team Hawkes. The Run to The Rose second Ole Kirk is a $9, Peltzer at $12 and $16 for Mamaragan.
In Hall of Fame trainer Chris Waller taking out this Everest Carnival’s opening Group 1, the Fujitsu George Main Stakes of 1600m, can he match last Spring’s five wins from eight major Carnival races.
With Chris Waller having the first four of the seven Gr1 winning runners in the George Main, it was his $9.20 chance Kolding, Tommy Berry, who defeated Star of The Seas, Imaging and Verry Elleegant.
Now even times champion Sydney trainer, Chris Waller has won six of the past eight running of the George Main Stakes, including with the great mare Winx in 2016, 2017 and 2018
What now for Kolding in making it consecutive $1m TAB Epsom Handicap victories as $15 chance carrying 56.5kg, having also won last year’s inaugural $7.5m Golden Eagle.
Trainers have again shown their support for the Heineken The Metropolitan as the Spring principal staying event, with the Kris Lees trained Parramatta Cup winner Mustajeer being top weight of 58kg.
Chris Waller’s Kingston Town Stakes winner Finche is weighted on 57kg, and is looking to be his third three consecutive winner in having Come Play With Me win last year and Patrick Erin in 2018.
In claiming the valuable Darley Princess Series with wins in the Silver Shadow, Furious and Tea Rose Stakes, Dame Giselle is seeking a clean sweep with the Darley Flight Stakes of 1600m for Chris Waller.
Successful last Spring with Funstar in winning both the Darley Flight Stakes and Princess Series, Chris Waller was a ‘nose’ second in the Flight Stakes with Fiesta 2018, who claimed the Princess Series.
Always won by a good horse, the Moet & Chandon Spring Champion Stakes of 2000m for 3yo’s, it’s the Chris Waller trained Dulcify Stakes winner Mo’unga who is at $2.80 ahead of Love Tap on $5.50
In fast becoming a sire-making race, last year’s second Castelvecchio won the Rosehill Guineas and stands at Arrowfield Stud, his half-sister Maid Of Heaven won in 2018 and NZ sire Ace High in 2017.
‘The world’s richest race on turf,’ The Everest of 1200m is now worth $15m with the TAB slot choice Nature Strip as the $4 favourite with Rothfire and The Shorts winner Classique Legend at $6.
With Nature Strip, Rothfire and duel winner Rezel being geldings, can the Chris Waller trained winner Yes Yes Yes establish The Everest as a new stallion-making race in now standing at Coolmore Stud.
In could be called history, but both Yes Yes Yes and his close family relation In Her Time, the first Sydney Stakes winner, are products of a Register of Non Stud Book Vehicle Mare.
Both descend from John Cobcroft’s former non-stud book mare Vista Anna, who in 1984 was amongst the Australian Stud Book’s initial application and approved by the International Stud Book Committee.
Of course, In Her Time went onto be Equal Leading Older Female on the 2018 Sprint WTR in winning the Newmarket Handicap, The Galaxy and over $3.7m, and sold for $2m at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale.
The Everest Carnival concludes with of second running of the $7.5m Golden Eagle of 1500m at Rosehill Gardens, on Saturday 31 October, prior to Melbourne Cup Day.
Can that man Chris Waller make it back-to-back Golden Eagles with Kolding, the previous TAB Epsom Handicap winner who also took out the Fujitsu George Main Stakes.
