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Mitch Cohen’s Blackbook: Five to follow from Winter Challenge day

NSW form expert Mitch Cohen has analysed all the action from Saturday’s Listed Winter Challenge Day at Rosehill Gardens.

Mitch Cohen
3 min read
July 20, 2025 - 10:56AM
King Of Roseau made it back-to-back wins. Picture:Jeremy Ng-Getty Images.
King Of Roseau made it back-to-back wins. Picture:Jeremy Ng-Getty Images.

NSW racing expert Mitch Cohen has run the rule over all the action at Rosehill Gardens and found a few worth following.

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FIVE TO FOLLOW

REFLECT(3rd, Race 1)

She was only getting into her work late after making her run from the back but was good through the line. This is a quality filly in the making and will be worth keeping an eye on as we head into the new season.

MR VERSE(3rd, Race 4)

This lightly-raced galloper went enormous despite just coming up short of delivering a brilliant last to first win. He’s only lightly-raced but looks a progressive type capable of bigger things.

TUILERIES(4th, Race 6)

Back and wide off a slow tempo, the odds-on favourite was always going to find it hard to bridge the gap. She still ran with plenty of merit and is worth giving another chance next start.

CORNICHE(3rd, Race 8)

In just his second run in the past 12 months, he gave a glimpse of the talent he’s always possessed when finishing off strongly behind Romeo’s Choice. Disneck (sixth) was similarly good in his return.

KING OF ROSEAU(1st, Race 10)

It seems as if trainer Peter Snowden has finally unlocked this three-year-old’s full potential following his second consecutive impressive win over the Rosehill 1300m. A return to stakes racing looks on the cards.

STEWARDS SAY

I Show Speed(Race 1): A late scratching on veterinary advice after he was found to be 2/5 lame in the off-foreleg.

Highway Strip(Race 3): Jockey Josh Parr reported the gelding continued to race ungenerously and hang out, resulting in clipping the heels of Pony Soprano, which came down. Will have to trial twice before racing again.

Pony Soprano(Race 3): After falling, was found to have swelling over the bridge of the nose, blood present in both nostrils and multiple lacerations to both forelegs. He will be spelled.

Maori Chief(Race 4): Found to be slow to recover post-race.

Hell To Pay(Race 4): Raced keenly in the lead. Was found to be 1/5 lame in the near foreleg.

Gentileschi(Race 7): Was found to be displaying a poor recovery rate post-race. She will now be spelled.

Our Kobison(Race 8): Failed to let down under pressure and finished a long last. Will undergo a full veterinary examination in the coming days.

CRUNCH TIME

Without Peer(Race 1): The winner made his run with Spice Prawn from the back of the field and the pair fought the finish out, running the last 600m of 34.41 and 34.33 seconds respectively.

Mr Verse(Race 4): Made up a stack of ground from the back in the field with a race-best last 600m of 33.66 seconds to finish a close third. It stacked up favourable against winner Amusing (34.04) and runner-up Sister Daae (33.89).

Tulleries(Race 6): She had it all to do back and wide off a slow tempo before surging home one of the fastest last 600m of the meeting in 32.99 seconds. She had slick closing splits of 10.67 and 11.03.

Disneck (Race 8): Rattled home first-up with the fastest last 600m of the meeting of 32.57 seconds, half a second quicker than the winner Romeo’s Choice (33.07). His three final furlongs of 10.86, 10.66 and 11.05 were race best.

TRACK TALK

“I had in the back of my mind all day, when Tim Clark won The Ingham on him, the fight he showed in the battle. I was relying on that but thank God we got him to win.“ Josh Parr after Robusto’s Winter Challenge win.

“He surprised us a bit. He has a lot of talent but is still very raw.” Johann Gerard-Dubord discusses debut winner Without Peer.

“I slightly put my neck on the line because he went online and I persuaded OTI (Racing) to try and buy him and quite a few of the owners retained ownership in him as well. He was always a bit of a quirky colt, but we knew he had good ability.” Trainer Annabel Archibald on Yoshinobu.

“I would never think I was going to end up here so it’s amazing.” Swedish-born apprentice Rebecca Bronett Prag after her maiden Saturday city winner.

“He’s not one of these million-dollar horses, he’s just a home-bred in the back paddock with his owners and it’s so wonderful for them and it shows these great racing stories can happen.” Trainer Richard Litt after Romeo’s Choice scored.

THIS WEEK IN NSW RACING

Monday: Bathurst, Moruya

Tuesday: Moree, Taree

Wednesday: Canterbury Park

Thursday: Wyong, Corowa

Friday: Lismore

Saturday: Royal Randwick, Kembla Grange, Trangie, Inverell

Sunday: Muswellbrook, Sapphire Coast

Originally published as Mitch Cohen’s Blackbook: Five to follow from Winter Challenge day

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