Latest News

By Ray Hickson

Trainer John Thompson is sticking to the slow and steady approach in working Emmadella toward a return to what he feels is her right place in stakes company so he’d like to see her take another step at Rosehill on Saturday.

Trainer John Thompson (Pic: Bradley Photos).

While he’d prefer a drier track, he said she’s proven her competence in soft and heavy conditions so with two runs under her belt this preparation that shouldn’t be against her in the Racing And Sports Handicap (1500m).

Emmadella, $5.50 with TAB on Friday, comfortably accounted for subsequent winner Magnatear in taking out a 1400m Midway at Randwick three weeks ago.

“She’s a nice mare, I think she’s stakes grade, she is better on top of the ground but she gets through the wet,” Thompson said.

“We’ll go through our grades and we might end up in something in the carnival.”

The four-year-old struck a string of heavy tracks during the winter and won a Midway at Rosehill in June before a creditable fourth in the Group 3 Winx Guineas at the Sunshine Coast.

That gives Thompson heart and given the grounding she’s had with two runs back, and some doubts over some of the opposition’s prowess in the wet, she has the right platform.

“Some of them handle it and some of them don’t, you’ve got to see how the track’s playing on the day,’’ he said.

“My mare is in great form, and you know the old saying about mares in form.

“She’s third-up, you’d probably say she’s peaking. She’s a pretty gross mare and racing gets those horses at their best.

“She’s gone super between runs and looks fantastic.”

Thompson is expecting improvement from Zouripper in the Midway Handicap (1200m) – not that his first-up run was a disappointment by any measure.

The gelding came from last to finish fifth in a 1000m dash at Randwick on Boxing Day where Thompson said it was simply impossible to win under the circumstances of the day and the race.

“His trials were nice and sharp and I thought I’d give him a crack over 1000m first-up,’’ he said.

“It just didn’t work out, it was a leader dominated race and they went slow and sprinted.

“He was back in the field with a big weight and he ran home all right but the 1000m was too sharp for him.”

Zouripper won second-up last preparation on the back of a luckless fresh run at Warwick Farm on a heavy track so the conditions aren’t a concern for the Randwick trainer.

Forgiveness is also pointed in Bundeena’s direction after he was given no favours from a wide gate first-up and Thompson said he should return to form in the Rosehill Bowling Club Handicap (1100m).

“He just had a tough run, up on a fast speed,’’ he said.

Emmadella wins at Randwick on December 28

“All the placings came from the back of the field. We’ll put a line through that one, he’s done well between runs and has taken no harm from it which is the most important thing.”

John Thompson on Impunity (race 5): “He’s going better than ever and his win at Warwick Farm was fantastic, he dominated. The top weight is a smart horse but he’s going well and should run well.”

On California Grass (race 5): “It’s the right distance for her, she didn’t have much luck the other day. She’s run well on the heavy before, she has a better draw and should be a bit closer in the run.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s Rosehill meeting