The John O'Shea trained Racing To Win heads a strong field for the $303,300 Group 1 George Main Stakes (1600m) at Royal Randwick this Saturday.
He will clash with other proven weight-for-age competitors Mentality, Vision And Power, Black Piranha and up and comer Rock Kingdom. Quality 3 year old and Champagne Stakes winner Onemorenomore provides a new form reference in the 10-strong field after final acceptances.
Racing To Win worked well this week coming off his emphatic win in the Theo Marks, cruising home in 11.9 seconds for his final 200m at Randwick at the end of his work on Tuesday.When he won the George Main Stakes in 2006 as a four-year-old, he also won the Theo Marks Stakes as a lead-up. The last two-time winner was the legendary Kingston Town in 1981 and 1982.
"He comes to a track where he has had very good results before and a distance he tends to like,” O'Shea said this week.
"He will run up to his best and usually when Racing To Win does that he is going to be very hard to beat. I'm very happy with where he is at.
"The races we like to target are a mile at Randwick and on Saturday it's a mile at Randwick, he's third up and he looks nice and fit."
Although Rock Kingdom is unproven at weight-for-age Gai Waterhouse was more than satisfied with the four-year-old's track work.
"It will be hard for him to win on Saturday, but it's not impossible and I wouldn't have him in the race if I thought it was.
“I'm very happy with him and he worked very stylishly this morning," Waterhouse said.
Caulfield Guineas favourite Denman will be out to continue his winning ways in the $151,800 Group 2 Stan Fox Stakes (1400m).
The Peter Snowden trained three-year-old will be the horse to beat and will line up against David Payne’s More Than Great and Waterhouse’s Turf Express in the five-strong field.
More Than Great will be seeking revenge after running second to Denman in the Run To Rose, but subsequently broke the track record over this course distance to provide more intrigue into the contest.
Waterhouse will put blinkers on Turf Express and is not overawed by Denman.
The $125,000 Group 3 Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m) has drawn a field of 13 with dual Group 1 winner Purple resuming to clash against the likes of Friday Creek, Faulconbridge, McClintock and Innings.
Other feature races on the program include the $150,000 Group 3 Colin Stephen Quality (2400m), the $100,000 Listed Reginald Allen Quality (1400m) for the three-year-old fillies.
Older mares contest the $100,000 Listed Nivison Stakes (1200m) and a promising field of 3 year olds take on the $100,000 Listed Dulcify Quality (1800m).
The track is expected to be in the Good 3 to Dead 4 range after 9mm of rain at Randwick overnight. The rail will be in the true position with a good cover of grass.
The AFL Grand Final will be shown live on a giant screen located on the Rose Garden Lawn and on television screens around the course facilities.
George Main Stakes Day is the official launch of the AJC Spring Racing Carnival. It’s also the inaugural Spring Ladies Day at Royal Randwick.
Fashion spotters will be on track to award David Jones gift cards, dozens of roses and bottles of Moet & Chandon to the best Spring racing outfits.
Justin North of Becasse has created a bespoke menu for the Celebrity Chef lunch in the Oaks Lawn Marquee, to be MC’d by Adam Williams, in aid of the Sydney Children’s Hospital.
AUSTRALIAN JOCKEY CLUB MEDIA RELEASE
Contact: Rod Allen 0419 692 856