Sydney Specials – January 31

3 minute read

Joe Pride will take a team of four to Rosehill on Saturday with a couple of progressive types poised to work through the grades.

Of those four, two are last start winners who shape as excellent chances to continue their rise through the grades.

Alias holds favouritism in the final event of the program, the Bob Rowles Tribute Handicap over 1200m.

The gelding hit the ground running first up in a No Metro Win handicap at Canterbury.

Settled back in the small field, the five-year-old peeled off heels upon straightening and lunged on the line late for a slender win.

With added fitness second up and rising to a longer sprint journey, Alias has obvious appeal in the final event at Rosehill on Saturday.

The Shamardal gelding has won second up previously and also has superb wet track credentials having claimed four of his five career successes on rain affected ground.

Alias should enjoy all of the favours in transit from barrier 1 and has one of Sydney’s form riders in James McDonald on his back.

Joe Pride and James McDonald have combined on just three occasions through season 2014/15 to date however have two wins to show for the partnership at a profit on turnover over 126.7%.

Pride himself is on track for a career season having saddled up 46 winners at the midway point of the year, only 37 shy of season 2010/11 where he finished with 73.

In season 2011/12, Pride enjoyed his best 12 months in terms of stakes wins with a dozen.

At the midway point of 2014/15 he has already amassed ten including a Group 1 win with Terravista.

Connections are harbouring black type aspirations with Mr Bogart in the autumn who contests the TAB Place Multi Benchmark 72 3YO Handicap (1200m).

The gelding arrived at the Joe Pride stable off a generous spell following a two start maiden campaign as a juvenile where he placed in the Skyline Stakes behind Valentia.

Given time to mature and also gelded, Mr Bogart won his stable debut in a cakewalk at Kembla Grange.

While yes, it was just a provincial maiden, it was proof the three-year-old is ready to deliver on early promise.

The gelding ran to a Timeform rating of 83 first up at Kembla Grange however improvement on this figure is expected considering the master rating he returned as a two-year-old.

His Skyline Stakes performance was assessed at 104 which has him as the top rated runner in Race 5 at Rosehill on weight adjusted 12 month ratings.

Sarajevo is the clear favourite in the event and deservedly so considering his efforts during the spring.

A scan of early markets on Friday morning finds double figure odds available about Mr Bogart who is arguably the value bet of the program at Rosehill on Saturday.

While untried on rain affected ground, siblings Above Perfection and Soapbox have each won on wet tracks.

Sydney Specials – January 31

Best Of The Day: R8; #4 Alias @ $4.20