Australia: Godolphin has solid team for Golden Rose

Broadsiding has won four stakes in Australia since mid-April, while Traffic Warden has won two since early March.

As a pair, they give Godolphin Racing and trainer James Cummings a deep team in Friday’s Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes for Southern Hemisphere 3-year-olds at seven furlongs at Rosehill Gardens in Sydney, Australia.

The $689,900 Golden Rose Stakes has a field of 10 and features more than just the Godolphin duo. Storm Boy, third in the Group 1 Golden Slipper at Rosehill Gardens in March, and the stakes-placed Anode give trainers Adrian Bott and Gai Waterhouse their own set of contenders.

Both Anode and Storm Boy have set the pace at times, while Broadsiding and Traffic Warden typically run from off the pace.

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Broadsiding will be favored on the strength of his active four-race winning streak in stakes from mid-April to mid-June. The Golden Rose Stakes will be Broadsiding’s first start since a win the Group 1 J.J. Atkins Stakes at a mile at Eagle Farm Racecourse in Brisbane in June, his final race as a Southern Hemisphere 2-year-old. Broadsiding closed from fifth to win by 4 1/4 lengths as the 3-5 favorite.

Traffic Warden has been active lately, winning the Group 2 Run to the Rose Stakes at six furlongs at Rosehill Gardens on Sept. 14 by a short head over Anode. Storm Boy set the pace in that race and was beaten three-quarters of a length. Traffic Warden closed from sixth to win, while Anode stalked Storm Boy.

The New Zealand-bred Linebacker was fourth by two lengths in the Run to the Rose Stakes, closing steadily and racing in traffic in the final strides. Linebacker, trained by John O’Shea and Tom Charlton, is rated as a potential upsetter in the Golden Rose.

The Golden Rose Stakes is part of a 10-race program that begins at 9:55 p.m. Eastern or 6:55 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

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