King backing Bruce to have Rose ready to bloom

By Mandy Cottell and Trent Crebbin

It will be a special moment if Rachel King can deliver Jack Bruce his maiden Group 1 win at Eagle Farm.

Past and present will collide when jockey King teams up with young trainer Bruce to partner his first Group 1 runner, Highgrove Rose, in the Queensland Oaks.

King is an integral part of the Bjorn Baker stable and rides predominantly for him in Sydney, while Bruce formerly worked as Baker's racing manager before eventually taking out a training licence in his own right.

In a further twist, Baker's bloodstock agent, Jim Clarke, was involved in the purchase of Highgrove Rose and King admits Saturday's Oaks will be like getting the band back together.

"It's Jack's first Group 1 runner and he's pretty smart. He wouldn't have aimed one up unless he thought it could run well, so I'd say he's been waiting for this," King said.

"The pressure is on because Jim Clarke bought her and Jack trains her. It's like a family event.

"If she runs well, Bjorn will be quite proud of all his 'kids'."

Highgrove Rose is at double-figure odds, but she has been given a solid foundation for Saturday's 2200 metre staying feature.

Spelled after finishing fourth to Matias in the Group 3 Grand Prix Stakes at Eagle Farm in December, she's had four lead-up runs.

They include a 1900 metre victory on the Gold Coast Polytrack two starts ago and a second against the older horses over 2200 metres at Doomben last time out.

King believes that experience at the distance is crucial for young stayers, especially fillies.

"It is a Group 1, so it's a big step up, but distance-wise she has had a good grounding coming into the race,"

"As much as making sure, they're going to stay, you want to make sure they're going to relax. 

"They've really got to know how to put their heads down and do the right thing to be strong at the end of an Oaks."

While King hasn't been aboard Highgrove Rose in her recent runs, she partnered her in a brace of Listed two-year-old races during last year's Brisbane winter carnival.

The filly didn't feature in those, but King said she felt like a staying type then.

"She felt like that kind of horse 12 months ago, that she would get up over a trip, and she has done that," she said.

"Jack looks like he's done a super job aiming her towards this race.

"He hasn't asked her too many big questions, apart from that one race (the Grand Prix Stakes), where she stood up and ran really well."

King's Eagle Farm book also includes three rides for Baker. She will again be aboard The Inflictor for Craig Cousins as the popular horse bids for a Stradbroke Handicap berth.

The Inflictor is coming off a sixth in the BRC Sprint and while a distance drop to 1200 metres for the Moreton Cup isn't ideal, King says the gelding has the quality to run well.

"He's a lovely horse who I've had a bit to do with," King said.

"It's a bit short of his best distance, but I'm sure he has bounced out of that last run well, otherwise they wouldn't be running him."

"If he has and he's back towards what he can do, he will be running a good race."

Meanwhile, a deep edition of the Queensland Oaks will be held this Saturday. 

It does appear as if Chris Waller holds all the aces this week, as well.

He has won the race three times, although he hasn't enjoyed the same level of dominance in recent years in a race that feels quintessentially Waller.

Winx of course was just getting started on her unbeaten streak in 2015 before Egg Tart completed the Australasian and Queensland Oaks double in 2017. Youngstar edged out stablemate Another Dollar the following year.

This year he saddles up the current top two in the market, headlined by last-start Australasian Oaks winner Panova who is looking to follow in the footsteps of the mighty Egg Tart.

Interestingly, only eight fillies have gone directly from one Oaks to the other this century without a run in between. Four of those won in Adelaide, but only Egg Tart was able to complete the double.