The Kris Lees trained Sharnee Rose has pulled up sore after track work this morning and has been scratched from the Group 1 $1m Cellarbrations Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Sharnee Rose, blue blinkers, has been retired after pulling up lame after track work. Photo by Steve Hart.
Lees said that Sharnee Rose will now be retired after pulling up lame with a pastern injury after her early morning workout at Broadmeadow.
Sharnee Rose had put herself into contention as one of the top fancies for the Queen Of The Turf Stakes with a last start second to Catkins in the Group 2 $175,000 Ascend Sales Trophies Emancipation Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill on April 5.
The Chris Waller trained Catkins is the clear cut $2.80 favourite for the weight for age race for the fillies and the mares with Ladbrokes.com.au just ahead of her stablemate Red Tracer at $4.20 while Sharnee Rose was marked as $9.50 chance.
Sharnee Rose was a top performer for Lees and was able to earn over $500,000 in prizemoney with four wins from twenty-nine starts and her retirement will be a huge loss to the stable.
But Lees will still have a Group 1 representative on the second day of ‘The Championships’ and will saddle up Lucia Valentina, the $2.50 favourite for the Group 1 $1m Seven News Australian Oaks (2400m).
Lucia Valentina was promoted to the top of the market order after winning the Group 1 $400,000 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill on April 5 on a heavy track and the prospect of another rain affected surface will certainly enhance her chances on Saturday.
The Randwick track was rated a heavy 9 last Saturday on the first day of ‘The Championships’ and was again rated a heavy 9 this morning after 19mm of rain overnight but track manager Nevesh Rhamdani is hopeful it will come back into the slow range before Saturday with some fine weather forecast leading up to the weekend.
“Back to nine with the rail out four metres,” Rhamdani said.
“There is rain forecast pretty much for the next twenty-four hours, clearing into Thursday, mostly sunny Thursday, Friday and Saturday, so that is encouraging.”
“It looks a lot better than last week. Having said that Sydney during Carnival time anything can happen, but I am fairly confident there is some improvement to come with the weather and the track.”
“The best we could get to is probably a slow track and depends on how much that sun comes out on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.”
