Group 1 Coolmore Classic attracts strong field

Zougotcha is a $6.50 favourite for Saturday’s Group 1 Coolmore Classic.

A strong field of 18 fillies and mares will duke it out for the $600,000 on offer in Saturday’s Group 1 Coolmore Classic at Rosehill.

Amongst the field are four last-start winners and four Group 1 winners, and with 13 of the 18 runners having a handicap rating of +100, the 2023 edition of the Coolmore looks to be as good as any in previous years.

Online bookmakers are struggling to find a decisive favourite for the 1500m event, with the Flight Stakes winner from the spring, Zougotcha, opening as a $6.50 market elect with Kerrin McEvoy booked for the ride.

Regular jockey James McDonald has hopped off Zougotcha in favour of Hinged, who steps back from solid showings behind Anamoe at weight-for-age level in the Apollo Stakes and then the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes.

Having been denied by the barest of margins in the Group 1 Surround Stakes as Sunshine In Paris snatched victory, Ruthless Dame is back searching for a maiden Group 1 title and has Daniel Gibbons in the saddle.

The Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr-trained Annavisto will make the trip north having easily disposed of her rivals in the Group 3 Frances Tressady Stakes at Flemington on February 18, but the Reliable Man mare – steered by Nash Rawiller – will need to overcome barrier 16 in an attempt to break her Group 1 maiden.

Hope In Your Heart was an eye-catching winner of the Group 2 Guy Walter Stakes and will be looking to follow the likes of Krone (2021), Con Te Partiro (2020) and Peeping (2016), who all used the Guy Walter as a lead-up run before going on to take out the Coolmore Classic.

Larkspur Run, Mustang Valley, More Prophets, Yearning and Mirra Vision are the other runners coming through the traditional lead-up event and will be out to turn the tables on Hope In Your Heart.

Imports Purplepay and Times Square add further intrigue to what is a wide-open edition of the Coolmore Classic.

2023 Coolmore Classic final field

No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight
1 Silks
Hinged
Chris Waller
James McDonald
12
57kg
2 Silks
Annavisto
Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr)
Nash Rawiller
16
56kg
3 Silks
Hope In Your Heart
Kerry Parker
Tim Clark
9
56kg
4 Silks
Mustang Valley
Andrew Forsman
Chad Schofield
11
55kg
5 Silks
Zougotcha
Chris Waller
Kerrin McEvoy
14
54kg
6 Silks
Mirra Vision
Peter & Paul Snowden
Tom Sherry
3
54kg
7 Silks
Purplepay
William Haggas
Regan Bayliss
5
53.5kg
8 Silks
Expat
Mark Newnham
Tyler Schiller
1
53kg
9 Silks
Ruthless Dame
Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
Dylan Gibbons
10
52.5kg
10 Silks
Sheeza Belter
Peter & Paul Snowden
William Pike
7
52.5kg
11 Silks
Excelida
Ben & JD Hayes
Brett Prebble
18
52.5kg
12 Silks
Larkspur Run
James Cummings
Rachel King
17
52kg
13 Silks
Yearning
Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes
Zac Lloyd
8
52kg
14 Silks
Espiona
Chris Waller
Michael Dee
6
51kg
15 Silks
Times Square
Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
Jay Ford
13
51kg
16 Silks
More Prophets
John Thompson
Brock Ryan
15
51kg
17 Silks
Toregene
Matthew Williams
Dean Yendall
4
51kg
18 Silks
Pride Of Jenni
Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
Robbie Dolan
2
51kg

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