Gingernuts Lands in Sydney

The Informant reports:

New Zealand Derby winner Gingernuts has taken the first big step towards meeting Australia's classic crop with a problem-free flight to Sydney ahead of Saturday's Rosehill Guineas.

The Iffraaj gelding was met at Kingsford Smith Airport yesterday afternoon by co-trainer Jamie Richards, who had flown ahead on a commercial flight and reports that his charge arrived at John Sargent's Randwick stable in good order.

“He left Matamata on Monday morning at 7.15am and by the time he landed here at 4.30pm local time and got to Sarge's at 5.15pm, it's been a pretty big day,” Richards told The Informant.

“To be fair though he doesn't have a sweat mark on him, so he's handled it all well.  I took him for a walk and a pick and he was straight into his feed once he was in his box, so that's good to see.”

Gingernuts had a familiar travelling companion, the Trent Busuttin/Natalie Young-trained Rising Red, who he downed in the Derby at Ellerslie nine days ago and will be a rival again in the Rosehill Guineas.

“He and Rising Red were next to each other on the flight over and they're in adjacent boxes now, so you could say they've become pretty good mates,” Richards added. “Trent's other Guineas runner Anaheim has just arrived on the float from Melbourne too.

“He had a good hitout at home on Saturday morning and I'd say it was as good a piece of work as any he's done, so we don't have to do too much with him ahead of the weekend, maybe a little bit on Wednesday.”

Nineteen entries - all of them colts or geldings - were taken today for the A$600,000 Rosehill Guineas. The local contingent is headed by VRC Derby winner Prized Icon, runner-up last week in the Australian Guineas, and Randwick Guineas winner Inference.