Menari has been well supported to win the Run To The Rose
Punters have been quick to take the $3 on offer early for Menari to win the Run To The Rose and the colt is already in to $2.80 for the Group Two race.
Trained by Gerald Ryan, Menari is the $6 equal favourite for the Group One Golden Rose alongside Pariah and will clash with the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained colt in Saturday’s race.
Menari’s first-up win over Siege Of Quebec in the Listed Rosebud on August 12 cemented him as one of the star three-year-olds in Sydney and Ryan is happy with his progress since his win but is not buying into market hype.
“I’m a racehorse trainer not a price assessor,” Ryan said.
“He has done very well since the Rosebud and has done well enough that I didn’t trial him this morning.
“He didn’t need it.”
Menari was one of 14 entries taken on Monday for the Run To The Rose (1200m), the lead-up to the Golden Rose (1400m).
There were 13 colts entered and one filly, Tulip, who was promoted to third in the Golden Slipper over Menari after a successful protest.
Menari will be ridden by Josh Parr, who combined with Ryan to almost pull off the biggest upset in recent memory aboard Red Excitement in Saturday’s Chelmsford Stakes.
Parr took Red Excitement to a 10 length lead with champion Winx in his wake until the final 200 metres when she ran him down.
“Red Excitement has come through the race well. He’s been singing out for his feed,” Ryan said.
“He is a dry track horse and has run great races on firm tracks before.
“They say horses aren’t machines, but Winx is a machine.”
Ryan also entered Condor Heroes in the Run To The Rose but he is unlikely to run while Trapeze Artist, who won a barrier trial on Monday morning, contests Saturday’s Stan Fox Stakes.
“Condor Heroes will probably run in the Heritage Stakes and if he goes well, he will back up into the Golden Rose,” Ryan said.
“I trialled Trapeze Artist because he is going to 1500 metres second-up and I thought he needed it.”
