Global Weekly Preview: True racing spirit prevails on Rosehill's biggest day

It says a lot for the competitive mind-set of Australian owners and trainers that a collection of valuable two-year-olds, plus the world's highest-rated mare, are set to run on a track saturated by the heavy rain that has fallen in Sydney this week.

With stallion values and reputations at stake, it would have been very different in Europe. 

I venture to say around 40% of those declared would have stayed at home in their boxes if the meeting had been scheduled for Ascot (UK) or the Curragh.

The official track reading is 'Heavy 9' -- not what anybody would willingly request for G1 Golden Slipper Day at Rosehill Gardens -- yet the unbeaten filly Houtzen puts her status on the line in conditions completely different to the quick ground she encountered when brilliantly winning the Magic Millions Two-Year-Old on the Gold Coast in January.

Of course, a couple of million dollars prizemoney on the table is the clincher for many. 

But this is a race that is also about reputation, and it is feasible to by-pass the Slipper and still be a stallion prospect worth mega-millions -- provided the reputation is earned and maintained elsewhere.

She Will Reign, a cheap buy for A$20,000, has a major chance, so too do other well-performed fillies Catchy, Frolic and Tulip.

The star of the day, however, is weight-for-age 'queen' Winx, who will be aiming for her 16th consecutive win. She tackles the G1 George Ryder Stakes.

Winx is a great champion, but this could be her toughest assignment in many starts. She lines up against in-form Le Romain, a back-in-form Chautauqua, plus Godolphin's talented Hauraki, who is always capable of lifting a major prize.

In my opinion, it is the 1,500m trip that could catch her out. Trainer Chris Waller will have freshened her up for this, but he will also have had at the back of his mind the mare's ultimate Autumn assignment, the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick on April 8.

It will be strange to see Winx knock the Golden Slipper off the front page of sports supplements on Sunday -- but it probably will happen.

With Winx aimed at the Ryder, it leaves the way open for Godolphin flagship Hartnell to regain winning ways, in the G1 Ranvet Stakes, an ideal target. William Buick is the new rider for the G1 Turnbull Stakes winner.

Finally, the G1 Hong Kong Derby is run at Sha Tin on Sunday, another important race on the international scene. The John Moore-trained Rapper Dragon is attempting the local Triple Crown and might well pull it off.