Saturday's G1 All Aged S. is the final Group 1 of the Sydney autumn carnival, and last season's G1 Caulfield Guineas victor Press Statement (Aus) (Hinchinbrook {Aus}) will look to close out the season in style with his third career Group 1 win. Shelved after that career-best win Oct. 10, Press Statement showed no rustiness when returning a winner in the China Horse Club colours in the G2 Hobartville S. over this trip at Rosehill Feb. 20. He was not disgraced when finishing second in the G1 Randwick Guineas two weeks later and third behind Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}) and Kermadec (NZ) (Teofilo {Ire}) in the G1 George Ryder S. a further two weeks after that, and should appreciate this turn back to seven furlongs.
Kermadec is another with the scope to return to the Group 1 winner's enclosure. The 4-year-old won the featured G1 Doncaster H. on the first day of The Championships last year, but came in last of 15 in this year's renewal behind stablemate Winx. He exited that race with muscle soreness in his back and has since had chiropractic treatments.
Rapid improver Malaguerra (Aus) (Magnus {Aus}) looks to extend his current win streak to five, and tries Group 1 company for the second time, his first attempt coming 14 starts back when he finished 10th in the Blue Diamond S. of 2014. The 4-year-old gelding made his Sydney debut a stylish one when winning the G3 Tab Star Kingdom S. last-out Mar. 26, and retains the services of jockey Blake Shinn, who had to make the choice between the gelding and the filly English (Aus) (Encosta de Lago {Aus}).
“I was very impressed with him last start,” Shinn said. “He got held up for a long way and when he got out he showed what an impressive sprint he has. English had the light weight and I didn't think there was much between them, so I stuck with
Malaguerra.”
Last year's G2 Derby Italiano winner Goldstream (Ity) (Martino Alonso {Ire}) makes his local debut for trainer Chris Waller.
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