Rose ready to bloom in Toorak

[Wandering Eyes]

Being third-up is the key for Damask Rose (NZ) (Savabeel) going into Saturday’s Group 1 Toorak Handicap, with Te Akau Racing assistant trainer Ben Gleeson predicting she’s ready to run a big race.

Damask Rose’s only other third-up run produced a victory in the inaugural The Kiwi (1500m) at Ellerslie on March 8 and Gleeson said the stable has copied that previous preparation, with the plan for her to peak in the Toorak Handicap, where she will be ridden by Jamie Melham.

In her second-up run, Damask Rose finished seventh in the G1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes behind Sepals, coming from well back before being beaten by only 2.65 lengths.

“She has a really good profile going to a mile third-up, so we’ve copied that program at home where she won the slot race third-up,” Gleeson said.

Gleeson added that Damask Rose’s second-up form in her career hadn’t been great.

“She made a long-sustained run on a firm surface. We’d love the track on Saturday to hold at Good 4,” he said.

Gleeson was effusive in his praise for Damask Rose after she galloped at Cranbourne on Tuesday morning.

“She looks amazing in the coat. I don’t think you’ll see a better horse on Saturday. She’s still down in weight and we’ve got Jamie Melham on, which is a big tick,” Gleeson said.

“She was up the top of the market in the Rupert Clarke, now she’s forgotten about. If people look deeper into her form, they will see third-up is when she strikes.”

Damask Rose drew barrier three for Saturday’s race, which is what Gleeson was hoping for as she can get a similar run to when she won The Kiwi, where she had a soft midfield run and then took the gaps in the straight.

Gleeson said they have planned her preparation around peaking on Saturday, with her next run to be either in the G1 Empire Rose Stakes at Flemington or the Golden Eagle at Randwick on November 1.

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