Rosa's Earning Her Spurs

Illawarra Mercury

Wednesday June 20, 2007

By GLENN DAVIS

THE Group One Toorak Handicap at Caulfield in October could be next on trainer Rod Northam's hit list for underrated mare Rosa's Spur if she wins the Winter Stakes at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Rosa's Spur will be floated from Scone to Brisbane tomorrow for the final Group One race of the season in which she will be reunited in the 1400m sprint with veteran Newcastle jockey Robert Thompson.

Thompson replaces leading Victorian rider Craig Williams who won the Group Three Dane Ripper Stakes (1400m) on the four-year-old last start at Eagle Farm on June 2.

Northam sent Rosa's Spur back home to Scone after her Dane Ripper Stakes victory and gave her four days out in the paddock before the big wet in the Hunter Valley region arrived.

"She's had a nice freshen-up and we were lucky to give her a break in the paddock for a few days before the rain came," Northam said.

Northam plans to be in Melbourne in the spring with Rosa's Spur irrespective of her performance in the Winter Stakes which will also see star filly Gold Edition line up.

"She's looking for 1600m so I've had to keep her fresh for the Winter Stakes," Northam said. "If she gets beaten our plan is to send her to Melbourne for a 1600m race on Derby day at Flemington in November.

"But if she wins then we'd have to look at some of the Group One races like the Toorak Handicap."