The Golden Rose is always a major highlight of the Spring Racing Carnival every year, and thirteen three-year-olds will chase Group 1 success at Sydney’s Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
$1 million goes on the line, but the prestige of a Golden Rose victory extends far further than the purse, and it has been a key stallion-making contest for many years.
With Jacquinot’s memorable win and lucrative price still in the back of my mind, I’ve run the rule over all thirteen gallopers, and you can find my complete 2023 Golden Rose Tips below.
Suggested Bets
- 3 Units E/W #4 King Colorado
- Boxed Trifecta of the selections below
I love Shinzo. I love Militarize. I love Cylinder and I love a few others. But I’m pretty keen on King Colorado in the 2023 Golden Rose.
King Colorado made only three appearances at the races during his debut prep, racing only fairly at Kembla Grange first-up before breaking his maiden, and ultimately winning the Group 1 JJ Atkins up in Brisbane following that.
He returned this time to finish ninth in open company in the Group 1 Winx Stakes, but the performance was eye-catching, and far better than that result might suggest.
I love that he has been kept fresh and sent back to the trials since that race, and I’m expecting him to be absolutely storming home last this week.
Militarize hit the line to finish fifth, beaten less than a length in the Run To The Rose here a fortnight ago, and I have little doubt he’ll improve noticeably second-up and further out in trip.
The Dundeel colt was excellent during his two-year-old season, improved with each start to ultimately end his campaign with consecutive Group 1 victories in the Sires’ Produce and the Champagne Stakes.
A heavy track would obviously be far better for him on Saturday, but I am confident that he has a lot of these rivals covered for class regardless, and Joao Moreira is travelling to Sydney to ride him this week.
He is a classy colt, and he could come out and brain them in the Golden Rose, but Shinzo did improve noticeably with each start during his debut prep, and I just wonder if he’ll find a couple of these rivals a little too sharp first-up over the 1400m.
Having placed in Group 3 and Group 2 company at his first two career starts, Shinzo broke his maiden in the Pago Pago Stakes and was sent off at Golden Slipper odds of $14 here at Neds, storming home to record a dominant win under the urgings of Ryan Moore.
Moore has answered an SOS call to fly to Australia and partner Shinzo again, in place of the injured James McDonald.
The only other knock I have on this horse is that a striking small number of Golden Slipper winners have come back and won again during their respective three-year-old seasons, and he’ll have to buck that trend as well.
He was very impressive when he finally got out to win the Run To The Rose at his second start back this time, and Cylinder does rate as a key winning chance again in the Golden Rose.
Cylinder was another above-average performer during the Autumn Carnival this year, winning the Silver Slipper and the Todman most notably before finishing second in the Golden Slipper.
He’d either had enough or didn’t quite enjoy the 1400m when seventh, beaten seven lengths in the Sires’ Produce, but his consecutive wins in the Vain Stakes and Run To The Rose since resuming this time have suggested improvement.
He’s drawn ideally under Nash Rawiller and can fight out the finish again.