| Brilliant
gallopers Lonhro and Ha Ha, who both turn four today, headline the opening of the new
season at Rosehill on Saturday with their clash in the Group Three Missile Stakes. Both Group One winners, they are kicking off their campaigns in
which their respecting trainers, John Hawkes and Gai Waterhouse, will target Group One
features in Sydney and Melbourne.
Lonhro raced seven times last season and was unbeaten. He
scored a come from behind win in the Caulfield Guineas last October in a field classed as
perhaps the best Guineas field ever.
On Tuesday night the son of former champion galloper
Octagonal was a runaway winner in the Champion Three-Year-Old award of the Australian
Racehorse of the Year presentation in Melbourne.
Darren Beadman will ride Lonhro and is expected to stick
with the exciting entire through the spring which could include a tilt at the Cox Plate in
October.
Meanwhile, Jim Cassidy retains his partnership with the
Flight Stakes and Golden Slipper winner Ha Ha in the Missile.
Part owned by John Singleton and Rob Ferguson of Magic
Millions fame, Ha Ha has drawn barrier eight (of nine) for her return.
Other runners in the field of nine include Group One
winners Padstow and Notoire and recent stakes winners Stormcat Academy and Ancient Song.
FINAL FIELD
01 LONHRO (John Hawkes) Darren Beadman (5) 57.5
02 PADSTOW (Stephen Quintano) Chris Munce (4) 57.5
03 NOTOIRE (Paul Perry) Justin Sheehan (3) 57.5
04 SPORTSBRAT (Gary Portelli) Brent Stanley (2) 57.5
05 STORMCAT ACADEMY (Pat Farrell) Brian York (1) 57.5
06 PRIDE AND POWER (Tony Wildman) Terry Jones (9) 57.5
07 HA HA (Gai Waterhouse) Jim Cassidy (8) 55
08 AIR SHE GOES (Grant Delaney) Danny Beasley (7) 55
09 ANCIENT SONG (Rado Boljun) Dale Spriggs (6) 55 |
