Queensland Winter Carnival winner Military Zone has returned from a spell and will be set for the $7.5m Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill on November 2.
Military Zone, above, will be set for the Golden Eagle at Rosehill. Photo by Steve Hart.
The Golden Eagle, a new race on the calendar for the four year olds, will be run for the first during the 2019 Sydney Spring Carnival and co-trainer Paul Snowden said that Military Zone has earned his chance to chase the big pay day.
“The Golden Eagle would be well within his grasp,” Paul Snowden told RSN Racing Pulse.
“It is obviously a new race that has been put up here and the path that we take to get there will be planned out carefully.”
Military Zone is the winner of five of his ten race starts and was sent for a short break after winning the Group 3 $150,000 Nuturf Fred Best Classic (1400m) at Eagle Farm on May 25.
Snowden, who trains in partnership with his father Peter, said that Military Zone has slowly matured into a genuine race horse who added a great turn of of foot to his racing profile.
“He was an aggressive horse as a younger horse and had a really devastating turn of foot and he just needed to get that race sense about him and he is starting to get that now,” Snowden said.
“He relaxes well and has a great turn of foot.”
“He arrived back this morning (Tuesday), he spelled well and arrived back in good order.”
Military Zone races in the red colours of Triple Crown Syndications, the same colours that Redzel has carried to victory in the first two runnings of The Everest (1200m) in 2017 ($10 million) and 2018 ($13 million).
Redzel will run in his third The Everest ($14 million) at Randwick on October 19 for slot holder Yulong Investments after that combination took the major prize together last year.
Early betting at Ladbrokes.com.au for the Golden Eagle has Military Zone marked at $15 while the former Western Australian star Arcadia Queen, who is now under the care of trainer Chris Waller at Rosehill, is the $4 favourite just ahead of the Team Hawkes trained Brutal at $4.60.
Early betting for the 2019 Golden Eagle at Ladbrokes.com.au: $4 Arcadia Queen, $4.60 Brutal, $5 Mystic Journey, $6 Classique Legend, $10 Verry Elleegant, $11 Kolding, $15 Amphitrite, Military Zone, Nakeeta Jane, Ringerdingding, Sunlight, $17 Graff, Roheryn, $21 Zousain, $26 Avantage, Gem Song, Maid Of Heaven, Miss Fabulass, Pohutukawa, Sesar, Trope, $34 or better the rest.
