The Run To The Rose winner Rothfire is a dominant Golden Rose favourite but rival trainer Peter Snowden has questioned whether that form will stack up.
His charge King’s Legacy finished last but recorded the second quickest final 200m sectional of the race, which was run at a hectic tempo.
While King’s Legacy bounced out of the run, Snowden wasn’t sure if every horse would have coped as well as his colt.
“He never lightened off at all after that run the other day and that was a hard run for every horse in the race,” Snowden said.
“The pace it was run at, everyone was chasing a long way out so it’s a gut-busting run really, but he came through it with flying colours.
“You look at a few of those horses, they all looked like Group horses a month ago and just through having hard runs, you wonder if they will all be able to keep going.”
A select field of nine will tackle Saturday’s 1400m feature and six of them are coming out of The Run To The Rose, including the first three across the line in Rothfire, Ole Kirk and North Pacific.
Snowden says Rothfire is a deserved favourite but while the Queenslander is a Group One winner of the J J Atkins over the distance, he believes the G1 Golden Rose will be a different style of race.
“What he did last start, he commands favouritism for sure, and on what he did last prep,” Snowden said.
“Seven furlongs is a bit different. Although he is a Group One winner at seven during the carnival in Brisbane and he can definitely run seven, there are a couple of handy horses here.”
A dual Group One-winning two-year-old, King’s Legacy is also proven over the G1 Golden Rose trip at the elite level as a Sires’ Produce Stakes winner.
Hugh Bowman reunites with him and Snowden says the booking of the top jockey is key.
Bowman rode King’s Legacy to win the Sires’ Produce and Champagne Stakes as a juvenile and has been heavily involved in his spring preparation.
“He rode him twice last time for two wins,” Snowden said.
“He knows the horse well, he rides him work so he will judge the pace and know when to come into the race at the right time.”
A $15 Golden Rose chance, King’s Legacy is being aimed towards the Caulfield Guineas while the Cox Plate is also on the table.
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