Race favourite Menari has eased slightly in the betting for the Group 1 $1m De Bortoli Wines Golden Rose (1400m) at Rosehill today.
Menari, above, remains the short priced favourite for the Golden Rose at Rosehill. Photo by Steve Hart.
Menari is coming off two brilliant wins at Rosehill in the lead up to the Golden Rose in the Listed $150,000 Smithfield RSL Club Rosebud (1100m) and in the Group 2 $200,000 The Run To The Rose (1200m) and has been the dominant favourite at Ladbrokes.com.au since.
Earlier in the week the Gerald Ryan trained colt was marked at even money at $2 but on race morning the bookie has wound him out to $2.30.
Menari’s nearest rival in the market order is the Peter and Paul Snowden trained Pariah at $6 just ahead of the undefeated Melbourne colt Merchant Navy at $8.
Caulfield trainer Ciaron Maher who prepares Merchant Navy, said earlier in the week that he was struggling to line up the Sydney and Melbourne three year old form but Golden Rose winning trainer James Cummings suggests that it more even than the bookies have on their betting boards.
Cummings doesn’t have a runner in this year’s Golden Rose but trained the 2014 winner Hallowed Crown when in partnership with his legendary grandfather Bart Cummings.
“I have huge respect for the Melbourne horse (Merchant Navy) and I don’t think there is that much between them,” Cummings told The Weekend Australian.
“Taking a line through our horse Trekking, he wasn’t beaten that far by Menari and then beaten further by Merchant Navy.
“I also like James Harron’s colt Pariah. He’s certainly a big gun and will take some beating if he’s ridden the right way.”
Pariah chased home Menari in The Run To The Rose but the Snowdens have a knack of peaking their horses on the day for the right occasion.
Josh Parr takes the mount again on Menari who has drawn awkwardly at barrier eleven in the fourteen horse field while Pariah with Black Shinn in the saddle is drawn to his immediate outside at twelve.
Merchant Navy is the one that is going to get the run of the race from barrier two with Mark Zahra in the saddle again after the pair combined for a last start win in the Group 3 $150,000 H.D.F McNeil Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on September 2.
The Bjorn Baker trained filly Champagne Cuddles has been specked at long odds for the Golden Rose and has firmed in from $26 to be marked at $14 on race morning.
