Neasham’s Rosehill challenge: Wide barriers bring hope with rain

Wide barriers are the order of the day for Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald’s team at Rosehill and that might not be a negative.

Heavy rain is predicted on Saturday and Archibald is hoping that if it does eventuate, the deteriorating track conditions will favour horses drawn out.

“We’ve got a lot of sticky gates. Hopefully it pours and they come down the outside,” Archibald quipped.

Of their 11 confirmed runners, seven have drawn either double-figure alleys or worse than midfield, including two of their three entries for the Baillieu (1400m).

Tupakara fared best of that trio with barrier six and arrives at the race with an impressive form reference after finishing fourth behind subsequent Golden Slipper placegetter Tempted and winner Marhoona last start.

“That’s worked out quite well, hasn’t it?” Archibald said of the Reisling Stakes form.

“That was first-up the other day, she is going to be second-up on Saturday and she will improve.

“She is a nice, progressive filly doing everything right and it looks a good race for her on Saturday.”

By Trapeze Artist, Tupakara is in her second racing preparation having finished fourth in the Gimcrack Stakes (1000m) in October and seventh in the Golden Gift (1100m) a month later.

Archibald says she still has much furnishing to do but has developed both mentally and physically.

“She has definitely improved in both aspects but she is still a long way off,” he said.

“If you look at her physically, I feel like she is going to make a lovely three-year-old.”

Ole Kirk youngster Next Jen will take her place from barrier 11 after making a winning debut at Newcastle, while I Am Overs could be saved for a midweek assignment after coming up with the outside gate in the field of 13.

“I really like Next Jen. She was excellent first-up at Newcastle. She’s got a bit of a sticky gate, but I’d also expect her to be OK on the (wet) track without really knowing,” Archibald said.

“I Am Overs, she has drawn the widest and of the three, she is the one who might wait for another day.”

Quietly Arrogant is the only Golden Slipper runner backing up in the Baillieu after finishing down the track in last weekend’s feature.