The 2010 The Run To The Rose proved to punters it often pays to back the favourite, as wagerers at Sportsbet discovered on Saturday afternoon.

Gai Waterhouse’s Squamosa headed into the weekend’s feature as the favourite with SportsBet, and didn’t fail to deliver. The win maintains the colt’s unbeaten record as he defeated the previously unbeaten Masquerader into second place.

The 2010 The Run To The Rose victory dealt the three-year-old his first Group win, marking the same achievement for Blake Shiggs in the hot seat. The apprentice jockey was remarkable as he led his mount with confidence.

Shiggs guided Squamosa to the front of the field soon after the jump, and didn’t lose his control when the field levelled with Testarhythm in barrier eight posing a potential threat.

Instead the hoop bided his time, and pounced 300 metres from the finish to power home and claim victory by over a length.

David Payne’s Masquerader made a surge in the closing stages, but it was a case of too little too late and instead finished second best. Payne was disappointed with the result and believed the crucial moment came 300 metres out as jockey Glyn Schoffield dropped his inside rein.

The Rosehill-based trainer is counting down the days to the rematch, as the duo face-off once more in the $1 million Group One Golden Rose (1400m) on August 28.

Masquerader is leading the early market odds at $4.40 for the win with SportsBet while the 2010 The Run To The Rose winner Squamosa is slightly out at $5.50 for the win. So make sure to head to SportsBet to make the most of these lucrative markets!

Also taking place at the Rosehill Gardens Racecourse were seven other superb races, all forming part of the anticipated spring racing carnival.

2010 The Run To The Rose Results

Rosehill’s coveted Golden Slipper Day, the biggest event on the Sydney autumn carnival calendar, is set to take place this Easter Saturday featuring nine elite events to excite and entertain the crowds.

The headline race at the meeting, the one everyone will be there to watch and bet on, is the illustrious $3.5million Group 1 AAMI Golden Slipper (1200m), featuring 15 of the nation’s most promising and talented two-year-olds.

Currently the pre-race favourite for the 2010 Golden Slipper is unbeaten Gold Coast-trained filly Military Rose, the brilliant and versatile juvenile sitting at the top of the betting markets at $3.80 with IASbet.

But a wide barrier eight draw for Military Rose and uncertain track conditions have opened the 2010 Golden Slipper field right up, with any number of talented youngsters well positioned to take out the title.

Other top contenders include the Gai Waterhouse-trained colt Brightexpectations drawn ideally in barrier four and coming straight off an impressive win in the Group 2 Pago Pago Stakes (1200m), Beneteau in barrier six with Michael Rodd aboard, and two fast starting fillies Crystal Lily and Chance Bye drawn in barriers one and three respectively.

The two opening races at Rosehill on Saturday are Listed events to draw in the spectators, but the first Group status race of the day will be race three at 1:05pm, the $400, 000 Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes, also known as the Storm Queen Stakes.

16 brilliant three-year-old fillies are set to take to the track in the 2010 Vinery Stud Stakes including the Bart Cummings-trained Faint Perfume currently battling for favouritism with the likes of Valdemoro and the Peter Moody’s Set For Fame.

Following the Storm Queen Stakes is another excellent Group 1 race, the $400, 000 Queen of the Turf Stakes (1500m). This year the Queen of the Turf Stakes’ betting has been totally dominated by Australia’s highest rated mare, Typhoon Tracy in barrier 10.

Typhoon Tracy, a winner of nine of her 12 career starts, faces some of her toughest competition on Saturday including another from the Gai Waterhouse stable, More Joyous in barrier six, and the well positioned Sister Madly in barrier one.

Race five on the card for Saturday is the second biggest and most lucrative race at the meeting, the highly anticipated $2.25million Group 1 The BMW (2400m). Again, premier Sydney trainer Gai Waterhouse has the odds-on favourite in the event with Theseo in barrier eight.

Following race seven, the Golden Slipper, two more quality group races will take place to finish off a sensational day of racing.

Race eight is the $150, 000 Group 2 MYER Tulloch Stakes (2000m) featuring staying champions trained by many of Australia’s best trainers. The line-up includes the Peter Snowden-trained Kidnapped in barrier eight, the Gai Waterhouse-trained Descarado in barrier seven and two from the stables of John Thompson, Count Encosta (barrier one) and Shamardashing (barrier five).

The closing race at Rosehill on Saturday will be the $125, 000 Group 3 The Sebring Stakes (1100m), an exciting sprint dash featuring Swift Alliance and the David Payne-trained More Than Great.

Rosehill Race Programme – Golden Slipper Day – Saturday April 3:

Unbeaten filly Military Rose remains the favourite for this Saturday’s $3.5million Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) despite drawing barrier eight in the 15 horse field for the world’s richest race for two-year-olds.

Prepared by Gold Coast trainer Gillian Heinrich, the impressive daughter of General Nediym is still sitting as the odds-on favourite for the 2010 Golden Slipper currently at $3.70, drifting from $3.60 post barrier draw, with IASbet.

A winner of all five of her career starts, the brown filly has already earned in excess of $1.5 million over her short career, and jockey Stathi Katsidis is confident she can win again on Saturday despite her less than ideal barrier draw.

Victory on Easter Saturday will catapult Military Rose into the history books as she will become the first filly ever to take out the Magic Millions 2YO Classic – Golden Slipper double.

Military Rose’s biggest threat is Crystal Lily who was has come up trumps in the barrier draw having secured the coveted inside running with barrier one. Winner of the Sweet Embrace Stakes last start Crystal Lily is a rising star destined for great things and her ideal barrier draw sees her become a huge danger on Saturday with IASbet shortening her odds accordingly to $5 second favourite.

Crystal Lily’s connections will be over the moon with her draw after paying a hefty late entry fee of $150, 000 to secure her spot in the 2010 Golden Slipper.

Another promising juvenile with the ability and now the draw to lead early on is More Than Ready colt Brightexpectations. From the stables of premier Sydney trainer Gai Waterhouse, Brightexpectations burst into contention for this year’s Golden Slipper when he claimed an emphatic victory last weekend in the Group 2 Pago Pago Stakes. Brightexpectations will jump from barrier four.

Chance Bye is also an excellent contender in the 2010 Golden Slipper, the daughter of Snitzel having won all three of her race starts to date. The Silver Slipper Stakes winner has an impressive natural gate speed and this fast moving filly represents good value currently at $13 after having drawn well with barrier three; a barrier that will allow her to get to the front early and perhaps lead all the way.

Chance Bye will be ridden by hoop Kathy O’Hara who is aiming to become the first female jockey to win the Golden Slipper.

Golden Slipper hopefuls that did not fare so well with the barriers include the David Hayes-trained Shaaheq on the far outside in 15 and Waterhouse’s other starter More Strawberries in 14.

For more of the latest news and updates on the 2010 Golden Slipper visit www.races.com.au.

Final Field & Barriers for 2010 AAMI Golden Slipper:

This year the 2010 Rosehill Guineas was taken out by the promising Zabeel gelding, Zabrasive.

Trained by John O’Shea Zabrasive appreciated the extra distance of Saturday’s feature after placing an unfortunate fourth to Shoot Out in the Randwick Guineas (1600m) last start.

Zabrasive ($6) was ridden to perfection by Nash Rawiller and the two chased down early leader Gathering inside the 200m mark to get to the front, holding off a late challenge by Crown Guineas winner Rock Classic ($3.70) to win by a mere nose with Run For Narra ($11) two lengths further back for third.

The victory was Zabrasive’s first Group 1 win, and the talented youngster will move on to the $1.3million Group 1 AJC Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick on April 10.

Earlier in the day a brilliant line-up of quality races entertained the crowds, with the first Group race at the meeting taking place as race four, the $150, 000 Group 2 Pago Pago Stakes (1200m).

This year the Pago Pago Stakes was won by Gai Waterhouse’s excellent More Than Ready colt Brightexpectations. The talented two-year-old began as the $2.60 favourite before going on to claim a dazzling all-the-way win over three lengths ahead of Blackball ($21) with the previously unbeaten Gerald Ryan-trained Hinchinbrook ($2.70) in third.

Brightexpectations has now burst into contention for the $3.5million Golden Slipper Stakes to be held next Saturday and is currently the third elect at $7.50 with IASbet to take out the richest two-year-olds’ race in the world behind Military Rose ($3.50) and Crystal Lily ($5.50).

Following the Pago Pago Stakes, the next event on the card at Rosehill was the $150, 000 Group 2 Magic Night Stakes (1200m), won by the Peter Moody-trained Tale Of The Cat filly Willow Creek in her first black type success.

Willow Creek settled worse than mid-field early in the event, as Psychologist stormed to the front leading by a devastating eight lengths at one stage.

But having pushed too hard to begin with, Psychologist faded over the closing stages of the race to finish a dismal tenth and allowing Willow Creek ($5) to race to victory three-quarters of a length ahead of the Gai Waterhouse-trained favourite More Strawberries ($3.50) with Celts a further half-length away for third.

The exciting Group racing action continued with the $150, 000 Group 2 Ajax Stakes (1500m) where the Kerry Parker-trained son of Fantastic Light, Brilliant Light, secured his sixth career win from 13 starts in a thrilling photo-finish event.

The four-year-old gelding began at odds of $5 and just managed to defeat equal second favourite Centennial Park by a short half-head with roughie Mentality ($31) in a fast finishing third.

It was a poor finish for the $2.90 favourite, Gai Waterhouse’s Rock Kingdom, who placed a listless sixth.

The performance was an excellent preparatory run for the $1.5million Group 1 Doncaster Handicap on April 17, for which Parker hopes Brilliant Light can gain a start for.

After the headline event, the Rosehill Guineas, the last Group race on the card and the closing event at the meeting was the $125, 000 Group 3 Birthday Card Stakes (1200m) where Joseph Pride’s Patronyme ($6) claimed victory a half-length ahead of the talented Beaded ($4) with Melito, the pre-race favourite at $2.90, in third.

This coming Saturday Rosehill Gardens will host its biggest and most bet on race meeting of the year, Golden Slipper Day featuring an elite line-up of races including five Group 1 events.

Race Results – Rosehill – Saturday March 27, 2010:

The headline race of the day will be the $500, 000 Group 1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m), but instead of just focusing on the scheduled highlight, IASbet have bet types that will have you watching every race in anticipation.

For races three, four, five, six, seven and nine, there are special Rosehill Head-to-Head odds where you can pick between two nominated horses to win. For example in the $150, 000 Group 2 Magic Night Stakes (1200m) IASbet.com customers can select between Georgette Silk or the Gai Waterhouse-trained More Strawberries to win, making for some scintillating showdowns!

The other enticing Rosehill special on offer is picking the number of winners a trainer or jockey will have success with at the meeting. This is a great way to get behind Australia’s premier trainers and hoops and to have an investment across the entire day’s racing.

Historic trainer Bart Cummings has four horses from his stable set to line-up throughout the day: Griffon in Race 1 the TAB Number 1 Club Handicap, Precedence in Race 3 the Veolia Environmental Services N E Manion Quality Cup, Skorost in Race 4 the Pago Pago Stakes and Rock Classic one of the odds-on favourites in Race 7 the Rosehill Guineas.

If you love the Cups King and believe in his ability to win in all four of the races he is represented in on Saturday, then you can bet on him to have four winners on the day with the juicy odds of $67.

Punters can bet trainers Bart Cummings, Gerald Ryan, Peter Snowden or jockeys Michael Rodd or Nash Rawiller will have zero, one, two, three or four wins on the day.

For full terms and conditions and to get in on the action these terrific Rosehill Special markets offer for Saturday visit IASbet.

The headline race of the day is the coveted $500, 000 Group 1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) that has attracted 11 top three-year-olds.

The 2010 Rosehill Guineas is set to be an exciting showdown between this year’s Australian Guineas winner Rock Classic (br.5), trained by the legendary Bart Cummings, and last start winner of the Randwick Guineas Shoot Out (br.7).

Other quality gallopers thrown into the mix that will be looking to cause an upset include the David Hayes-trained Extra Zero (br.10), John Thompson’s Gathering (br.2) and Zabrasive drawn ideally in barrier one.

Earlier in the day some terrific events are scheduled to take place in the lead-up to the scheduled highlight.

The first Group status event of the day will be race four, the $150, 000 Group 2 Pago Pago Stakes (1200m) where unbeaten Fastnet Rock colt Hinchinbrook (br.5) will start as the hot favourite, currently at $2.10 with IASbet.

Trained by Gerald Ryan, Hinchinbrook is the third elect for the $3.5million Golden Slipper Stakes on April 3 as he has already qualified for a start.

Many of the other juvenile colts and geldings lining up in the 2010 Pago Pago Stakes, however, will be desperate to put an end to Hinchinbrook’s excellent form and claim victory for the Golden Slipper ballot exemption that comes with victory on Saturday.

Hinchinbrook’s biggest threat will be the Gai Waterhouse-trained Brightexpectations in barrier four.

The next feature race on the programme, race five, is the $150, 000 Group 2 Magic Night Stakes (1200m) that also has a Golden Slipper ballot exemption on offer for the winning filly.

Tony Vasil’s talented Choisir filly Psychologist is the current favourite at $3.70 after drawing ideally with barrier two. She is followed closely by another excellent youngster trained by Gai Waterhouse, More Strawberries (br.10) at $4.40.

Other top runners in the 2010 Magic Night Stakes include Peter Moody’s Willow Creek (br.5) and the Clarry Conners-trained Georgette Silk (br.12).

Race six on Saturday will be the $150, 000 Group 2 Ajax Stakes (1500m) featuring 13 impressive gallopers including the Gai Waterhouse-trained Rock Kingdom installed as the top elect at $3.50 despite drawing wide with barrier 13.

The 2010 Ajax Stakes has a very open field with many exciting chances in the race such as Centennial Bark (br.4), Brilliant Light (br.3) and Kiloton (br.12).

Following the big event of the day, the Rosehill Guineas, the final black type race at the meeting will be race nine, the $125, 000 Group 3 Birthday Card Stakes (1200m). This year betting on the Birthday Card Stakes has been dominated by the Peter Snowden-trained Beaded.

Coming off a last start victory at Randwick where she defeated Group 1 Coolmore Classic winner Alverta, the impressive Lonhro mare will start from barrier eight on Saturday.

Other classy females Beaded will come up against include her stablemate Reniassance (br.3), the Gerald Ryan-trained Melito (br.11) and Patronyme (br.7).

Rosehill Race Programme – Saturday March 27, 2010:

The scheduled highlight was the $600, 000 Group 1 Coolmore Classic (1500m) where Alverta gave trainer Paul Messara his first Group 1 success.

The talented Flying Spur mare stared at generous odds of $18 after having only recently returned to racing since failing to get into foal since her spring retirement.

Alverta, who had also given Messara his first metropolitan win and his maiden stakes victory, proved her trainer’s decision to race her again a brilliant one as she claimed a two length victory ahead of the Gai Waterhouse-trained Gold Water ($17) with Palacio De Cristal, the $5.50 favourite, in third.

Earlier in the day, the first Group 1 feature at the Rosehill meeting took place, the $400, 000 Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m). Premier Sydney trainer Gai Waterhouse took out the staying feature with her classy gelding Theseo, winner of the feature last year.

Theseo become just the fourth horse in history to win back-to-back Ranvet Stakes and is proving one of the stars of the 2010 autumn carnival as he was coming off a last start win in the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes.

Other highlights on the day included race three, where Gillian Heinrich’s brilliant filly Military Rose stormed into Golden Slipper favouritism when she toyed with her rivals to claim an emphatic victory in the $300, 000 Group 2 Reisling Stakes (1200m).

Military Rose has now won all five of her career starts and her unbeaten record and easy win ahead of high quality two-year-olds including John O’Shea’s Solar Charged who placed third on Saturday has seen her shorten to the $3.20 favourite with IASbet for the world’s richest race for two-year-olds on April 3.

Following Military Rose’s impressive victory, in race four at the Rosehill races on Saturday the David Payne-trained Masquerader maintained his unbeaten record winning his second race start in the $300, 000 Group 2 Todman Stakes (1200m).

In the $150, 000 Group 2 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) Les Bridge’s six-year-old Nothin’ Leica Dane mare Hot Danish proved she still had plenty of steam, defeating a classy field including runner-up Black Piranha.

The final Group feature race of the day took place as race eight just after the Coolmore Classic. The $150, 000 Group 2 Phar Lap Stakes (1500m) was won by the Peter Moody-trained Redoute’s Choice colt Tickets.

The victory gave the leading Caulfield trainer a small victory on a day filled with disappointment, including the scratching of his filly Set For Fame, an early favourite for the Coolmore Classic.

Race Results – Rosehill – Saturday March 20, 2010:

Local trainer Gai Waterhouse added another win to her name when her runner Rabbuka, the $4.20 favourite, claimed victory 1 1/4 lengths ahead of the Peter Snowden-trained Spinney ($5.50) with Adelaide Cup winner Zavite ($16), trained by Anthony Cummings, coming in third.

It was a gallant run by seven-year-old Zavite, who carried the topweight of 59kg and did well to finish in the top three after missing the start.

Carrying the second heaviest weight of 57.5kg did nothing to slow Rabbuka down as he stormed to the winning post first in a time of 2:03.36 for his first 2000m victory.

Jockey Nash Rawiller followed Waterhouse’s instructions and rode the six-year-old Giant’s Causeway gelding aggressively to the line in a lead-all-the-way win.

The second favourite at $3.30, Rainbow Styling, failed to live up to the punter’s expectations, coming in fifth just behind fourth placegetter Theophorus ($9.50) after the wide barrier draw proved too much for the Hawkes-trained five-year-old.

Rabbuka has now won eight of his 21 career starts for over $390 000 in prizemoney.

Next on the cards at Rosehill are barrier trials on Friday 22^nd January, followed by the course’s next feature race meeting the Racing Rewards Inglis Classic Race Day on Saturday the 23^rd.

2010 Frank Underwood Cup Results:

Gaining much attention is five-year-old Rainbow Styling trained by the Hawkes team including Hall Of Fame inductee John Hawkes, the Zabeel gelding is attempting his third successive victory. Rainbow Styling has drawn wide with barrier nine in the ten-horse field but is still highly fancied to take out the Frank Underwood after his solid last start win in the Listed Tattersalls Cup over the same 2000m distance.

Rainbow Styling will be ridden by Jim Cassidy, who partnered the horse for his Tattersalls Cup victory and is back from suspension just in time for Saturday.

The Anthony Cummings-trained Adelaide Cup winner Zavite has been allocated the heaviest weight of 59kg, the seven-year-old due to be ridden by heavyweight hoop Glyn Schofield from barrier five.

Starting on the inside of Zavite is Rabbuka, trained by Gai Waterhouse and ridden on Saturday by Nash Rawiller.

Meanwhile the Peter Snowden’s ever consistent Spinney has secured barrier one.

The Listed Frank Underwood Cup is scheduled as race six on Saturday.

Rosehill Gardens Race Programme – Saturday January 16, 2010:

2010 Schweppes Frank Underwood Cup Final Field & Barrier Draw:

His quartet of winners included brother and sister Pinwheel and Counterpane who claimed successive victories in the TAB Number 1 Club Handicap (1200m) and the www.theraces.com.au Handicap (1200m).

The result was Snowden’s second highest number of winners at a single race meeting, having previously trained five champions at the same raceday, but the brother and sister feat was a first.

Pinwheel, a four-year-old gelding, and Counterpane, a three-year-old filly, are by former racing great Lonhro out of Quilt.

Snowden also saw victory in the Gold Coast International Hotel Handicap (1200m) with Killian and in the Jim Beam Handicap (1200m) with his gifted mare Clothing.

The impressive Rosehill assault has rapidly improved Snowden’s stocks for the Sydney Trainers Premiership this season as his tally of wins now stands at 28, just five behind the leader Chris Waller. Snowden is looking to atone for his second place to Gai Waterhouse in last season’s premiership.

Race Results – Rosehill Gardens December 12: