SEABROOK is attempting to become the first filly to win the Group 1 $1 million Golden Rose (1400m) during spring when the three-year-old classic is run at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

The only filly to win the Golden Race since its inception in 2003 was Forensics in 2008 but the race was held in autumn as a one-off that year due to the equine influenza outbreak.

The Golden Rose has continued to elude fillies during spring although Speak Fondly (2015) and Champagne Cuddles (2017) have run second in recent years.

Seabrook, trained at Caulfield by Mick Price, is adept the Sydney way of going having won the Group 1 Champagne Stakes and Group 2 Sweet Embrace Stakes at Randwick last autumn, and is at $15 in early TAB Fixed Odds betting behind Graff, the $4 favourite.

“We galloped the reverse way of going on Saturday morning at Caulfield and she worked super,’’ Price said of Seabrook.

“She will go up to Sydney on (Wednesday) night, stay at Gerald Ryan’s and will take her place in the field. Damien Oliver is coming up for the ride.’’

Price and Oliver will bring Group 1-winning form to Sydney on Saturday after combining with Grunt to win the Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington last Saturday.

Oliver has now ridden a national record 110 Group 1 winners during his celebrated career including the 2010 Golden Rose on another Victorian raider, Toorak Toff.

Price admitted he felt Seabrook’s comeback effort when third to Native Soldier in the McNeil Stakes earlier this month was a “little plain”.

“I thought she could have finished a bit closer to them,’’ the trainer said.

“But she has improved off that run, I’m happy with her. I just hope we can draw a gate.’’

The final field and barrier draw for the Golden Rose will be conducted this morning.

Oliver has also been booked to ride the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Prompt Response in the Group 2 $400,000 Golden Pendant (1400m) on Saturday.

Prompt Response is resuming after her Group 1 Tatt’s Tiara win under Blake Shinn at Doomben last June but she has won two barrier trials impressively in recent weeks.

But Oliver knows Prompt Response well have won twice on the mare previously including the Group 2 Emancipation Stakes last autumn.

THE Godolphin stable has three of the top four in early betting for the Group 1 $500,000 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday including favourite, Home Of The Brave, a fringe The Everest hopeful.

Home Of The Brave and Osborne Bulls ($5.50 second favourite) are trained by James Cummings while Jungle Cat, from the Godolphin stable of English trainer Charlie Appleby, is on the third line of betting at $10.

RYAN JUVENILE IMPRESSES
GERALD Ryan, a master trainer of juveniles, produced the final three heat winners including the impressive Covert Ops at the official two-year-old trials on Randwick’s Kensington track yesterday.

Covert Ops raced away to win by eight lengths, the biggest winning margin of the 14 trials. His stablemates King’s Champ and Fortress Command also won their 849m heats.

The fastest time of the session was recorded in the opening heat when the Mark Newnham-trained Exceed The Stars ran 48.96s — the only youngster to go under the 49s during the trials session.

Exceed The Stars was having his second trial after a win over 740m in Sydney’s first two-year-old trial at Randwick on August 28.

Trainers Peter and Paul Snowden won trials with McLaren and Mayaaseh, and were represented by another 10 minor placegetters.

Trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott unveiled promising colt Invincible Vision to win his heat.

The youngster is by champion sire I Am Invincible and is a half-brother to 2014 Golden Slipper winner Mossfun.

Team Hawkes, which trained Mossfun, produced a likely type in Head On, who is also by I Am Invincible out of Gimcrack Stakes winner Brilliant Bisc.

KOSI SPOTS FILLING FAST
THE Kosciuszko field is filling up fast with seven sprinters already confirmed as starters for the $1.3 million race restricted to NSW country-trained horses.

Care To Think, trained by Matthew Dunn at Murwillumbah and the early favourite for The Kosciuszko (1200m) at Royal Randwick on October 13, was locked in late on Monday by a syndicate based at Wagga Wagga’s William Farrer Hotel and including former NRL star David Barnhill.

This came after a dramatic day which began with Scone trainer Brett Cavanough revealing his sprinter, The Monstar, was the first into the elite 12-horse Kosciuszko field after striking a deal with slot-holder Paul Ratcliffe who manages a car dealership and workshop at Tuggerah.

“For the average person like me to be a part of this is phenomenal,’’ Ratcliffe told Racing NSW.