Golden Rose Stakes (Group 1)

CHRIS Waller and Joao Moreira are shaping as a potent force through the spring judging by the results from last Saturday’s Rosehill meeting, a double and two seconds from five pairings including victory in the feature Group 1 Golden Rose for three-year-olds over 1,400 metres.

Near last on the bend in the 12-horse field, the Dundeel colt Militarize was threaded through the field by Moreira to snatch a thrilling victory, getting home in the last stride to down the Capitalist gelding Encap who had looked the winner 100 metres from the line.

With a nose separating first and second, a further half-head away was the race favourite, the Exceed And Excel colt Cylinder.

“He’s such a great horse for myself. Every time I’ve sat on him he hasn’t let me down,” said Moreira.

“Today he had to make it tough considering that he didn’t have everything go his way. The last bit, when I was able to get him into the clear, he just dashed home like a star. Good horses make jockeys’ lives so much easier.”

Perfect record

Having started just seven times, Joao Moreira has a perfect record on Militarize, undefeated in three Group 1s having taken out the Sires’ Produce and Champagne Stakes in April.

“If he hadn’t done enough already (to make a stallion), he certainly has today,” said Waller. “It was a classic Golden Rose, good field. I guess we had a nice favourable draw, confident jockey, and I always thought the 1,400 metres would be a bit short.

“We chose to put the blinkers on, which I don’t like doing too early in a horse’s career, but it might’ve just got us home.

“Everything worked out well. A bit of traffic in the straight, but he’s an amazing jockey. We certainly will be talking about a (Caulfield) Guineas for sure.”

Ryan Moore

The other international jockey Chris Waller partnered with on the day was Ryan Moore, though the pair were unable to find the podium from three rides, the most notable of those, the Golden Slipper winner Shinzo.

The Snitzel colt was near the tail and had to come into the race as the widest runner, finishing ninth, three lengths from the winner at his first start this preparation.

Sherry gets Athabascan on Cup path

THE door is ajar for Athabascan to claim a Melbourne Cup start after Dublin native Tom Sherry guided the French-bred Almanzor gelding to narrow victory in the 2,400-metre Group 3 Colin Stephen Quality defeating the Irish-bred Sea The Stars gelding Al Aabir with Joao Moreira up.

“We got a nice cart through and he actually knuckled down and showed a good turn of foot, sustained it through the line and for a stayer to go back-to-back it’s not too easy. He’s done a good job,” said Sherry.

“Two weeks ago, I took off on him and he sustained it, and he won. But, I was just concerned he didn’t have the turn of foot but he showed it today and he’s a horse with plenty of attributes.” Trained by John O’Shea, the former Andre Fabre charge has now won his past two starts with Saturday’s victory preceded by the Listed Tatts Cup over the same distance at Randwick.

“He’ll go to the Bart Cummings (Flemington, October 7th),” confirmed O’Shea. “We want a ticket into the big one (Melbourne Cup) so he’s a young stayer that’s right at the top of his game and will take a power of beating in a couple of weeks.

“He’ll relish that, you’ve seen him there today, he never touched the bridle, he’s got a great turn of speed. He’s got 50 (kgs) I think in the Cup, we’ve just got to get him in there.”

Underwood Stakes (Group 1)

GAI Waterhouse and Adrian Bott’s evergreen seven-year-old Alligator Blood produced a stunning display of sustained pressure to lead the Underwood Stakes around the final bend and claim a second successive victory in the 1,800 metre Group 1.

Having run second in the Makybe Diva Stakes seven days earlier at Flemington, Damien Oliver had replaced the injured Tim Clark, making the win all the more emotional with the impending retirement of the 51-year-old at the end of the Perth summer carnival in January.

“You don’t get a chance to get on a horse like that every day and in the latter stages of my career, so I’m very grateful and great to get it for Gai as we’ve had some good success together,” said Oliver after his 129th Group 1 success.

“You never know if that opportunity’s going to come.”

Defeated

Landing the win by a length on the All Too Hard gelding, the pair defeated the consistent Kermadec gelding Tuvalu, just ahead of the Shamus Award mare Duais.

“It was a great effort from a horse that is tough and resilient over a long period of time,” added Oliver. “We had to take it up a fair way out and he held them off quite strongly.”

With 14 wins next to his name, this was Alligator Blood’s sixth Group 1, with Waterhouse keen for more.

“I will speak to Adrian. We may go to the Turnbull (2,000 metres Flemington), but we’ll wait and see.

“Today we backed him up as it gave us a few more options, but that is exactly where we want to be, Moonee Valley on Cox Plate Day.”

Giga out of Everest

LAST year’s Everest winner Giga Kick will miss the A$20 million race in two weeks’ time after tearing a gluteal muscle in the McEwen Stakes at Moonee Valley three weeks ago where he finished third.

“I am still amazed that he only got beaten two and a half lengths last start after missing the start by two lengths and injuring himself in the race, after what Craig (Williams) acknowledged was a poor ride,” said trainer Clayton Douglas.

“I can’t be prouder of my horse, who is tough and brave, and he will come back for what will, hopefully, be a drama-free autumn preparation.”