Racing: Shoot Out tipped to fire in Guineas

If Sydney trainers are right, the High Chaparral juggernaut will continue with Shoot Out in today's A$500,000 Rosehill Guineas.

Shoot Out is yet another outstanding emerging son of shuttle stallion High Chaparral, winner of the English and Irish Derbies and twice the winner of the Breeders Cup Turf (2002 and dead-heat 2003).

The young Coolmore-owned stallion is becoming something of a sensation in a short time.

Already this season High Chaparral's sons have won the A$1.5 million Victoria Derby in the form of Monaco Consul and the A$3 million Cox Plate with So You Think.

Rival trainers, including So You Think's mentor Bart Cummings, may not have yet conceded the Guineas to Shoot Out, but even Cummings knows the task is fearsome.

"Like a lot of the High Chaparrals he's very smart," said Cummings, who will saddle Rock Classic.

Either Cummings is trying to deflect the publicity onto Shoot Out or he is less confident of beating the other colt than bookmakers.

Most bookies have Shoot Out and Australian Guineas winner Rock Classic as joint $3.10 favourites.

Shoot Out was bred here from the unraced Pentire mare Pentamerous and is trained on the Gold Coast by John Wallace.

TAB Sportsbet's fixed odds market on Friday had Shoot Out at A$2.90 with the Bart Cummings-trained Rock Classic a A$3.20 chance.

After Shoot Out overcame extreme difficulties to win the Randwick Guineas last start, his Queensland rider Stathi Katsidis said: "He is perhaps the best horse I've ever been on."

That's high praise.

The colt has won four of his nine starts and banked A$549,700.

He was stopped in his tracks in the home straight in the Randwick Guineas, picked himself up quickly and barged through a wall of horses to score with a will to win that is rarely seen.

That was the race that made Bart Cummings pay attention.

The job was late yesterday made a little easier with the announcement of a blood disorder bottoming Guineas hopeful Kidnapped, whose trainer Peter Snowden has been greatly impressed by Shoot Out.

Stathi Katsidis, coming off a suspension, can't wait for today's race.

"He could win everything - he gives you so much confidence."

Wallace and Shoot Out's owners will make a decision after the Guineas whether Shoot Out drops back to the 1600 metres of the Doncaster or continues on the path to the AJC Australian Derby (2400m).

Meanwhile, Victoria Derby runner-up Extra Zero was safely held by seasoned weight-for-age performers in the Australian Cup but is expected to improve against his own age group as he attempts to win his first major at Rosehill today.

Trainer David Hayes elected to step the colt up to 2000m against the older horses last start, rather than take on the likes of Rock Classic, Denman, Linton and Set For Fame in the Australian Guineas (1600m) on the same day.

Assistant trainer Gary Fennessy was a little disappointed by his performance to finish ninth but expects the drop back to 3-year-old company to bring him right into calculations in the A$500,000 group one event.

"Coming back to his own age group is a plus for him, there's a little bit of the unknown going this [Sydney] way but he's got the class to be very competitive," Fennessy said on Thursday.

Hayes won the Rosehill Guineas in 2006 with A$17 chance De Beers and Extra Zero is rated at A$16 with TAB Sportsbet.

Extra Zero arrived in Sydney just over a week ago and Fennessy said he appeared to have settled in well.

The Rosehill Guineas will be Extra Zero's fifth run this preparation.

ROSEHILL GUINEAS
* Shoot Out is one of the emerging stars of the Australian circuit.
* The New Zealand-bred High Chaparral colt is on a roll after a sensational Randwick Guineas win last start.
* Even rival trainer Bart Cummings is singing his praises.

- ADDITIONAL REPORTING: AAP