The Queensland invasion of the Sydney and Melbourne spring carnivals will be in full force with seven runners set to line up at Rosehill and Flemington on Saturday.
The Kelly Schweida-trained Oink and Liam Birchley’s O’Reilly Cyrus spearhead the charge in the $1 million Group 1 Golden Rose at Rosehill along with adopted Queenslander, ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes winner Yankee Rose.
Toowoomba mare Sold For Song (pictured) will also be Sydney bound for the Group 3 Sheraco Stakes while the Steve O’Dea-trained Sir Moments runs in the Group 2 Bobby Lewis Quality in Melbourne.
Trainer John Zielke’s stablemates Happy Event and Dreams A Plenty also are in Melbourne for the Listed Cap D’Antibes Stakes and Group 2 Danehill Stakes respectively.
Hidden Pearl launched Queensland’s first spring raid at Randwick last Saturday but could manage only fifth in the Group 3 Concord Stakes.
Trainer Dan Vandyke gave the green light to run Yankee Rose in The Roses after the filly galloped between races at the Sunshine Coast on Sunday.
Vandyke gave Yankee Rose a “pass mark” following her track gallop wearing blinkers for the first time this campaign.
Hong Kong-based Australian Zac Purton, who rode her to her Sires' win, will again be aboard.
Yankee Rose is also entered for the Group One Thousand Guineas and the Group One Cox Plate in Melbourne.
Last season’s champion apprentice Jim Orman will make his first Rosehill appearance on Sold For Song after having ridden at Randwick earlier in his career.
Trainer Kevin Kemp is delighted with Sold For Song who hasn’t raced since finishing third in the Group 3 Sunshine Coast Guineas in July.
“She looks great and bolted in when she had a jump out last week,” Kemp said.
“She only had a three and a half weeks in the paddock and she only had a six run preparation last time in.”
Sold For Song also will target the Group 2 Golden Pendant (1400m) at Rosehill on September 24.
“If her form in Sydney is good enough she’ll then go to Melbourne,” Kemp said.
Kemp has earmarked the Group 2 Tristarc Stakes on Caulfield Cup as her main spring mission in Melbourne.
“However, if she happens to win the Golden Pennant or the Tristarc Stakes she may go to the (Group 1) Myer Classic,” he said.