Horse Racing

Sydney’s Rosehill Garden Racecourse boasted some of the nation’s top three-year-olds on Saturday afternoon as they competed for the $125,000 Group Three The Run To The Rose (1300m).

Gai Waterhouse’s Squamosa headed into the race as the clear favourite and didn’t fail to deliver by overcoming 11 fellow starters for the honours. The emerging three-year-old maintained his unbeaten record, making it three wins from as many starts.

Apprentice jockey Blake Spriggs took to the saddle and guided Squamosa perfectly as he directed Squamosa to the front off the jump. The 2010 The Run To The Rose win resulted in both the Not A Single Doubt colts and Spriggs maiden Group victory.

When the field began to straighten out Testarhythm and Circle Of Power looked on target to create the upset but Spriggs kept his cool with the reins in hand. The young rider didn’t react to the pressure, holding off until the remaining 300 metres before urging the colt forward.

Squamosa held off a late surge from the previously unbeaten colt Masquerader to win by just over a length.

Trained by David Payne, Masquerader claimed second spot but left Payne reeling for a rematch. Hoop Glyn Schoffield dropped his inside rein on the 300m line, which Payne believes lost them the win.

The two will face each other once again when the Rosehill Racecourse hosts one of its spring features – the $1 million Group One Golden Rose (1400m) on August 28.

Darren Smith’s Testarhythm and Peter Snowden’s Classics claimed third and fourth respectively.

Also taking place at Rosehill on Saturday were seven other superb races forming the next stint in Sydney’s Spring Racing Carnival.

2010 The Run To The Rose Results