Beau Rossa on track for Ascot’s Gold Rush despite Winterbottom failure
As the great Aussie saying goes, a figurative teaspoon of cement might’ve been all it took to harden up Beau Rossa.
The five-year-old gelding’s trainer Will Clarken has been pleased with both his efforts this preparation ahead of the $1.5 million Gold Rush at Ascot on Saturday.
Beau Rossa has run a competitive fourth and seventh in the Rising Fast Stakes and Winterbottom Stakes, his past two starts respectively at Flemington and Perth.
Going off those two performances, you wouldn’t have thought he was struggling mentally earlier his year.
But a last place – as the $4.40 favourite in the DC McKay Stakes, followed by a 13th in The Goodwood both in May, were disappointing to say the least.
So the hard-working Clarken’s solution was to simply test his star young sprinter a little harder on the track.
The subsequent results have impressed the South Australian conditioner.
“The horse just needed a bit of screwing down and needed to harden up a little bit,” Clarken told HorseBetting.com.au.
“It looked like he might’ve needed the paddock, but it might’ve been the making of him.
“Leading into when he lost his way, he was going okay.
“But he’s definitely come back a better horse this prep.”
Beau Rossa is now a much stronger horse – physically and mentally.
As a result, he will go into Saturday’s Group 3 feature over 1400m as a good-value $15 winning chance, with star South Australian jockey Todd Pannell on his back.
“He looks fantastic. I’ve been happy with his first two runs this preparation,” Clarken said.
“He’s built into his prep well, and he ran a career best third-up over 1400 (a close second to Behemoth in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes at Caulfield on August 28 last year).
“We’ve targeted him there (for the Gold Rush) and we’re looking forward to it.”
Beau Rossa finished strongly last start in the Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes on November 26.
2022 Winterbottom Stakes – Paulele
The result could have been better had he found an opening on the straight in the 1200m sprint, which saw Paulele salute for James Cummings’ Godolphin stable.
“The horses that got back and wide on the outside just got more momentum, which held him up a little bit,” Clarken said.
“Hopefully he can turn his last excellent effort into a peak run this prep.
“We’re hoping. He’s peaked third-up before in the Memsie.”
Yes, Clarken says he is hopeful of another strong performance from Beau Rossa.
But he also knows – just like when his talented sprinter was struggling – that he has done everything possible to have him challenging the likes of Godolphin stars Kementari and Vilana in the Gold Rush.
“I’d prefer them not to be in there, but it’s an elite race,” Clarken said.
“They’ve got the two gun hoops (Jamie Kah on $7.50 winning chance Kementari and Ben Melham on $4.80 hopeful Vilana) and we’ve got Todd to come up.
“So whatever happens, we’ve done our best. And hopefully the horse can do his best.”
Kissonallforcheeks is the $4.20 favourite for Dan Morton, with the benefit of 57kg on her back.
The five-year-old mare finished runner-up and less than a quarter of a length behind Paulele in the Winterbottom Stakes.