Australia: Guest House finds room, prevails in Golden Slipper

He needed a bit of racing luck, but Guest House showed his ability to record an upset in Saturday’s Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes for Southern Hemisphere 2-year-olds at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Sydney, Australia.

Ridden by Zac Lloyd, Guest House was 11th in a field of 16 at the top of the stretch, racing on the inside. Lloyd was forced to wait briefly with Guest House in the final quarter-mile before finding racing room between runners. Once clear, Guest House pulled away to win by slightly more than 1 1/4 lengths over the filly Streisand.

Guest House paid $17.90 in American pools. Streisand (6-1) finished a half-length in front of 46-1 Music Time. Chayan, the 5-1 favorite, finished eighth, beaten four lengths. The first 11 finishers were separated by five lengths.

The Golden Slipper was worth $3.53 million and is the world’s richest race for 2-year-olds.

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Guest House, by the I Am Invincible stallion Home Affairs, has won 2 of 4 starts for trainer Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr. The colt, owned by a partnership led by Roll The Dice Racing, won his first start in a minor handicap at five furlongs at Cranbourne Racecourse on Dec. 27.

Earlier this year, Guest House was second by a length after a troubled start in the Group 3 Blue Diamond Prelude Stakes at Caulfield on Feb. 7, and third by a length after racing in traffic in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield on Feb. 21.

Earlier on the Rosehill Gardens program, Autumn Glow extended her unbeaten streak to 11 races with her third Group 1 win in the $707,000 George Ryder Stakes at 7 1/2 furlongs. Autumn Glow ($2.40) was ridden by James McDonald for his 131st Group 1 win, a record for an Australian-based jockey.

McDonald equaled Damien Oliver’s record of 129 Group 1 wins at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday when Aeliana ($3.10) won the $707,000 Ranvet Stakes at 1 1/4 miles.

In the following race, McDonald rode Autumn Boy ($3.80) to a win in the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas for Southern Hemisphere 3-year-olds at 1 1/4 miles.

McDonald, 34, was born in New Zealand, and has been the dominant rider in Australia in recent years, establishing a close partnership with leading trainer Waller.

“It’s a testament to the horses that I ride because they are phenomenal,” McDonald told the press. “There’s no two ways about it, that I do ride the best horses and most favorites each race and I’m blessed to have that opportunity.”

Oliver retired in 2023.

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