The Group 1 $1 million Randwick Guineas (1600m) is calling for the Chris Waller-trained Osipenko after the colt’s upset win in the Hobartville Stakes 2023 results at Rosehill Gardens.
The Chris Waller-trained Osipenko put his nose right down on the line to snare a narrow win in the 2023 Hobartville Stakes at Rosehill. Photo: Steve Hart.
Aft Cabin was the odds-on fancy at $1.60 and firming with punters rallying behind the James Cummings-trained three-year-old following his dominant win fresh in the Group 3 Eskimo Prince Stakes last time out.
The Eskimo Prince form proved the right one to follow into the Group 2 $400,000 Hobartville Stakes (1400m), but Aft Cabin was not the colt you wanted to be on.
After pressing forward to cross around the field and challenge Communist for the lead Aft Cabin did too much early work and had nothing left in the tank late.
The short-priced fancy led narrowly on the turn for home but was run down over the final furlong eventually running a disappointing fifth.
“He had to do a bit of work in the early stages. He couldn’t get a spot anywhere. I had to roll up outside the leader. By that point of the race he had done a fair bit of work. Just probably left a bit vulnerable late,” his jockey Tim Clark said post-race.
Instead it was Pierro colt Osipenko who knuckled down and won second-up improving on his lead-up fifth in the Eskimo Prince.
Jockey Nash Rawiller gave the spring’s Group 1 Caulfield Guineas third place-getter a peach of a ride going up the inside on the home straight.
Osipenko went nose for nose with the Eskimo Prince runner-up Zou Tiger from the stables of John O’Shea and just got his head down on the line for a narrow finish to a thrilling edition of the Hobartville.
“He did (deserve to win). Obviously we’re hoping for one slightly bigger too,” Waller’s stable rep Charlie Duckworth told Sky Thoroughbred Central.
“He was fantastic in the spring, he came back and had a horrible run of things first-up over 1200m.
“Nash (Rawiller) made amends today and gave him an absolute peach.
“He began much better from the barriers, put himself in the perfect (position in the) run and made it very difficult for the short-priced favourite who had to work hard.”
In an eye-catching third flashing late to finish off the trifecta was Matcha Latte who looks to have come back really well running an excellent trial ahead of the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) on March 18.
“Rapt with that. He did everything correctly to fight out the finish. Will only improve as the prep goes on,” third placed hoop Tom Sherry said.
Osipenko meanwhile is set to relish getting back up to 1600m third-up in the Randwick Guineas on March 4
“Bring on the mile. I’m confident he will stay beyond that as well, but the ultimate goal is the (Randwick) Guineas next start and if he can do that then he’s a valuable commodity for the great group of owners we’ve got involved,” Duckworth said.
The Hobartville / Randwick Guineas double has been achieved in recent years by Dissident (2014), Hallowed Crown (2015), Kementari (2018) and The Autumn Sun (2019).
Despite failing to fire late in the Hobartville it is Aft Cabin leading all-in Randwick Guineas markets at $1.85 through Ladbrokes.
Last weekend’s protest CF Orr Stakes winner Jacquinot and Osipenko then share the second line of pre-field markets at $6.
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