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She Will Reign has claimed victory in the 2017 Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday, following an inspired ride by Ben Melham on a heavy track.
The Gary Portelli-trained runner settled just off midfield before improving along the rail coming to the turn, hitting the lead inside 300m, proving too strong for her rivals with Frolic second and Tulip third on protest.
Long time the Golden Slipper favourite, She Will Reign suffered her first defeat when runner up in the Reisling Stakes the start prior but clearly turned the tables on Frolic winning by 2.3L.
She Will Reign returned a new career peak Timeform figure of 119 in the Golden Slipper, three pounds above her Silver Slipper win over Veranillo.
She Will Reign ran the same figure as the last filly to win the race, which was Mossfun in 2014 with 2016 winner Capitalist running a figure of 122.
The daughter of Manhattan Rain became the sixth runner to complete the Silver Slipper-Golden Slipper double with Eskimo Prince (1964), Baguette (1970), Luskin Star (1977), Pierro (2012) and Mossfun (2014) also achieving the feat.
Of the beaten runners, Frolic ran to 112, one pound below her win in the Reisling whilst Tulip who was promoted to third above Menari following a protest ran to 102, well below her Magic Night Stakes winning rating of 115.
The well fancied Catchy clearly didn’t handle the heavy 10 conditions not beating a runner home.
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Gingernuts has followed up his New Zealand Derby (2400m) win with a terrific victory in the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m), too strong for Inference in second with So Si Bon third.
Gingernuts settled back in the field, before edging forward coming to the turn, running on strongly in the straight, seemingly relishing the heavy conditions.
The Kiwi galloper returned a new career peak Timeform figure of 123, five pounds above his New Zealand Derby win over Rising Red and Jon Snow.
The New Zealand Derby has been a strong lead up race for the Rosehill Guineas in recent years with Gingernuts the first to complete the New Zealand Derby- Rosehill Guineas double since Jimmy Choux in 2011.
Volkstock’n’barrell finished second in the New Zealand Derby before going on to win the Rosehill Guineas in 2015 with Silent Achiever following up her win in the 2012 New Zealand Derby with a third placing to Laser Hawk in the Rosehill Guineas.
Jimmy Choux ran to 117 when winning the NZ Derby before returning a Timeform figure of 124 in the Rosehill Guineas, one pound above Gingernuts.
Expected to head towards the Australian Derby, some seven runners have completed the Rosehill Guineas- Australian Derby double in the last 25 years being Criterion (2014), It’s A Dundeel (2013), Eremien (2005), Sky Heights (1999), Octagonal (1996), Innocent King (1993) and Naturalism (1992).
Of the beaten runners, Inference was very good once again in second place running to his Rosehill Guineas win of 118 with So Si Bon also running to 118, a new career peak figure.
Russian Revolution has stamped himself as one of the best up and coming sprinters in the country with a tough win in the Group 1 The Galaxy (1100m).
Returning on a very heavy track, the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained runner was able to hold out Redzel over the concluding stages with Jungle Edge not far away in third.
Russian Revolution ran to a Timeform figure of 119, one pound below his previous best of 120 when winning the Roman Consul and the same figure as his fourth placing in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud.
The team Snowden-trained runner ran well above 2016 winner Griante (112) and slightly below Sweet Idea and Tiger Tees who won the two years prior, both running to 120.
Russian Revolution is the first three-year-old colt to win the race since Shellscrape in 2010 who ran to 117.
Of the beaten runners, Redzel in second ran up to his Challenge Stakes figure of 121, with Jungle Edge in this running to a clear new career peak of 113.
The Racing and Sports field strength value of 117.2 is relatively low for a Group 1 sprint race and probably more on par with a Group 2.
The last of the five Group 1 races saw Our Ivanhowe finally strike a wet track when winning the Ranvet Stakes (2000m) from Hartnell in second with The United States third.
Our Ivanhowe returned a Timeform figure of 123, his highest since winning the 2016 Doomben Cup over Hauraki and It’s Somewhat.
Our Ivanhowe ran only one pound below 2016 winner The United Stakes (124) with 2015 winner Contributer also running to 124.
The placegetters Hartnell and The United States were clearly not as effective on the heavy track running to 116 and 115 respectively, well below peak figures of 128 and 124.