Some of the country’s best three-year-olds have been confirmed in the final field for Saturday’s featured Group 2 The Run To The Rose (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens and there is plenty of value to be found in betting.
Graff has certainly stamped himself as the horse to beat in the Golden Rose 2018 and he has subsequently opened the clear $2.70 favourite in The Run To The Rose betting.
The Star Witness colt immediately stamped himself as a horse to follow when he debuted for consecutive wins in late autumn, but plans to target the Group 1 JJ Atkins in Brisbane were shelved after he kicked the barriers prior to the running of the BRC Sires’ Produce.
Graff resumed this time for a dominant win over many of his Run To The Rose rivals in the Group 3 San Domenico Stakes (1100m) a fortnight ago and will only improve for the run.
He has the speed to overcome the outside barrier and if he will be extremely difficult to hold out.
Zousain impressed in a recent Randwick barrier trial and he has so-far received the greatest share of attention in The Run To The Rose betting; firming into outright $4.20 second-favouritism after opening closer to $5.
The Zoustar colt was kept to light duties in the autumn and that paid dividends when he arrived in Brisbane to win the Group 2 Champagne Classic (1200m).
He took up the running in the Group 2 BRC Sires’ Produce (1350m) and was just pipped on the line by stable mate Lean Mean Machine, before producing another top effort to finish second behind The Autumn Sun in the JJ Atkins.
He is another horse that will need to show some early pace from a wide draw, but James McDonald aboard is a big tick.
Interestingly only one other horse is currently available at The Run To The Rose odds of less-than $10 and Performer ($7.50) can fight out the finish of the race, with natural improvement.
Performer won each of his first two starts upon debuting, both at black type level, but lost jockey Hugh Bowman during the running of the Group 2 Todman Stakes (1200m) and failed to fire in the Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m).
He returned a fair first-up performance to finish third in the San Domenico Stakes two weeks ago and has plenty of options from the rails draw on Saturday.
Long Leaf opened his campaign in Victoria and brings a completely different formline into The Run To The Rose, as a result.
The Fastnet Rock colt won his first three career starts and has impressed Lindsay Park throughout his entire campaign so-far. He was all but forgotten in betting ahead of the Group 3 Vain Stakes (1100m) but ran on well to finish a close second.
The wide barrier isn’t a concern as he will settle off the pace regardless and he is worth consideration at his current each-way odds of $11/$3.20.