David Payne's assault on next month's Golden Rose is taking shape with the trainer declaring More Than Great the spearhead of what he hopes will be a four-pronged attack on the $1 million race.Two-year-old More Than Great underlined his credentials for the Golden Rose (1400m) with a comfortable win at Rosehill on Saturday in a performance which confirmed to Payne that the colt was something special.Ridden by Nash Rawiller, More Than Great raced close to the speed before peeling off the back of t
David Payne's assault on next month's Golden Rose is taking shape with the trainer declaring More Than Great the spearhead of what he hopes will be a four-pronged attack on the $1 million race.
Two-year-old More Than Great underlined his credentials for the Golden Rose (1400m) with a comfortable win at Rosehill on Saturday in a performance which confirmed to Payne that the colt was something special.
Ridden by Nash Rawiller, More Than Great raced close to the speed before peeling off the back of the leaders and going clear to defeat Miss Cutie by 1-1/4 lengths in the Sydney City Toyota Hcp (1200m).
The victory provided Payne with his 10th juvenile winner of the season.
"We've got three or four at the moment being aimed at the Rose," Payne said.
"Whether they are good enough time will tell but there's no doubt about More Than Great, he's very good and our best chance for the race for sure.
"We've Danza Doll, Magic Model, Prerequisite and More Than Great.
"Danza will trial at Rosehill on Tuesday and the others will step out soon."
Charge Forward filly Prerequisite blitzed her rivals last time out when she scored a 1-3/4 length win at Warwick Farm over 1200 metres in May.
Magic Model is also a last start winner posting a narrow victory at Rosehill on June 27, while Danza Doll has not raced since being unplaced in the Group Two Magic Night Stakes in March.
Two weeks earlier she ran fourth to subsequent Golden Slipper runner-up Headway in the Group Three Sweet Embrace Stakes after scoring on debut at Randwick.
The Golden Rose is currently rated a Group Two race but a recommendation was made last week by the Australian Pattern Committee to the Australian Racing Board to upgrade it to Group One status.
Sydney Turf Club racing manager John Nicholson said he expected the announcement of an upgrade as early as next week.
"In nearly 30 years in racing I have never seen a recommendation for an upgrade knocked back from the Australian Pattern Committee and we have already started advertising it as a Group One race," Nicholson said.
The Golden Rose is at Rosehill on August 29.