Rosehill Races

On Easter Saturday the scenic Rosehill Gardens Racecourse hosted the highlight meeting of the Sydney autumn carnival, the coveted Golden Slipper Day.

Nine entertaining races featured on the card, headlined by the world’s richest race for two-year-olds and the first leg of the prestigious Triple Crown for two-year-olds, the $3.5million Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m).

This year the 2010 Golden Slipper was won by the impressive Stratum filly Crystal Lily. Crystal Lily ($6), who looked an unsure winner after racing erratically out wide on the home straight, held on to claim a ½ length win ahead of another late entry runner Decision Time ($26) with More Strawberries ($12), the less fancied runner behind Brightexpectations ($8.50) from the stables of Gai Waterhouse, in third a further length away.

Brightexpectations was one of many disappointing short-priced runners who found the tough conditions and intense competition of the Golden Slipper too demanding, finishing a dismal 12^th one behind the odds-on favourite Military Rose ($3.50) in 11^th.

Follow the link to read more about Crystal Lily’s 2010 Golden Slipper Win.

The Golden Slipper ran as race seven at Rosehill on Saturday, but earlier in the day an incredible four other Group 1 races were held in anticipation of the scheduled highlight.

The first of the Group 1 features was the $400,000 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m), previously known as the Storm Queen Stakes, where Bart Cumming’s elite three-year-old filly Faint Perfume ($4.60) claimed a narrow ½ neck victory ahead of classy rival Valdemoro ($8.50). The top two finishing fillies left the rest of the field in their wake with the next closest runner, third placegetter Absolute Faith ($51) five and a half lengths further back.

Click on the link to see the complete 2010 Vinery Stud Stakes Results.

Following the Vinery Stud Stakes was the $400,000 Group 1 Queen of the Turf Stakes (1500m), where Australia’s most impressive, popular and highest seeded mare Typhoon Tracy claimed her fifth Group 1 success. The Peter Moody-trained talent started as the hot $1.40 favourite and scored another smart win this time 2 ¼ lengths ahead of Illuminates ($41) with the Gai Waterhouse-trained Montana Flyer ($31) in third.

The second most anticipated and lucrative race at the meeting was next on the programme, the $2.25million Group 1 The BMW (2400m). The testing weight-for-age feature was taken out in a surprise win by Littorio. Littorio ($17), in just his third career win, beat home the Anthony Cummings-trained Zavite ($31) by a mere neck with No Wine No Song ($26) a length away for third.

Race six was the $400,000 Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m) where the $4.60 favourite, Danleigh, burst into Doncaster Mile contention with a gallant 1 ¾ length victory ahead of Dao Dao ($7.50) with last year’s third placegetter, King Mufhasa, repeating his performance to again finish two back from the winner just three quarters of a length away.

After all the hype and atmosphere of the Golden Slipper, two races finished off proceedings at the meeting.

The first was the $150,000 Group 2 Tulloch Stakes (2000m) won by the John Thompson-trained Count Encosta ($9) who finished three quarters of a length ahead of Gai Waterhouse’s odds-on favourite Descarado ($3.20) with Maluckyday in third.

Gai Waterhouse finally secured a win in the closing race of the day after a frustrating succession of minor placings when Swift Alliance ($4.80) beat home the $3.20 favourite Welkom Gold by ½ a length with Typhoon Zed ($9) finishing third in the $125,000 The Sebring Stakes (1100m), previously known as the Star Kingdom Stakes.

The action of the Sydney autumn racing carnival now moves to the Royal Randwick Racecourse where the Australian Derby Day will take place this Saturday followed over the next few weeks by the Doncaster Handicap Day and Sydney Cup Day. Follow all the action of these great race days at Races.com.au.

Race Results – Rosehill – Saturday April 3, 2010: