Golden Slipper Stakes (G1) hero Guest House will bid to become the first colt to land both the Slipper and Golden Rose (G1) when he lines up in the Sept. 26 group 1 going 1,400 meters (about 7 furlongs) at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse.
The son of Home Affairs, trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr., returned with a first-up victory in the San Domenico Stakes (G3) last month and will be four weeks between runs when he lines up this weekend, something that is of no concern to Kent.
"We're going to find out on Saturday if it was the right decision but at this point I'm very glad we've gone straight in,'' he told Racing NSW. "The horse hasn't missed any work, he's in beautiful order and will present immaculately in the yard. He's a very good colt with a huge capacity for work and racing and I think you'll see a very good performance on Saturday. He's going to have to be very good and on his 'A' game, but I think we've got him cherry ripe."
The filly Forensics completed the Golden Slipper-Golden Rose Double, capturing the Slipper in 2007 and the Rose in 2008 when it was a group 2 and conducted nearly a year after the Golden Slipper. No horse has captured the pair of races since the Golden Rose was elevated to a group 1 in 2009.
Waller to field five in Golden Rose
Having landed the race last year with Godolphin's Beiwacht, champion trainer Chris Waller will send a team of five to Saturday's Golden Rose. Waller will saddle up St Gotthard, Campione D'Italia, Tron Bolt, Stormy Marco, and Central Europe in this weekend's AU$1 million stallion-making event, with the quintet all being colts.
"They're absolute gentlemen," Waller said. "I'm going to give my team a wrap because it's how they handle them, how they ride them, how they look after them. And I think it's their ability as well, the horses. But if they're not under pressure they're enjoying life, and they're not under pressure."
St Gotthard is Waller's most favored in the market, sitting as a AU$4 second elect after finishing a narrow runner-up to reopposing rival Warwoven in the Sept. 12 The Run To The Rose (G2) last time out—his first defeat in three starts.
"His first-up run was good. James (McDonald) was very pleased, so that gave us the confidence to press onto this race," he said. "The 1,400 meters should be no problem. He relaxes well. He's still learning. First up he did a few little things wrong but once he irons them out, he's a very good horse."
