Premiere Stakes at Rosehill – 16 August 2008

Only five starters will line up for the $150,000 Group 2 Smithfield RSL Club Premiere Stakes over 1200 metres at Rosehill on Saturday. They are Group 1 winners Triple Honour, Mentality and Reigning To Win and stakes performed Captain Bax, and Hurried Choice. Captain Bax is the only runner who is not first up. He won the Missile Stakes at his last outing following a second in the Grafton Ramornie.

The favourite is Triple Honour, currently at $2.50, who has won five of his nine starts and is having his first race since his Doncaster Handicap win. He will be ridden by Glen Boss who rode him to victory in the Doncaster. Triple Honour has won three out of three first-up races so ranks very highly in this small field.

Darren Beadman will ride Mentality for John Hawkes as he is on holiday in Australia while Hong Kong has its annual racing lull. Beadman has ridden Mentality in each of his six career wins including the Group 1 Randwick Guineas and the Champagne Stakes. Mentality won a Rosehill 900 metre trial on 5 August and races well at the track. Currently Mentality and Reigning To Win are both on the second line of betting at $3.50.

Reigning To Win has won seven of his thirteen starts and was second to Apache Cat at his first start last campaign and has won at his only start at Rosehill. Hurried Choice is the only mare in the race and also has great first-up form. She has won three and come second in her five first-up starts and won a 1030 metre trial at Rosehill on 5 August.

by Jo Jackson

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