St Gotthard favored by McDonald and Waller for Golden Rose

Jockey James McDonald has expressed strong confidence in St Gotthard for the upcoming Group 1 Golden Rose at Rosehill. Despite the colt's limited experience and recent narrow defeat in the Group 2 Run To The Rose, McDonald stated he “wouldn’t swap the ride on St Gotthard for anything,” even choosing him over the race favourite, Guest House.

Trainer Chris Waller is fielding five contenders for the $1 million, 1400-metre feature: Campione D’italia, Tron Bolt, St Gotthard, Stormy Marco, and Central Europe. Waller attributed the readiness of his colts to specialized management and staff expertise in keeping the horses focused and stress-free.

Waller noted that while St Gotthard is less experienced than several rivals, the colt possesses significant untapped potential and should handle the increase in distance. A victory in the Golden Rose would establish the son of Snitzel as a premier three-year-old colt.