Latest News

By Tony Megahey

Wily, widely travelled trainer Stephen Jones has been training long enough to appreciate when everything seems in his favour with promising Sussu, a recent TAB Highway scratching, primed again for Saturday’s Rosehill Gardens episode.

An impressive series winner last preparation with James McDonald riding, Sussu had been targeted for a return off successive trials, but Jones withdrew the three-race winning mare when she drew an extreme wide barrier.

James McDonald guides Sussu home first at Rosehill Gardens. Image by Bradley Photographers

For Saturday, Sussu is the weighted runner with 56kg for Regan Bayliss drawn ideally in barrier eight for a $120,000 Class 3, 1100m. And she has been crunched from $11 into $5.50 on TAB.

“Weighted to be real hard to beat, only up a half kilo for a dominant win, drawn in and stronger more mature mare this prep,” Jones assessed from the Queensland yearling sales.

“We all know when it looks good, it doesn’t always pan out that way, but we do have plenty going for us.”

And a bonus for favourite backers, after she missed a run, is a priming jump out.

“Near a month between trials so we gave her a jump out ten days ago with Kody Nestor.

“Kody said it was needed, topped her off nicely. Kody knows, top rider and trainer. If he likes her, he's as good a judge as you’ll get.”

Sussu, a Panzer Division four-year-old mare, is certain to come in further the way emergencies are drawn.

While some of the strongest opposing are drawn out and facing a similar predicament as Jones previously when he said, “No won’t be running, first-up I don’t want to blow it from out there with a good mare.”

Pretty good Susso sure is. She won running away at “The Gardens” with “J-Mac” in smart time following an equally strong win at Muswellbrook.

“You appreciate a good draw anytime. But don’t want her cluttered up on the inside in a big field. We need to be in clear space straightening.“

Tamworth’s Our Boy Olly and Ballina’s Maximum Vortex have won five races between them of late but have drawn extreme wide barriers, so it’s wait and see.

Rosehill Gardens is a Good 4 in cloudy weather.

View the final fields with full form & race replays for Rosehill Gardens here