Golden Rose horse racing competition at Rosehill Gardens

Preparations for the Group 1 Golden Rose at Rosehill Gardens have centered on various stables and key contenders. Initially, Tulloch Lodge trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott focused on a campaign involving six runners, specifically targeting three-year-olds for the Golden Rose and other stakes races.

As the event approached, attention shifted to the colt Guest House, a Golden Slipper winner. Trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, Guest House entered the $1 million race as a short-priced favourite after a track record win in the Group 3 San Domenico Stakes. The stable opted to bypass the Group 2 Run To The Rose to ensure the horse's recovery, aiming to make Guest House the first Golden Slipper winner to secure the Golden Rose since it achieved Group 1 status in 2009.

Ahead of the race, Guest House drew barrier five in a 13-runner field. Trainer Michael Kent Jnr noted that the horse’s non-linear preparation mirrors the successful pattern used for the 2022 winner, Jacquinot. Jockey Zac Lloyd expressed high confidence in the colt, stating that Guest House has demonstrated the ability to maintain brilliance while transitioning from a two-year-old to a three-year-old.

If successful in the 1400-metre contest, Guest House would become the first horse to win both the Golden Slipper and the Golden Rose within the same calendar year. While the horse Forensics previously won both races, those victories occurred in different years due to the 2007 equine influenza outbreak. Guest House enters the race as a $2.80 favourite against rivals including Warwoven and St Gotthard.