Rosagaze Shapes Up For Winter Attempt

Thursday, 10 November 2011 03:46

Trainer Lawrie Mayfield-Smith hopes to shape a winter carnival campaign next year with former buckjumper Rosagaze following her Eagle Farm assignment on Saturday.

Rosagaze will be attempting her third win from four starts this campaign when she lines up from barrier one in the Medilaw Class 6 Plate (1500m).

The five-year-old daughter of Intergaze has started only eight times in her career for four wins and two seconds after Mayfield-Smith recommended she return to the paddock after first entering his stables.

"She was very small when I first got her last year and didn't look too great," Mayfield-Smith said.

"I've trained horses for the owners before and the first thing I told them was to send her back to the paddock so she could develop more.

"She's quite smart but unfortunately she's not very big. As a result I have to space her runs quite a bit."

Mayfield-Smith rated Rosagaze unlucky not to keep her unbeaten record intact this campaign when she went down in a photo-finish to Dusty Gold over 1400 metres at Eagle Farm on October 22.

"She sat three deep the whole way and it was that close she ran the same time as Dusty Gold," he said.

"She's meeting Dusty Gold again who looks fairly smart but from barrier one she won't be caught wide."

Rosagaze proved a handful to train early in her career and was a nightmare for trackwork riders.

"When I first got her she used to drop her riders on the track and she unloaded a few jockeys in jumpouts," Mayfield-Smith said.

"In her second start in March she dumped a rider at the Gold Coast and she was scratched at the barrier at Ipswich for playing up one day.

"We persevered with her and at her next start she won by 11 lengths at the Gold Coast at very good odds.

"So far she seems to be over those problems and she's quite promising."

Mayfield-Smith believes Rosagaze is capable of measuring up to a Listed race during next year's Brisbane winter carnival and will soon spell her.

"I'll probably give her one more run before I put her away during the hotter months and then we'll look at the winter with her," he said.

"On breeding she should get 2400 metres and I think she's got enough ability to measure up to a Listed race in the winter."