Racing Confidential: More information needed on Rosehill replacement sites, trainer Chris Waller says ahead of Australian Turf Club vote
As Australian Turf Club members prepare to vote on the sale of Rosehill racecourse in the next two weeks, trainer Chris Waller has called for more information on the two parcels of land the club is considering for a replacement track.
Chris Waller has called for more detail about the $5 billion Rosehill sale proposal before Australian Turf Club members vote in two weeks.
ATC hasn’t confirmed a site for the replacement racetrack but are considering at least two parcels of land – one near Rosehill and the other at Penrith.
An extraordinary general meeting of ATC members on April 3 will vote on the sale proposal and if they are in favour, NSW Government wants to use the Rosehill area to create a new suburb and build 25,000 new homes.
Waller, the nation’s leading trainer who has had stables at Rosehill for 25 years, held a media conference after trackwork on Thursday morning where he was asked his opinion of the controversial sale proposal.
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“We need some clarity,’’ Waller said.
“It is alright to say we have found another parcel of land but until that is signed off I wouldn’t have a lot of confidence.’’
Waller said the “future of racing” hinges on the vote.
“We need to set racing up and we need to be responsible for that over the next 100-200 years,’’ he said.
“It is hard to let go of the jewel in the crown (Rosehill) when we don’t own Randwick.
“Canterbury and Warwick Farm are smaller assets of the ATC portfolio so we have to get it right.
“(But) It is a big ask when you only have a small amount of facts on the table.’’
• Waller, Via Sistina eye historic milestone at Rosehill on Saturday
There is vehement opposition to the proposal with the “Save Rosehill” campaign lobbying members to vote against the sale.
If the members vote to sell, ATC has said the proposal promises the replacement course will open before Rosehill closes in five years.
Racing industry participants, particularly those who are based at Rosehill like Waller, will also want to know where the new racetrack will be located and if it will also be a training facility.
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ROSEHILL is also home to the $5 million Golden Slipper, the world’s richest two-year-old race, which will be run and won in less than 70 seconds on Saturday.
The Golden Slipper is among five Group 1 races on the program, the most of any race meeting in the southern hemisphere.
Understandably, the raceday has attracted the nation’s elite racehorses with 21 individual Group 1 winners competing at the meeting.
This includes now fewer than 10 major race winners who are clashing in the Group 1 $1 million George Ryder Stakes – Ceolwulf, Tom Kitten, Royal Patronage, Buckaroo, Militarize, Celestial Legend, Kovalica, Port Lockroy, Fangirl and Stefi Magnetica.
The only Ryder runner who hasn’t got a win at the top level is the very talented Gringotts, who has already earned over $3 million prizemoney.
The George Ryder is invariably one of the best weight-for-age races of the season and deserves to be worth more than $1 million.
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STEVE Reid, a part-owner of unbeaten sprinter Private Harry, was formerly a senior executive at the Alison Road offices of the then-Australian Jockey Club, and remembers when Sydney racing was struggling to keep pace with Melbourne.
“Back in the day when I was at the AJC everyone could see Racing Victoria was ahead of the game and the prizemoney leader,’’ Reid said.
“We used to scratch our heads at the AJC because we couldn’t afford to match their prizemoney. Sydney racing was chasing its tail, scraping the pennies together.’’
Reid was at the AJC for five years and left the racing industry before the Sydney race clubs merger and formation of the Australian Turf Club.
After establishing his own commercial cleaning and maintenance business, Pioneer Services, Reid got back into racing as an owner – and can’t believe how the landscape has changed in Sydney and NSW Racing.
• The Everest interest set to ramp up for The Galaxy favourite Private Harry
“The best thing that ever happened to Sydney racing was the club merger and then the vision and entrepreneurial skills of Peter V’landys at Racing NSW,’’ Reid said. “The turnaround in the sport has been amazing.
“After some hard years with my business, it is going really well now and I’ve been able to take shares in about 30 horses.
“My Dad was an SP bookie back in the day and I have lived and breathed racing all my life, so I’m really enjoying my racing as an owner now.’’
But Reid admitted he finds it hard to believe that he will have his first Group 1 runner with Private Harry in the $1 million The Galaxy (1100m).
Private Harry, named after Reid’s father-in-law, Harry Dennis who was a private in the Australian Army and fought in Vietnam, is unbeaten in four starts and the $3.20 favourite to win the feature sprint.
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“I have only had one other black type winner until Private Harry,’’ Reid said.
“I never thought I would have a horse good enough to run in a Group 1 race, I was just hoping I might get a horse good enough to win a Saturday race in Sydney.
“I’m pinching myself to be involved with a horse as good as Private Harry.’’
Trainer Nathan Doyle and jockey Ashley Morgan are also chasing their first Group 1 wins with Private Harry.
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ROSEHILL racecourse manager Shaun Patterson is confident the course proper will be in perfect condition for the Golden Slipper meeting.
“The weather has played nicely for us this week and we are a good 4,’’ said Patterson who has the rail 3m out.
“There is a forecast for up to 8ml of rain Friday night which would set us up nicely for Saturday.’’
If the rain does come, it will save Patterson and his staff from having to put any irrigation on the track. The Slipper Day forecast is a possible shower and a top temperature of 27c.
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The latest on the track at Rosehill Gardens ahead of TAB Golden Slipper Day ðŸ†@racing_nsw | @tabcomau | @SkyRacingAU | @7horseracing
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• ‘They’ve got what it takes’: Alexiou’s simple message ahead of Slipper
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THEY SAID IT
“The preparation is exactly what we set out to do, three runs before the Golden Slipper. Ideally he would have won his last start, it wasn’t quite the case, but the reason for the three runs is to learn as much as you can and prepare the horse for the grand final. I’m happy with the prep, confidence levels are therefore high from a preparation perspective. We know how good he is, we’ve just got to get him to do it in the grand final.” — Chris Waller, trainer of Wodeton.
“I’ve got a good record in the race, (part-owner) Henry Field buys these colts to win Golden Slippers and Peter Snowden is as good as you get when it comes to training Slipper winners.” — Tommy Berry, three-time Golden Slipper winning jockey and rider of Quietly Arrogant.
“They are a very even group of two-year-olds. Nothing has really stood out all season. You could have four picks in the Slipper and not get a placegetter. It’s going to be a very competitive race.” — Peter Snowden, trainer of Quietly Arrogant.
“There’s more expectation because last year no-one knew how good she was. Since she’s won the Cox Plate she goes out a short priced favourite every time so there’s a great expectation. It’s pretty tough to run to that level all the time but if she can maintain her form that’s all we can ask and she’ll be tough to beat.” — James McDonald, rider of Via Sistina.
“From a commercial point of view it’s the race that really counts. It’s a big race, it’s a tough race to win so at the end of the day you need luck. It’s about getting the right horse into the race and I think we have. My job is essentially done, she’ll go into her normal routine, and it’s great to have a runner win, lose, or draw.” — Bjorn Baker, trainer of Within The Law.
“There’s strong formlines. The form out of the Sunlight is unreal, it’s not like he’s been beating up lesser competition. He didn’t have a long break so he’s very forward in condition, which you have to be going into a Group 1, so I’m very happy where he sits. His gallop on Tuesday was perfect, I was happy with the way he pulled up and recovered. It’s been a seamless preparation.” — Nathan Doyle, trainer of Private Harry.
Originally published as Racing Confidential: More information needed on Rosehill replacement sites, trainer Chris Waller says ahead of Australian Turf Club vote
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