The classy In Secret added another chapter to the history of Crown Lodge’s domination in The Run To Rose (1200m) when she became the first filly to win the group 2 for three-year-olds at Rosehill.
Tommy Berry was in awe of the I Am Invincible filly, which was heavily backed into $3.20 favourite, after she stormed home over the top of colts Best Of Bordeaux ($4.80) and Sweet Ride ($17).
“She just takes your breath away,” Berry said. “She was just so relaxed and so calm where, in a couple of her earlier starts, she really wanted to chase the speed. It shows she’s really maturing now.
In Secret wins the Run To the Rose at Rosehill yesterday.Credit:Getty
“I gave her a couple with the whip in the left hand and she was picking up. I changed it to the right hand and gave her one and, wow, she took off.
“She won’t have any trouble with 1400m and it might suit her better.”
It was the 11th time in 20 editions of the Run To The Rose that the winner had come from Crown Lodge, which is now part of the Godolphin breeding empire. Trainer John Hawkes started the domination, which has been continued by Peter Snowden, John O’Shea and now James Cummings.
On five occasions, Crown has gone on to win the Golden Rose. The latest was Bivoauc in 2019, and In Secret is now a $5 favourite to make it six. However, Godolphin will need to find a jockey for the Golden Rose as Berry is booked for She’s Extreme.
Best Of Bordeaux will continue on to the Golden Rose after gamely fighting back to run second.
“He is still learning and switching on and off in his races,” trainer Kacy Fogden said.
Jockey James McDonald was pleased with the way Best Of Bordeaux kept to the task.
“He jumped extremely well got into a lovely rhythm. He was softened up in the mid stages. It was put to him early in the straight, but he dug deep,” he said.
Nettuno had little luck in the straight, and Queensland trainer Tony Gollan said he wouldn’t go to the Golden Rose (1400m) but would stick to sprinting and head to the Roman Consul Stakes and the Coolmore Stud Stakes.
“It was hard watch because he never got a lot of room,” Gollan said.
Mile too good
Jockey Sam Clipperton got the improvement he wanted from Golden Mile ($3.40) in a Ming Dynasty Stakes romp and believes there is more to come from the Godolpin colt in a couple of weeks.
The Astern colt, which was the runner-up in the Up And Coming Stakes, was well backed and enjoyed a fast speed to the turn that he tracked into the race, but it was the acceleration at the 300m mark that has him a leading Golden Rose hope.
“I have loved this bloke for such a long time,” Clipperton said. “There is a lot of his dad about him.
“He ran really good sectionals last time but I knew he had to improve, and he did today.
“He has a beautiful long action, so economical, and he doesn’t actually feel like he changed gears. He did that so easy and then when I asked him to go he went away from them.
“I knew he was a real racehorse, and he showed it there. And there is still probably more to come from him.”
Golden Mile won by 3¼ lengths from Matcha Latte ($21) and Basquiat ($10).
Favourite Zou Tiger ($3.30) tracked the hot speed set by Rise of The Masses but dropped out in the straight.
“Copped some pressure earlier and couldn’t find a spot. It was a high-pressure race and he’s probably not ready for that yet. I wasn’t disappointed,” jockey Tommy Berry said.
Happy snap
Rachel King didn’t want to look at the big screen to see the Sheraco Stakes photo but Shades Of Rose held on to for a fourth consecutive win in the group 2 at Rosehill on Saturday.
King had used Shades Of Rose’s speed to find the fence from the outside draw and then kicked clear at the top of the straight, but Electric Girl was zeroing in on her late.
“I didn’t want to look at the screen. Luckily she tries so hard. She really stuck her head out because she has an amazing will to win, and that will take her a long way,” King said.
The photo gave Shades Of Rose ($2.45 fav) a nose margin, to the delight of King and trainer Bjorn Baker and capped a remarkable rise benchmark company to group 2.
“I knew it was a big jump up,” Baker said. “You’re jumping up against proper group 1, group 2, group 3 mares. She’s done a remarkable job. The big question is where from here.”
The only other mare punters wanted, Espiona, which started $2.70, was two lengths away in sixth. She came down the outside with an effort that left James McDonald preplexed.
“A bit of a head scratcher. She was there to produce a really good finish, like she can, but she failed to let go for some reason. I thought she was going to be there for me but she wasn’t,” McDonald said.
