3 minute read

Golden Rose betting is set for a shake-up if the vaunted interstate three-year-old More Sundays makes the impact expected of him in his first Sydney start at Rosehill on Saturday.

The impeccably-bred More Sundays is one of the most valuable three-year-olds in the land, being by champion sire Fastnet Rock from John Singleton’s eight-time Group One winner More Joyous.

More Sundays, bred and raced by Singleton’s Strawberry Hill Stud, is another extension of the celebrated Denise’s Joy/Joie Denise family that includes his former G1 stars Tuesday Joy and Sunday Joy, the dam of More Joyous.

Singleton also races the unbeaten mare Woman, an older sister to More Sundays by Frankel from More Joyous.

More Sundays is one of the rare horses Singleton has placed with the Victorian training partnership of David Hayes, Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig.

They took over the training of More Sundays this year after the colt began his career in Sydney, having won a barrier trial at Rosehill last December when prepared by Bjorn Baker.

The Lindsay Park team produced More Sundays for his first race start at Geelong on August 6 when the colt showed high potential to lead all the way for an easy maiden win over 1100m

They immediately set their sights on the $1 million Golden Rose (1400m) at Rosehill on September 22.

Switched to their Sydney stable at Randwick, More Sundays got his first look at Rosehill on August 20 when he recorded an impressive barrier trial win over 895m, surging past his rivals from the rear and running the fastest time (54.02) of the eight heats with Kerrin McEvoy in the saddle.

He won by almost two lengths under a hold and could have gone quicker, adding to the anticipation over his Sydney race debut on Saturday when he contests a BM74 for his own age over 1300 metres.

David Hayes said the G1 Golden Rose and G1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) are the big targets for More Sundays over the next six weeks.

“He goes to the 1300 metre race on Saturday and hopefully his rating will then be at a level where he can go to the Golden Rose for his next run,” Hayes said.

“We don't want to race him too much. If everything is going the right way, we'll go from the Golden Rose to the Guineas.”

More Sundays is currently on the third line of Golden Rose betting at $11 behind equal $6 favorites Brutal and The Autumn Sun and unbeaten San Domenico Stakes winner Graff ($8).