2024 Golden Eagle Day Turf Talk: French raider Lazzat ‘looks a serious animal’

Mitch Cohen and Shayne O’Cass debate all the key chances on Golden Eagle Day at Rosehill Gardens, where they think an international could reign supreme.

Racenet and The Daily Telegraph form experts Mitch Cohen and Shayne O’Cass debate all the key chances on Golden Eagle Day at Rosehill Gardens.

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Shayno: Bonjour Mitchy. Now if that’s a certain giveaway for my tip in the Golden Eagle, what else can I say. I can see the headline now – The French Connection. I’m talking about Lazzat of course. Wow … six from six, Maiden to a Group 1 in six months and big margins all the way.

Mitch: Parlez-vous français? I know I don’t Shayno but I could be speaking French after Lazzat wins the Golden Eagle. I’ve been lucky enough to watch him out at Canterbury a couple of times and he looks a serious animal. He’s got the best draw of the internationals and the right racing pattern too.

Shayno: Very un-Australian of me perhaps, but I don’t know if we will even make it onto the podium. The Japanese horses are machines and then there is William Haggas, he’s a genius.

Mitch: Ascoli Piceno would have been the clear horse to beat but barrier 17 has to be a huge worry. They just don’t win from out there over the Rosehill 1500m. With that said, she could be something special.

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Shayno: I remember thinking when Bella Nipotina drew 12 in The Everest that her race was over. You can’t sit three wide and win a Everest. Well she did – and now she gets box four in the Russell Balding.

Mitch: No surprise she is clear favourite Shayno. She’s a machine and should get every conceivable chance from the draw. I can’t back against her.

Shayno: Having suggested the Golden Eagle is off to Paris, I now say the Four Pillars is headed to your ‘city of lights’ – Kembla! So much so that I have got my three X’s on Saturday alongside Fugitiva. She is so reliable. It came down to that, and the bad draws for pretty much every one of her big dangers.

Mitch: Too many Kembla runners here for me to play for the ‘home team’, Shayno. I leant the way of Piraeus. If he can land a little closer from the draw, he looks ready to run a big race third-up.

Winx, Nature Strip … now Bella: $20m club in mighty mare's sights

The Everest winner Bella Nipotina can smash through the $20m prizemoney barrier if she completes a unique sprint double at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday. 👇https://t.co/JdMLJGqR0n

— Racenet (@RacenetTweets) October 31, 2024

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Shayno: The Rosehill Cup, the $500,000 feature, had a lot of added spice in 2024 given the presence of the two imports that are both first-up and both have serious ‘global’ form. I speak of Saganti and Relentless Voyager – in the order for mine. You?

Mitch: Cue the ‘great minds’ graphic mate. I am the same. I wouldn’t be surprised if Saganti was the pick of the yard on Saturday, he’s a beautiful looking horse. He just needs to bring his European form down under.

Shayno: I guess I had better tip one Aussie on the day; make it Brad Widdup’s Left Field. It’s got the dream scenario with all that speed on up front and hopefully, it’s ambush time.

Mitch: My best comes up early on the card. Race 2, Asgarda.

Originally published as 2024 Golden Eagle Day Turf Talk: French raider Lazzat ‘looks a serious animal’