The Group 3 Hawkesbury Gold Cup has shifted south to Rosehill this Saturday due to COVID-19 and a capacity field of 16 is now looking to take out the $160,000 prize money.
Chris Waller has dominated the final field with six acceptances but the favourite remains the Hawkes-trained Amangiri. We’ve previewed the entire race and offer our 2020 Hawkesbury Gold Cup tips below.
Amangiri ran an impressive third in the Emancipation Stakes over the same distance first-up, so I’m willing to forgive her luckless run in the Queen of the Turf a fortnight ago and side with the favourite. This is a step back in grade for the mare by All Too Hard and she’s won twice third-up in the past. She’s likely to sit up on the speed from barrier 4 and the light weight of Tommy Berry should leave her with plenty left in the tank in the late stages.
You couldn’t have asked much more from Mask Of Time in the Doncaster Prelude, where he was beaten right on the line by a flying Cascadian. I’m willing to stick with him here resuming over the distance and if we get something close to a Soft 5 or better I think he’ll be right in the finish. The six-year-old has finished runner-up in three of his five starts at Rosehill, so that’s something.
I don’t mind Manolo Blahniq as an each-way chance based on his recent form. The New Zealand import ran a brave fourth in his last start at Caulfield where he clocked the 11th fastest 400-200m sectionals of the entire meeting. The six-year-old has speed to burn and should get a lovely run from barrier 8 with Rachel King on board.
I like the fact Unforgotten has had a trial between runs following her lacklustre effort first-up in the Group 2 Emancipation Stakes. It will take a big improvement for her to win this race, but the blinkers do come off for the first time, so maybe that will do the trick. She’s also won three races in the past second-up and twice over the course and distance.