Racing
The Saturday Look Ahead
Ciaron Maher’s strategic training blueprint has Godolphin’s crack three-year-olds Observer and Tempted set to secure a two-state Group 1 double on Saturday.
Observer is the $2.30 favourite to win the $1 million Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington, while Tempted is also at the top of betting at $2.90 for the $750,000 Surround Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick.
Maher has deliberately primed his young stars to peak second-up into their Group 1 targets with both coming off brilliant comeback wins.
Observer ended his spring campaign with a dominant Victoria Derby win over 2500m then sprinted brilliantly fresh to win the Autumn Stakes over 1400m.
Maher's stable representative Johann Gerard-Dubord said Observer has been prepared specifically for the Australian Guineas.
"The plan has always been to go second-up into the Guineas,'' Gerard-Dubord said
"It was very exciting to see him win so well at Caulfield and the extra 200m will suit him.
"He is a Derby winner but has some speed and is a very talented horse.''
Observer is from the first Australian racing crop of Godolphin-Darley's boom stallion Ghaiyyath.
In fact, three of the 10 starters in the Guineas by Ghaiyyath – Observer, Romantic Encounter, Victorious Spirit – which is a remarkable achievement.
Maher is chasing a third win in the Guineas in five years after Hitotsu (2022) and Southport Tycoon (2024).
Hitotsu, former Horse of the Year Mahogany (1994) and King's High (1989) are the only winners of the Victoria Derby-Australian Guineas double, a feat Observer can emulate on Saturday.
Tempted, also bred by Godolphin, is chasing her first Group 1 win in the Surround Stakes.
A runner-up to the world's best sprinter, Ka Ying Rising, in the TAB Everest last spring, Tempted resumed with an emphatic win in the Group 3 Eskimo Prince Stakes.
"She has been really good, she hasn't missed a beat since the Eskimo (Prince), we couldn't be happier with her,'' Gerard-Dubord said.
There has been some talk about Tempted' ability to run a strong 1400m but Gerard-Dubord dismissed those concerns.
"She has drawn a good barrier and it will give her every chance to run 1400m,'' he said.
"As we saw in The Everest where there was a lot of pressure and she was very strong through the line so 1400m will be no issue.''
Trainer Gary Portelli has swooped to secure champion jockey Craig Williams for all three of his stable starters at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
Melbourne-based Williams is in Sydney primarily to ride the outstanding Sir Delius for trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott in the Group 1 $1 million Verry Elleegant Stakes (1600m).
But Portelli jumped at the opportunity to use Williams including reuniting the jockey with promising mare Verona Rose in the Group 2 $300,000 Guy Walter Stakes (1400m).
Williams also rides the Portelli-trained Queen Of Clubs in the Group 1 $750,000 Surround Stakes (1400m) and unraced two-year-old Zensen in the Group 2 $300,000 Skyline Stakes (1200m).
"Craig is an outstanding jockey and has a very good strike-rate for me, he won a Group 1 on Kimochi (Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes),'' Portelli said.
"If he ran an apprentice school, and showed young riders how it should be done, how to speak to clients and do their homework, he would be a great mentor.''
Portelli believes Verona Rose is back to the form she showed in Melbourne last spring when Williams rode her to an impressive win in the Inglis Bracelet at Flemington during Cup Week last November.
Verona Rose has since resumed with an eye-catching third to Weeping Woman and Manaal in the Group 2 Triscay Stakes and has trained on well, according to Portelli.
"She ran a great race first-up, she went enormous,'' Portelli said. "She was wide making a long run and still finished off strongly.
"We are excited for her chances this Saturday and hopefully she is on track for her the Coolmore Classic next month.''
Queen Of Clubs resumed with an even sixth to Savvy Hallie in the Light Fingers Stakes and Portelli is realistic about the filly's chances against the likes of Tempted and Apocalyptic on Saturday.
"She is coming up well but 1400m is short of her best,'' the trainer said. "She is being aimed at the Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m).''
Portelli, a two-time Golden Slipper winner with She Will Reign (2017) and Fireburn (2022), has Godolphin colt Zensen lining in the Skyline.
"Zenzen was a bit field shy early but we have a lot of work with him to get his mind on the job,'' Portelli said.
"He's been trialling nicely and is a little 'smoky' on Saturday. I'm looking forward to seeing what he can do.''
Will we see the Golden Slipper winner at Royal Randwick on Saturday?
Since 2000, the eventual Slipper winner has contested either the Skyline Stakes or Sweet Embrace Stakes at this meeting on eight occasions.
Dance Hero (2004) won the Skyline-Golden Slipper double while Stratum (2005) and Shinzo (2023) were placed in the first leg before training on to win the world's richest two-year-old race.
During the same period, there have been five fillies who won the Golden Slipper after contesting the Sweet Embrace Stakes as a lead-up race.
Ha Ha (2001), Crystal Lily (2010) and Fireburn (2022) won both races while Calaway Gal (2002) and Kiamichi (2019) bounced back to win the Golden Slipper after being beaten in the Sweet Embrace.
Ray Thomas catches up with Johann Gerard-Dubord from the Ciaron Maher stable
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| Ray Thomas catches up with Johann Gerard-Dubord from the Ciaron Maher stable |
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