Latest News

By Ray Hickson

Jockey Nash Rawiller is bullish about Osipenko in the Randwick Guineas, has the fingers crossed the ageless Eduardo can do it again in the Challenge and can’t wait to see what exciting youngster Café Millenium can do.

Jockey Nash Rawiller

There's plenty to cover among Rawiller's Randwick assignments but it was the tenacity the Chris Waller-trained Osipenko showed in scoring a second-up Hobartville Stakes win that stood out and has the hoop confident he’s on the horse to beat in the Group 1 $1 million The Agency Randwick Guineas (1600m).

Osipenko responded to Rawiller's strong hands and heels riding to pick up his rivals two weeks ago and he believes he's advantaged out to a mile.

“First-up he just had no luck, he should have finished a lot closer, and second-up we got the right run,’’ he said.

“Obviously stepping up an extra furlong will suit him again.

“When colts get into a real dogfight like that and you have one show the tenacity he showed it gives you a lot of confidence going forward.”

The colt beat many of his Randwick Guineas rivals in the Hobartville but it wasn’t enough to earn favouritism for the Guineas, he was $4.40 with TAB on Friday.

Rawiller, whose other Group 1 ride on Saturday is Golden Mile in the Canterbury Stakes, said it’s up to his rivals to find a way to beat Osipenko now he’s up to the mile as he plans to make full use of another favourable draw.

“I’ll ride him the same again, that’s what won me the race last time,’’ he said.

“I don’t think we need to change anything, we’ll let everyone else do that and I’ll try to ride the good race again.”

There’ll be no Nature Strip to contend with when Eduardo attempts a third straight win in the Group 2 $500,000 Hyland Race Colours Challenge Stakes (1000m).

It’s fair to say the nine-year-old wasn’t himself in the spring, despite kicking off with a Concorde Stakes win over the Randwick 1000m.

He battled into fourth in The Shorts, beat one home in the TAB Everest, and finished midfield in the Nature Strip Stakes but Rawiller feels he’s back on track judging by what he’s shown in his trials, though concedes he needs to see it on Saturday.

“First-up he ran great, probably the fact we were on a wet track could have masked something worrying him at that point,’’ he said.

“But as the preparation went on he wasn’t quite himself and that’s why we didn’t see the best of him I felt.

“He definitely felt as good as I’ve felt him in his last trial but until you put him under race pressure you don’t know. I’m just hoping under race conditions that’s the way he will go.”

A trackwork gallop during the week has piqued Rawiller’s interest in promising youngster Café Millenium who attemps to force his way into the Golden Slipper via the Group 2 $300,000 UNSW Todman Stakes (1200m).

Osipenko wins the Hobartville Stakes

The colt scored an amazing debut win in the Pierro Plate (1100m) at Randwick last month and Rawiller hopes to see the same in the Todman.

“I galloped him on Tuesday morning, he’s such a unique animal. There’s something special about him and I’m excited to be riding him in a race,’’ he said.

“I sat right off a maiden, a little bit like he was in his first run he was off the bridle for some time but when we got down to the business end he was strong as a bull so hopefully we get a chance to see that.

“He’s going to be better suited by the pressure of a Slipper but he’s a nice horse and don’t underestimate him.”

Café Millenium was a $6 chance in the Todman on Friday and on the $15 line for the Golden Slipper.

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Randwick meeting