Racing: Trainer looks for change of fortune in classic

It's been a disappointing couple of weeks for Guy Walter, with the Sydney trainer losing his leading classic contenders Rocha and Orca to injury and he is pinning his hopes on Rich Endowment taking a big step in his career today.

The colt will run in the Rosehill Guineas (2000m) as an outsider but his trainer is pleased with his progress and relying on his pedigree to shine through.

Rich Endowment is by Dehere out of Ivy League, an imported French staying mare Walter trained in Australia for Darley.

"He has won two of his last three and it is a big step up but he has the staying pedigree to get over the distance," Walter said last night.

"It is ambitious but they are only three once. I have always had an opinion of him. He is a nice, relaxed horse with plenty of stamina in his breeding but he had a couple of setbacks early in his career. His win at Newcastle against older horses was impressive and he ran his last 600 metres in 34 seconds.

"The Rosehill Guineas is a very big step up in class and it's ambitious, yes, and foolhardy, perhaps, but he deserves the chance against the other 3-year-olds."

Ivy League's best Australian performance was third in the 2003 Stayers Cup (2400m) but she boasted six wins in France from 1900 to 2300 metres.

Those wins included her first two starts as a 2-year-old over 1900 metres.

Walter is hoping Rich Endowment can make it to the AJC Australian Derby in which he has trained the runner-up twice.

Grand campaigner Tie The Knot won the 1998 Rosehill Guineas but was beaten in the Derby by Gold Guru whose trainer Leon Macdonald prepares today's Guineas hope Rebel Raider.

- AAP