Racing: Forsman keeping wary eye on weather in NZ and Sydney

The Chosen One can earn serious money today. Photo / Racing Images

For a man about to embark on a solo training career, Andrew Forsman understandably has a lot on his mind, but today his biggest concern is the weather. On both sides of the Tasman.

Forsman will start training under his own name in five weeks when his storied senior partner Murray Baker retires, and so far, the preparations are going well, including a strong recent top-up of equine talent from the Karaka yearling sales.

Forsman is also flag-flying across the Tasman, with he and Baker having four horses at Rosehill today, which could remarkably be the only four Kiwi-trained horses to race over the Sydney autumn carnival.

The stable has had enormous success in Sydney, first Baker and then as a partnership, but many New Zealand trainers are shying away from the city's big meetings, partially because of wet tracks but mostly because it is so hard to win there.

Forsman admits both are true but says it is a case of taking the right horses, if you have them.

"We've had a lot of success over there and love the carnival but it helps if you have horses that can target 1600m-plus races, are fit, and if they can also handle a wet track, that is a big bonus."

The stable has proven Aussie warrior The Chosen One, 3-year-olds White Noise and Regal Lion, and Manawatu Cup winner Marroni all racing at Rosehill today, and Forsman says the wet track and barrier draws will be huge factors.

"A horse like Regal Lion [Tulloch Stakes] has a wide draw and that can be very hard to overcome around Rosehill, while White Noise has a better barrier, but we learned in the Derby here, he is better when allowed to settle early.

"So with the Derby next week their main aim, this could be an awkward race for them, especially as we don't know how the track will play."

Marroni also cops a wide draw, but has the service of a red-hot Jamie Kah, in his $160,000 test over 2000m.

But The Chosen One is the stable star and takes on the Australian Cup trifectamates of Duais, Think It Over and Spanish Mission in the A$1.5 million Tancred.

They are clearly class animals but the rest of the Tancred field isn't scary and the best version of The Chosen One can earn some serious money with a top-three finish today.

"He is really well, we couldn't be happier with him," says Forsman. "He has the good draw which really suits him but the track conditions will be interesting. He doesn't want it really wet, which hopefully it is looking like it won't be. So he might surprise a few this week on his way to the Sydney Cup."

Remarkably considering his elite level form includes a Caulfield Cup third and Melbourne Cup fourth, The Chosen One is rated a $21 chance by Australian bookies, with tempting $5 place odds.

Closer to home, the Baker-Forsman stable have another Group 1 winner in True Enough in the $110,000 Japan Trophy at Tauranga, set to be run on a very wet track.

"We were thrilled with him fresh up but the wet track is a real worry for him," says Forsman.

"The way he went fresh up, if the track was better on Saturday, we would give him a real chance.

"But like many of the trainers going there, we really don't know what to expect." Stable 3-year-old Saint Bathans carries a big reputation into the first race today after an eye-catching last-start win at Pukekohe.

Forsman says if he keeps progressing, a Queensland Derby campaign isn't off the table.

"But again, the track is the unknown for him."