March 10, 2016
The Sydney Autumn Carnival kicks off this Saturday in Group one style with Cellarbrations Ladies Day at Rosehill Gardens.
An elegantly entertaining day, ladies will be able to enjoy complimentary makeup touch-ups and express manicures at the Inglot Pamper Lounge while a live DJ will provide a party atmosphere on course.
The Sunday Style Ladies Long Luncheon will take centre stage hosted by Ksenija Lukich, host of E! Australia, who will interview Sydney Autumn Carnival Ambassador, Sylvia Jeffreys and the Editor of Sunday Style Sarah Grant.
Purchase a ‘Golden Ticket’ to attend Longines Golden Slipper Day, and be rewarded with general admission entry to all other days of the Sydney Autumn Carnival including this Saturday’s race day. The Golden Ticket is available for purchase at Ticketek.com.au until 12.00pm, 19 March 2016.
“The 2016 Sydney Autumn Carnival offers Sydney’s racegoers and social set a world-class festival of thoroughbred racing, stunning fashion, entertainment and premium hospitality, all starting this weekend at Rosehill Gardens,’’ said Australian Turf Club Chief Operating Officer Tony Partridge.
“Each day of the Sydney Autumn Carnival will provide a different racing and social experience. We encourage racegoers to take advantage of the Golden Ticket offer and come out to the track throughout the six-week period to witness this great Carnival unfold.”
An Exhibition Gallop will take place 30 minutes prior to Race 1 by Chris Waller-trained Winx (James McDonald) over 1000m and another following the running of Race 1 by Good Standing (Glyn Schofield) and Rock and Swing (Kerrin McEvoy) for James Cummings over 800m.
The Group 1 $600,000 Coolmore Classic is the racing highlight of the day which will mark the 21st year of partnership between Coolmore Stud and the 1500m feature.
A field of 13 runners are confirmed to face the starter with Ghisoni for John O’Shea opening as the $4.20 TAB Fixed Odds Favourite. The Lonhro filly has had three convincing wins from three career starts.
Last start winners, Gerald Ryan-trained Solicit ($6.00 TAB Fixed Odds) and Azkadellia ($6.00 TAB Fixed Odds) from Ciaron Maher’s stable are the only other runners in single figure odds, sharing the second line of betting.
The Group 2 $175,000 Bede Murray Magic Night Stakes has been named in memory of the late Bede Murray who celebrated success in this race in 2002 with Victory Vein.
This year’s edition has Gai Waterhouse’s Prompt Response ($3.20 TAB Fixed Odds) and Calliope ($3.80 TAB Fixed Odds) from the Godolphin Stable favoured to take out the 1200m sprint and gain ballot exemption into the Group 1 $3.5m Longines Golden Slipper next Saturday.
A win for Prompt Response will see Waterhouse have three guaranteed starters into the world’s richest two-year-old race.
Calliope was a late scratching at Royal Randwick last weekend and will be looking to redeem herself after a fifth place run in the Blue Diamond Stakes on 13 February.
A wide open field will take to the track in the Group 2 $175,000 Café Culture + Insitu Pago Pago Stakes. Punters are finding it hard to separate Mount Panorama ($4.00 TAB Fixed Odds), Souchez ($4.20 TAB Fixed Odds) and Lionhearted ($4.80 TAB Fixed Odds) with all three finishing in the minor placings in their last run.
John O’Shea-trained Souchez sits slightly shorter than Lionhearted despite finishing in third place behind Lionhearted’s second in the Skyline Stakes on 27 February.
Entry is FREE to all TAB members this Saturday.
Public gates will open at 11.00am with the first race at 12.20pm.
Rosehill Gardens has free high-capacity WiFi across the racecourse precinct.
There is free public parking off James Ruse Drive as well as free parking in the infield from the Unwin Road entrance.