“Yes, the Golden Rose was always going to be a highly respected stallion-making race,” said Bill Picken, the former President of the Sydney Turf Club who ‘championed’ the event.
“Along with the Coolmore Stud Stakes that’s run at Flemington, the results of the Golden Rose are what modern-day breeders are looking for with their mares, and are talking points in pedigrees.
“In fact, it’s many of our stud masters attending Rosehill Gardens on the day who make their final decisions on their future stallion prospects, with the running of the Golden Rose so important.”
Even though the Golden Slipper winner Home Affairs did not contest the Golden Rose, now it’s his Golden Slipper-winning son Guest House for the $1 million Yulong Golden Rose Stakes over 1400m.
Priced as the $2.30 race favourite with nationwide wagering agencies, Guest House is coming off a first-up 1¼-length victory in the San Domenico Stakes when jockey Zac Lloyd took a rails run.
With Zac Lloyd jumping from barrier five of 13 starters for Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr., it’s Guest House in the blue and red dice logo silks of the Roll The Dice Syndicate-Coolmore partnership.
With Home Affairs being Champion First Season Sire, Guest House was a $270,000 buy at the 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and is from the family of QTC Sires’ Produce Stakes winner Attention.
Having also won the Silver Slipper Stakes as a two-year-old, Home Affairs was Champion Three-Year-Old Colt of 2021-22 after winning the Coolmore Stud Stakes and Black Caviar Lightning, and won four races and $2.29 million in prizemoney.
Fresh from victory in the Run To The Rose, Warwoven has firmed into $5 co-second favourite after drawing the rails in barrier one for in-form Rachel King and Warwick Farm-based Bjorn Baker.
Racing in the navy blue and gold of Ridgemont, he has won four of seven starts, including the Pago Pago Stakes, and the $380,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast graduate is by top New Zealand sire Sword Of State.
Priced as the $5 co-second pick is the Chris Waller-trained St Gotthard, who will jump from gate nine with James McDonald after closing strongly for second in the Run To The Rose, having previously won the Ken Russell Classic.
Purchased by Tom Magnier of Coolmore for $2.7 million at the 2025 Australian Easter Yearling Sale, he’s a Snitzel full-brother to Coolmore Stud Stakes winner Switzerland, who stands at Coolmore.
At $11 is the Run To The Rose third Under Focus for Yulong and trainer Kris Lees, and again with Dylan Gibbons in the saddle he will start from barrier four. He is by the highly successful Too Darn Hot.
The JJ Atkins Stakes winner Tron Bolt is another of Chris Waller’s five runners. Jumping from gate 11 for Damian Lane, he is a $13 chance, with the son of Toronado a $270,000 purchase at the 2025 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
The Coolmore partnership has the $17 chance Central Europe looking for his first race win after finishing fourth in the Run To The Rose. He will jump from barrier 13 for Tim Clark and was a $750,000 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale purchase by Frankel.
“Home Affairs has certainly been a success,” Picken continued. “In his first yearling crop his Sunlight filly sold to Japan for $3.2 million, and his Shout The Bar colt sold for $3 million at Easter.
“Today he is Leading Second Season Sire with Guest House his chief earner, Natural Fling with the Quezette Stakes and third in the AJ Moir Stakes, and Kinnaird the Eclipse Stakes in New Zealand.
“And what of Golden Rose winner and Coolmore Stud Stakes runner-up Bivouac, having Beiwacht in his Champion First Season Sire crop to win the Golden Rose and then the weight-for-age All Aged Stakes.
“Now with Beiwacht winning the AJ Moir Stakes first-up in August and aimed for the $10 million Golden Eagle to give him four Group 1s, it’s Bivouac who is the current Leading Third Season Sire.
“In June our former Champion Sire Zoustar, who had the Golden Rose and Coolmore Stud Stakes as his Group 1s, had Joliestar just beaten at Royal Ascot, while Golden Rose winner Ole Kirk, The Autumn Sun and Trapeze Artist have always been on top of the Leading Sires tables.”
