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Racing Confidential: Why only six horses can give the 2024 Golden Eagle a shake

A key international runner is one of only six starters who fit the proven formula for the $10 million James Squire Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

Ray Thomas
5 min read
October 31, 2024 - 4:34PM
Hold All Tickets Episode 10 – A weekend like no other!

Japan’s star filly Ascoli Piceno is among only six starters who fit the proven formula for the $10 million James Squire Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

In the five previous renewals of the Golden Eagle, every winner had raced over 1600m at their previous start.

It’s only a small sample but this discernible trend began in the race’s inaugural year, 2019, when Kolding won the Group 1 Epsom Handicap over the famous Randwick mile course before backing to win the Golden Eagle.

Colette (2020) followed the same program as Kolding with the mare coming off her sixth in the Epsom to win at Rosehill.

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Caulfield’s Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) then provided the next two Golden Eagle winners.

I’m Thunderstruck (2021) won the Toorak-Golden Eagle double before I Wish I Win ran fifth at Caulfield before winning Rosehill’s richest race.

Last year, Japanese raider Obamburumai ran third in the Group 1 NHK Mile Cup in Tokyo before his outstanding win in the Golden Eagle.

The talented Ascoli Piceno, the $4.20 TAB Fixed Odds favourite for the Golden Eagle, comes to Sydney with similar but superior form to Obamburumai.

Ascoli Piceno is already a Group 1 winner of the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies and earlier this year ran second in the NHK Cup. She had her final lead-up for the Golden Eagle with an easy win at Group 3 level over 1600m at Nakayama.

• Golden Eagle Turf Talk: French raider ‘looks a serious animal’

The other Golden Eagle runners who also had their final lead-up runs at 1600m include Godolphin’s Tom Kitten, who ran fourth behind Ceolwulf in the Group 1 King Charles Stakes.

Chrysaor ran unplaced in Ceolwulf’s Epsom, Kintyre was fourth to Sounds Of Heaven in last week’s Filante Handicap, Craig finished second behind Antino in the Toorak, and Corazon Beat was unplaced behind Ascoli Piceno in the Nakayama race.

The other significant form reference for the Golden Eagle is the barrier – no winner has come wider than the 10 gate that I Wish I Win came out of two years ago.

Kolding won from four barrier, Colette came out of six, I’m Thunderstuck was in eight and Obamburumai started in the two gate.

• Clinton Payne’s Golden Eagle tips, runner-by-runner form analysis

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Another blow for Schiller’s Melbourne Cup hopes

Star Sydney jockey Tyler Schiller isn’t having much luck getting his first ride in a Melbourne Cup.

Schiller was initially booked to ride Fawkner Park in the Cups this spring but when he struggled in Melbourne, trainers Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald abandoned those plans and sent the horse back to Sydney.

Schiller then got the call from Muramasa’s trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young to ride their stayer in the Cup after regular rider Daniel Moor failed with his appeal against a careless riding suspension.

Muramasa has been placed in each of his three starts this spring including a promising behind Onesmoothoperator in the Geelong Cup last start.

Schiller, who has only even ridden at Flemington once on Champions Day last year, was excited to get his first Melbourne Cup ride when he spoke to Racing Confidential on Thursday morning before riding at Wyong.

But he would have received word during the afternoon that Muramasa had failed a veterinary scan and was withdrawn from the Melbourne Cup.

Tyler Schiller celebrates his The Invitation victory aboard Belclare at Randwick last week. Picture: Jeremy Ng / Getty Images
Tyler Schiller celebrates his The Invitation victory aboard Belclare at Randwick last week. Picture: Jeremy Ng / Getty Images

Schiller can temper his disappointment but continuing his winning momentum at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday where he has eight rides, most notably on Makarena in the $10 million Golden Eagle, Lady Laguna in the $3 million Russell Balding Stakes and Fawkner Park in the $750,000 Rosehill Gold Cup.

“I thought Makarena was a top three chance before the barrier draw but it will be tough from out there (20),’’ Schiller said.

“But the Japanese horses are drawn near me so if my mare jumps well, I think the only option will be to roll forward and hopefully not to do too much work early.

“Lady Laguna ran a really good race in the Sydney Stakes last start (sixth to Overpass) and I’m sure she will be better for that run.

“I also thought there was improvement in Fawkner Park. He had nothing to take us into the race last start (fifth to Lindermann in the Craven Plate) but sprinted really quickly between the 500m and 100m and probably just peaked on his run.’’

Schiller has been riding in recent brilliant form including a feature race double last Saturday on Belclare (The Invitation) and Amazing Eagle (Brian Crowley Stakes), before partnering the boom Team Hawkes-trained Briasa to an easy win at the Kensington midweek meeting.

• Liquid gold to a Golden Eagle? Oil baron’s Aussie ambition

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Bowman eyes Group 1 ton

Hall of Fame jockey Hugh Bowman goes to Flemington resting on 99 Australian Group 1 wins during his stellar riding career.

Bowman, who calls Hong Kong home these days, returns to Melbourne with three opportunities to bring up his century of majors including the Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained Keeneland in the $2 million Victoria Derby (2500m).

The champion jockey has already won three Victoria Derbies including on the Busuttin-trained Sangster in 2011.

Hong Kong-based Hugh Bowman is back in Australia this week chasing his 100th Group 1 victory. Picture: Jeremy Ng / Getty Images
Hong Kong-based Hugh Bowman is back in Australia this week chasing his 100th Group 1 victory. Picture: Jeremy Ng / Getty Images

The champion jockey also has Group 1 rides on Bodyguard in the $2 million Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) and Kimochi in the $1 million Empire Rose Stakes (1600m).

Bowman has 106 career Group 1 wins including six in Hong Kong and one in Japan but he hasn’t won an Australian major since partnering Sharp ‘N’ Smart in the Spring Champion Stakes two years ago.

The only jockeys to ride 100 or more Group 1 winners on Australian racetracks are Damien Oliver (125) and George Moore (104).

James McDonald, who rode his 100th career Group 1 winner on Via Sistina in the Cox Plate last week, has won 79 Australian majors.

• McDonald a ‘real chance’ of landing Group 1 Derby Day hat-trick

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O’Brien still aiming for Melbourne Cup despite Jan ban

Irish training genius Aidan O’Brien maintains the drama surrounding unbeaten Jan Brueghel’s withdrawal from the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday won’t prevent him from targeting the race again next year.

O’Brien hasn’t won the Melbourne Cup – he’s had two second placings with Tiger Moth (2020) and Johannes Vermeer (2017) – and felt Irish St Leger winner Jan Brueghel might have been his best chance yet to win the race only for Racing Victoria veterinarians to controversially order the stayer’s withdrawal earlier this week.

But O’Brien, who is in San Diego for the US Breeders Cup races, told At The Races’ Matt Chapman that suggestions he won’t send a horse to Melbourne again were wrong.

“I think so,’’ O’Brien said when asked if he would target the 2025 Melbourne Cup.

“We take it one day at a time but that is the reality in life. People make decisions, sometimes they do with you, sometimes they go against you.

“If you have an opinion, you say it, don’t dwell on it and move on.’’

O’Brien said there was a “difference of opinion” between his veterinarians and those at Racing Victoria.

“The last scan, the vets in Australia said there was a lesion but our vets were all happy with it. But it comes to a point where decisions have to be made,’’ he said.

• Busuttin, Young stable loses two Melbourne Cup hopes to vet checks

Originally published as Racing Confidential: Why only six horses can give the 2024 Golden Eagle a shake

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