The fourth running of the $10 million XXXX Golden Eagle sees superstar international jockey Frankie Dettori ride in Sydney for the first time and take on fellow world star Jamie Spencer, who rides the feature race TAB favourite Light Infantry from the UK.
The XXXX Golden Eagle has attracted runners, owners, jockeys and trainers from the northern hemisphere and across Australia with a capacity 20-horse field.
It is part of Australian Turf Club and Racing NSW's record-breaking Sydney Everest Carnival which offers $66m in prizemoney and has already included a modern-day 50-year record crowd on TAB Everest Day.
Australian Turf Club Chief Executive, Jamie Barkley said Golden Eagle Day was building its own star power in the Sydney spring.
"Two of the world's best jockeys in Frankie Dettori and Jamie Spencer and a horse of the class and rating of Light Infantry have come to race in Sydney on Golden Eagle Day," Mr Barkley said.
"We have seen world-class racing over previous months and Golden Eagle Day and Rosehill Gardens are taking the Sydney spring to another level.
"With world-class horses on the track amongst some of the best spectator facilities in Australian racing, Rosehill Gardens continues a record-breaking celebration for Sydney racing."
General Admission tickets to Rosehill Gardens start from $32 online when pre-booked at theraces.com.au and include integrated transport across all NSW bus, train and ferry services on the day. All tickets also include an After The Last concert from global DJ sensation Rudimental.
Full fields for Rosehill Gardens this Saturday are HERE and full TAB markets for the 10-race program are HERE.
Light Infantry trained in Australia for this Sydney campaign by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace is a $4.20 TAB favourite in the XXXX Golden Eagle after drawing well in barrier seven. Light Infantry has run second at Group 1 Level at his past two starts and is rated in his age group as one of the world's best.
Chain Of Lightning trained by Peter Moody has been a strongly backed second favourite at $6 (in from $11) and will be ridden by Melbourne's leading jockey Jamie Kah. The horse is a winner of six of his seven starts including his first two starts and wins in January this year at Inverell and Armidale in country NSW, before rising to Saturday's $10m race.
Another Moody runner I Wish I Win is at $8-11 on TAB with jockey Luke Nolen aboard ahead of Frankie Dettori's mount Welwal ($17) for champion Sydney trainer Chris Waller.
Three horses who are already Group 1 winners are high in TAB markets – In The Congo $15-9.50 (Waterhouse & Bott and jockey Tim Clark), Hinged $13 (Waller and jockey Kerrin McEvoy) and Fangirl $18 (Waller and jockey Hugh Bowman). The first three winners of each Golden Eagle were previous Group 1 winners before taking out the Rosehill Gardens feature.
Saturday also sees another spectacular field of sprinters line up in the $3m Nature Strip Stakes, part of the Sydney spring series and a race which sees five horses back up from the TAB Everest, along with Lost and Running who was another TAB Everest runner until scratched on the morning.
Lost and Running for trainer John O'Shea and jockey Hugh Bowman is the $2.60 TAB favourite (in from $4) ahead of Everest third placegetter Mazu ($3.60-$4) for trainers Peter and Paul Snowden and rider Sam Clipperton.
The Joe Pride pair Private Eye (second in Everest) is at $6-$5 with Brenton Avdulla aboard and Eduardo for jockey Nash Rawiller is $6-$7.50.
Saturday's 10-race card has attracted a huge 164 entries and also features the $750,000 Rosehill Gold Cup and another international runner in Bois Dargent, for renowned UK trainer Marco Botti and ridden by Jamie Spencer.
The Chris Waller-trained and Tommy Berry ridden Quality Time is an opening $4.20-$4.60 TAB favourite. For all racing and ticketing information go to theraces.com.au
