Racing: Autumn Sun could dazzle Kiwis

Madison County takes out the Levin Classic at Trentham in January. Photo / Getty Images

If this was a normal Rosehill Guineas the confidence in Camp Kiwi would be growing.

After all, when the major three-year-old races of the Australian autumn get up to 2000m and beyond that is when the balance of power changes from Australian speed monsters to good old fashioned New Zealand staying blood.

Four New Zealand-trained horses have won the Guineas in the last eight years, starting with Jimmy Choux (2011), then It's A Dundeel, Volkstok'n'barrell and finally Gingernuts two years ago.

That staying dominance often rolls on to the ATC Derby, as Nom De Jeu, It's A Dundeel, Mongolian Khan and Jon Snow have also proved since 2008.

But while Saturday's A$600,000 Guineas might have a larger number of New Zealand gallopers than usual, the name at the top of the field is changing the way it is viewed.

Because standing between the five-strong New Zealand team and the Guineas is The Autumn Sun and even a stable with the outstanding Guineas record of Baker-Forsman realise this is no ordinary foe. "We all know he is a very, very good horse," says co-trainer Andrew Forsman, who has second favourite Madison County in the Guineas.

"We were happy with our horse last start (4th) behind The Autumn Sun but it is hard to say we will turn that result around."

The Cambridge trainers were thrilled with how Madison County galloped on a heavy track in Sydney yesterday and expect him to improve on his huge last-start run on his Australian debut but bookies still have him the distant $8.50 second favourite behind The Autumn Sun at $1.55.

The Australian TAB has already been swamped with love for The Autumn Sun, with one punter smashing him with a A$110,000 win bet at $1.65 as soon as the market opened.

How Madison County performs on Saturday is likely to shape his autumn as he is not nominated for the ATC Derby.

"If he races well enough then his owners might choose to pay a late fee for that or he could even drop back in distance to the Doncaster.

"So we will know a lot more after Saturday."

Joining the two-time group one winner in the Guineas from New Zealand will be Vodafone Derby winner Crown Prosecutor, and his stablemate Vernanme, Surely Sacred and Arrogant.

James McDonald has picked up the ride on Crown Prosecutor while Opie Bosson will partner Vernanme.

Bosson could be in for a big day in Sydney as he will also partner Danzdanzdance in the A$700,000 Ranvet Stakes, Zacada in the A$160,000 Manion Cup and Avantage, who has accepted for two 1200m races, one for fillies and mares the other solely for three-year-olds.

Danzdanzdance faces a potentially tricky barrier draw for a mare who likes to settle into her races as she has drawn the ace that also sees the Southern Hemisphere debut of (He's) Eminent.

A group two winner in France who finished fourth in the 2017 Derby at Epsom in England, Eminent is owned by Sir Peter Vela and has joined New Zealand equestrian legend and sometimes horse trainer Sir Mark Todd for his Australian career.

Eminent will be ridden by McDonald, who is also on the $5.50 second favourite Tenley for Saturday's A$3.5 million Golden Slipper while he will also partner Nature Strip when the speedster, co-owned by All Black coach Steve Hansen, makes his Sydney debut in the A$700,000 Galaxy.

All this on a day when Winx will completely dominate betting as always in the A$1m George Ryder Stakes.

Rosehill Guineas

A$600,000, 3-y-os, 2000m - 4.25PM (NZ time)

1: The Autumn Sun (3)
2: Madison County (9)
3: Crown Prosecutor (13)
4: Surely Sacred (11)
5: Aramayo (7)
6: Vernanme (4)
7: Arrogant (5)
8: Chapada (1)
9: Dealmaker (10)
10: Purple Sector (6)
11: Costello (12)
12: Yulong Tavion (2)
13: Ablestock (8)