Kiwi raider Checkmate the mystery horse of 2025 Group 1 Rosehill Guineas

Co-trainers Andrew Scott and Lance O’Sullivan admit they have no idea if The Kiwi placegetter Checkmate will run out 2000m in Saturday’s Rosehill Guineas … but they do know they have a good horse on their hands.

Even by trainer Andrew Scott’s own assessment, Kiwi raider Checkmate is the X-factor mystery contender of Saturday’s Group 1 Rosehill Guineas.

Will Checkmate run the 2000m of the Guineas, after last being seen finishing third behind Damask Rose over the 1500m distance of the $3.5m slot race The Kiwi at Ellerslie?

Scott and his co-trainer Lance O’Sullivan confess they don’t know. But nothing ventured, nothing gained, and Scott said the training team wouldn’t die wondering as it launched a hit-and-run assault on the Guineas.

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“We think we will run well, there is a little bit of unknown about whether he can stay 2000m,” Scott said.

“But the horse is going really well and we are just taking the opportunity while he is fit and sound and he has pulled up really well from The Kiwi.

“We don’t know how his form will measure up.

“But we certainly think he is a horse with a good load of ability and we are going to learn a lot more on the weekend.”

NZ galloper Checkmate is heading to Australian for the Rosehill Guineas. Picture: Kenton Wright / Race Images

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Checkmate is a three-year-old son of three-time Group 1 winner Mongolian Khan who won the 2015 Caulfield Cup for legendary New Zealand trainer Murray Baker.

He went into the inaugural The Kiwi slot race as a $16 chance but ran better than his price suggested, finishing third but alongside Lindsay Park’s race favourite and runner-up Evaporate.

Evaporate and Checkmate had to make do with filling the minor placings after being knocked off by a sensational last-to-first rails-hugging ride by Blake Shinn on Damask Rose.

Damask Rose comes from the back of the field & finds clear air down the inside to take out the inaugural NZ$3.5m NZB Kiwi 👏@TeAkauRacing@blake_shinnpic.twitter.com/IETZ052m2w

— Racing.com (@Racing) March 8, 2025

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Damask Rose looks a filly of enormous potential and will be cashing in a golden ticket to race in the $10m Golden Eagle during the Sydney spring carnival.

Scott made it clear that Checkmate’s surprise Rosehill Guineas bid would just be a one-race mission Down Under this autumn.

Checkmate is bred to stay and had been a one-time favourite for the New Zealand Derby until his trainers decided to instead target the The Kiwi.

But there are no thoughts being entertained of an Australian Derby mission.

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“It will be a hit-and-run mission, he’s not entered for the Derby, so he will come over and run this Saturday and hopefully perform well and then head home on Sunday,” Scott said.

Checkmate has drawn softly in barrier three and will be ridden by Shinn.

The gelding is a $17 chance in TAB’s market on the Guineas which is headed by Godolphin gun Broadsiding.

Originally published as Kiwi raider Checkmate the mystery horse of 2025 Group 1 Rosehill Guineas