The first of a mammoth five Group 1 races set to be run on the Rosehill Gardens card on Saturday sees the Darren Weir-trained Gailo Chop (Fr) (Deportivo {GB}) look extremely hard to beat.
With wet track conditions set to meet the runners, the last- start G1 Australian Cup runner-up has six wins and a second from eight attempts on rain-affected going.
Beaten narrowly by the Hayeses and Dabernig-trained Harlem (GB) (Champs Elysses {GB}) in the Australian Cup, the Mark Walker-ridden 6-year-old could once again prove the hardest to defeat if he has come on from his 2000m Group 1 victory at Flemington.
Third last time out when over seven lengths from Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {IRE}) in the G1 Chipping Norton S. (1600m), the Gary Moore-trained Classic Uniform (Aus) (Al Maher {Aus}) will appreciate stepping up to the 2000m of Saturday's race, a distance he won the G3 Craven Plate over last campaign.
In fine form of late, Nick Olive's Single Gaze (Aus) (Not A Single Doubt {Aus}), a Group 1 winner of the Vinery Stud S. over the track and trip during her 3-year-old season, comes up from Melbourne after her fifth in the Australian Cup and her honesty should keep her in the race for a very long way.
Another of the Hayes/Dabernig runners from the Australian Cup to impress was Ventura Storm (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), who appreciated the solid tempo set in the race, charging home for third at Flemington, and with the pace looking like it may be similar here, the 5-year-old could be working home well again.
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