Platinum Racing

I AM GOING TO GO OUT ON A LIMB here and say that with the possible exception of Manhattan Rain, you can forget the Sydney autumn form when looking at the big three-year-old races in Melbourne this spring. There is no doubt that today's Golden Rose surpassed any two-year-old race we saw in the autumn and the first four horses hime in today's Gr 1 feature at Rosehill are all crackerjack racehorses.

Denman was simply stunning - and he showed his versatility. He can handle it wet or dry, race up on the speed, settle back in the field and he is a colt right out of the top drawer.

The runner-up Trusting was sensational. Stryker raced very well and Hus Der Lieften was terrific in running fourth. I thought Onemorenomore was pretty good first up and think he is a genuine Caulfield Guineas and perhaps Derby horse, but he will have want to have comne back well.

This is shaping up as a quality group of three year olds.

IT WAS GREAT to see a really good crowd at Rosehill today for the Golden Rose meeting. After the fare Sydney racegoers have been digesting all winter it was great to see top quality racing and some horses go around that are really going to fire up in Sydney and Melbourne this spring.

Apart from the three-year-olds, Emperor Bonaparte was very impressive winning the Premier's Cup and there is a good race in store for him in Sydney this spring. Madame Pedrille was simply terrific in winning the Sheraco and she too is a high quality mare. Absent Friends may be starting to put it all together now and he was very good in winning his race and I think a better race for him in the spring is certainly not out of the question.

It was also great to see Anne-Marie Robinson win a feature race when she got former boom horse Friday Creek to return to his best to score.

PORT MACQUARIE TRAINER JENNY GRAHAM made the long trek to Doomben today with happy results when Eripsni, ridden by Ryan Wiggins, led throughout to win. Newcastle trainer Kris Lees also pulled the right rein in sending gay deceiver Pins On Parade north and he had little difficulty in winning the open sprint with Brad Pengelly on board.

HAWKESBURY JOCKEY GRANT BUCKLEY had a field day at Kembla today landing four winners on the card. Two of Grant's winners were trained by Clarrie Conners and the others by Kevin Moses and Gerald Ryan. The girls had a good day at Kembla too, with Kathy O'Hara riding a winner, Espiritu Santo for Guy Walter while Warwick Farm trainer Leanne Aspros won the first with Chemin De Marc (ridden by Scott Pollard) and Wyong trainer Kim Waugh won with La Falette (ridden by Neil Paine).

WAGGA JOCKEY AND TRAINER combination Bryan Murphy and Trevor Sutherland took the honours at today's non-TAB meeting at Narrandera when they landed a winning double with Fubusue and Marview. The feature race, the Narrandera Cup, was taken out by Steal The Thunder, ridden by Robyn Freeman and trained by Brett Cavanough.

APPRENTICE LAURI WRAY, a girl with a big future has had a corker weekend. She travelled to Albury yesterday to land a winning double, Worpali for Moruya trainer Matthew Whipp and Rumble King for Albury trainer Jodie Bohr. Today she backed up at the non-TAB meeting at Queanbeyan and again landed a winner, Pin The Tail for Chris Coleman.

Veteran jockey Kevin Sweeney, took the honours on the five race card, landing a double, Night Man for Queanbeyan trainer Neville Layt and Redemiyev for Canberra trainer John Nisbet.

THE STATE OF THE CAULFIELD track today after some rain this morning must have sent worrying shivers down the spine of trainers as we head into the spring carnival. It looked pretty ugly. Jockeys were undecided as to whether to stay away from the fence which they did in the first couple of races, then some horses came through closer in (and won) later in the day. All in all, it does not augur well for the track is we have a wet spring.