Roses tipped to bring more joy
Fillies and Mares Class Handicap (1200m) today.
“Military Miss is going good as well,” Rodgers said.
“She’s got a bit of weight (59kg) but that’s against the mares. They will both be really competitive.
“I would probably lean a little bit to Roses Of Joy.
“She is just a bit more brilliant but all of Military Miss’s runs have been good so I’m sure she will race good as well.”
Roses Of Joy finished third at her latest run over 1200m at the Gold Coast on June 3 after overcoming a setback to finish strongly and 1 give Rodgers every confidence she was hitting form.
“She was unlucky in her last run,” Rodgers said.
“She copped quite a bad check at the start and we thought she was going to be in the first three or four.
“She ended up back last and got held up coming to the turn. Once she got clear she finished the race off really well and ran third.”
A lack of suitable races meant Rodgers put Roses Of Joy through a soft trial at Doomben on June 27.
“I’d say she has improved further from that run and she was quite unlucky probably not to win or run second at her last start,” Rodgers said.
“She has come back a lot stronger in this second prep and put on quite a lot of weight since her last one.
“She is racing a bit more mature now.”
The Gold Coast track was rated a Heavy 9 by Racing Queensland yesterday after 20mm of rain but Rodgers said Roses Of Joy would have no problem with a soft track.
“She is nice and fit and she has never raced on a really wet track but she’s quite light on her feet so I wouldn’t imagine it would be a problem for her,” he said.