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: