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Will Swanton

Golden Eagle tips: A lighthearted search for today’s winner

Will Swanton
Will SwantonWill Swanton
5 min read
11:48AMOctober 28, 2022.
Updated 3:58PMOctober 28, 2022
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UK galloper Light Infantry, with Jockey Jamie Spencer aboard, works at Canterbury ahead of Saturday’s Golden Eagle. Picture: Jeremy Piper
UK galloper Light Infantry, with Jockey Jamie Spencer aboard, works at Canterbury ahead of Saturday’s Golden Eagle. Picture: Jeremy Piper

Will Swanton runs the rule over the field for today’s Golden Eagle at Rosehill. See below for Golden Eagle tips from News Corp Australia’s racing experts.

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1. Overpass

A speed machine trying to win over 1500m when he’s more accustomed to 1200m. Ran a brave fifth in The Everest but baulking at the extra distance. May become the first racehorse in history to pull up 300m from home. But it isn’t over! He’ll just shrug and mumble, “Pass”.

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2. Converge

One profile says, “If Converge was a boxer, he’d be fighting in the featherweight class.” Co-trainer Adrian Bott said after an impressive win in the JJ Atkins Stakes, “We can go home tonight and dream about what is possible. He’s probably our smallest horse but he has the biggest heart.” What he doesn’t have is impressive form.

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3. In The Congo

Kept out of The Everest to avoid racing Nature Strip. Handlers thought the Strip was unbeatable. The mere mention of him made In The Congo twitch like Dreyfus at the sight of Clouseau in the Pink Panther movies. The Strip lost. Congo could have won it. He might win this.

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4. Vilana

Trained by the red-hot James Cummings, who’ll pull off one of the biggest stories in Australian sport if he wins the Melbourne Cup next week. For the grandson of Bart to do it … that’d be something else. He sends Vilana into the Golden Eagle after winning the Silver Eagle, which puts on the mock. No horse has won the double.

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5. I Wish I Win

Big on visualisation. The only horse to be working with a sports psychologist. Inspired by Ash Barty’s belief that amazing things can happen when you tell The Universe what you want. Says the gelding to the starry sky at night: “I wish I get more hay. I wish I can greet victory and defeat just the same. But really, I wish I win.”

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6. Mr Mozart

Chopin at the bit. Not easily beaten, rolling over for no one except Beethoven. Hampered, though, by taking his name too seriously, insisting on being called Wolfgang Amadeus around the barn yard while wearing puffy crimson shirts and a white wig. Rev-up music is Piano concerto No.24 in C Minor.

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7. Hilal

The edict to gamble responsibly doesn’t incline one to back this stallion after his 13th at the Toorak Handicap. Ace jockey Craig Williams said, “We had a beautiful run but once I placed him under pressure he failed to respond to my riding.” A horse that doesn’t respond to a gun like Williams … no thanks.

Tommy Berry on Hilal salutes as he returns to scale after winning the Bondi Stakes at Randwick last year. Picture: Getty Images
Tommy Berry on Hilal salutes as he returns to scale after winning the Bondi Stakes at Randwick last year. Picture: Getty Images

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8. Military Expert

Was overheard sledging Light Infantry this week. Won an important psychological battle over the race favourite by saying light infantries weren’t really that impressive. “Glorified boy scouts,” was the exact remark. “Not exactly the heavy artillery.” Light Infantry was incensed. Who do you think you are? His antagonist just smiled and said, “Military Expert”.

Golden Eagle hope Military Expert. Picture: Getty Images
Golden Eagle hope Military Expert. Picture: Getty Images

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9. Lightsaber

Always a big hit at costume parties at his Packenham base. Still working on being able to tell his jockey Luke Nolan, “I am your father.” He knows it will be a showstopper but the words just won’t come out. “He’s a lovely horse,” says trainer Peter Moody, before upgrading his description to, “He’s a bloody nice horse.” He also has bloody Buckleys of winning this.

Lightsaber ... lovely horse, little hope. Picture: File
Lightsaber ... lovely horse, little hope. Picture: File

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10. Pinstriped

Has the official backing of the New York Yankees. Baseball’s pinstripes are sitting pretty atop the American League East baseball standings, but it will be a major shock if this gelding finished any higher than a minor placing. Only a cheaper suit would be all over ’em in a race of this quality.

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12. Light Infantry

The class horse in the field regardless of Military Expert’s nasty banter. Has travelled well from France but still insisting on croissants and cafe au lait before it can even think about track work in the mornings. The big question mark is whether he can handle a 20-horse race. He’s only ever gone up against fields half as big.

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13. Welwal

Well, Wal, the trainer Chris Waller, has walked into controversy here. Whispers that the rules have been bent so Waller and glamour jockey Frankie Dettori can get a start. Dettori is likely to be left feeling the same as he did when he asked Michelle Payne on a date in Ride Like A Girl. Politely disappointed.

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14. Hinged

One of four starters trained by Waller. Any horse guided by Waller and ridden by Kerrin McEvoy is worth backing but, then again, so is the combination of Waller and Hugh Bowman (Fangirl) and the partnership of Waller and swanky Frankie (Welwal). Which of Waller’s squad is the best hope? Probably the next one.

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15. Fangirl

Embarrasses herself by repeatedly asking Light Infantry for his autograph. Bowman’s fame went through the roof thanks to Winx and he has another speedy mare here. There’s fanfare over Fangirl after her second to Anamoe in the Winx Stakes, after which she humiliated herself again by asking the great stallion for a selfie.

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16. Chain of Lightning

Was thought to be the first horse coloured a vivid yellow until she revealed herself to be dark brown during a tremendous victory in the Tristarc Stakes on Caulfield Cup Day. You’d be wary of her ability to strike twice but is such a genuine chance that Jamie Kah has been lured from Melbourne to ride her.

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17. Gypsy Goddess

Like most free spirits, she was born in New Zealand but now lives on the Sunshine Coast. Has gone from Sunday maiden-class races to a Group 1 win this year. Lists Stevie Nicks as her hero and eagerly awaits another Fleetwood Mac album. Strapper Emma Lehmann says: “She doesn’t have sass or attitude. She’s kind.”

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18. Lady Of Honour

Sticks her nose up at Gypsy Goddess. Has been telling her owners she needs better accommodation. A stable is no place for a woman of her standing, she says. Has lifted the tone of her home by plastering the walls with life-size photographs of Florence Nightingale, Rosa Parks and Marie Curie.

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20. Hope In Your Heart

Keep your money in your wallet. Trained by Kerry Parker at Kembla Grange, bookmakers have decided she won’t be winning the Golden Eagle. She’s listed at $26. The sort of odds you give a horse when you know in your heart she won’t be the first past the post. When she doesn’t really have a hope in hell.

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21(e). Cardinal Gem

First reserve for the race, hanging around in Sydney on Wednesday waiting for someone to pull out, idling away the hours at Bondi Beach and Luna Park, preparing to return to Melbourne when suddenly Brigantine was scratched. The Cardinal’s likely to start but he’s making up the numbers. Not a prayer.

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22(e). Jimmy The Bear

They’re scraping the barrel here! Jimmy was squeezed into the field after a late scratching. Now, I don’t want to tell officialdom how to do their jobs but this is getting ridiculous. There’s a bear in the race? Couldn’t they find another horse? The next emergency starters are understood to be the pig from Babe and Kermit The Frog. Consider others.

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23(e). Flying Crazy

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24(e). Kiss Sum

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NOTE: As of 12.30pm on Friday, 11. Brigantine and 19. Lavish Girl were scratchings.

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OUR EXPERTS’ TIPS

RAY THOMAS
17 Gypsy Goddess
12 Light Infantry
6 Mr Mozart
3 In The Congo

MATT JONES
12 Light Infantry
4 Vilana
17 Gypsy Goddess
5 I Wish I Win

SHAYNE O’CASS
13 Welwal
12 Light Infantry
5 I Wish I Win
6 Mr Mozart

ADAM SHERRY
12 Light Infantry
16 Chain of Lightning
13 Welwal
17 Gypsy Goddess

STEVE ZAMMIT
5 I Wish I Win
3 In The Congo
12 Light Infantry
15 Fangirl

JACK SMALLHORN
15 Fangirl
12 Light Infantry
17 Gypsy Goddess
4 Vilana

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Will Swanton
Will SwantonSport Reporter

Will Swanton is a Walkley Award-winning features writer. He's won the Melbourne Press Club’s Harry Gordon Award for Australian Sports Journalist of the Year and he's also a seven-time winner of Sport Australia Media Awards and a winner of the Peter Ruehl Award for Outstanding Columnist at the Kennedy Awards. He’s covered Test and World Cup cricket, State of Origin and Test rugby league, Test rugby union, international football, the NRL, AFL, UFC, world championship boxing, grand slam tennis, Formula One, the NBA Finals, Super Bowl, Melbourne Cups, the World Surf League, the Commonwealth Games, Paralympic Games and Olympic Games. He’s a News Awards finalist for Achievements in Storytelling.

Will Swanton

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Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/horse-racing/golden-eagle-tips-a-lighthearted-search-for-todays-winner/news-story/81f106ed8bdf6ed53a558462960be552