No Knockout for Maher at Rosehill races

Ciaron Maher will be without promising mare It’s A Knockout at Rosehill this weekend, with the four-year-old instead set to tackle Friday’s Coffs Harbour Cup.

Maher’s Sydney foreman Johann Gerard-Dubord confirmed that while the mare had accepted for Saturday’s National Jockeys Trust Handicap (1500m), the 1600m feature up north was the preferred option.

“It’s the right distance for her, and being a Big Dance qualifier is a big drawcard,” Gerard-Dubord said. “She’s drawn well and goes there in good shape. Ideally, we’d have had an extra week, but she’s lightly weighted and in a nice race.”

Meanwhile, stablemate Spaceballs will represent the Maher stable at Rosehill in the Captivant @ Kia Ora Handicap (1500m). The filly has been equipped with blinkers after drifting out in the straight and narrowly losing at Newcastle last start.

“She got to the front and threw it away last start,” Gerard-Dubord said. “The blinkers have worked well in training, so we’re confident she can improve. She’s got plenty of ability, and we’ve only seen glimpses of what she can do.”

The 10-race Rosehill meeting will be the first Sydney metro card of the 2025-26 racing season, which officially kicks off on August 1.