Racing: Waterhouse tests Guineas credentials of Turf Express

Turf Express can join stablemate Manhattan Rain in next month's Caulfield Guineas if he can measure up against crack colt Denman in the Stan Fox Stakes at Randwick today.

The winner of the A$1 million Golden Rose, Denman is expected to cement his Guineas favouritism by winning the Stan Fox (1400m) for which he is the odds-on favourite.

While the son of Lonhro has scared off many potential rivals, Gai Waterhouse has decided to use Denman's presence to her advantage and will test the Caulfield Guineas credentials of Turf Express by pitting him against the best.

"We've paid up at second declarations for the Guineas, him and Manhattan Rain," Waterhouse's racing manager Robyn Hartney said on Thursday.

"If he runs a good race and is most competitive on Saturday there is an extremely good chance he will go to the Guineas."

The lightly-raced Turf Express won two of his three starts as a juvenile and was runner-up to highly-rated colt Rothesay when he resumed at Rosehill on September 12.

The Waterhouse team was thrilled with the effort and Hartney said Turf Express would strip much fitter for today. However, she said even the usually optimistic Waterhouse conceded Turf Express faced a tough ask to beat the likes of Denman and More Than Great, who held on for a gritty victory over subsequent Gloaming Stakes winner So You Think in the Ming Dynasty last start.

"Gai has been saying that Turf Express' work has been great and she is really happy with him but he obviously has the job ahead, he's up against one of the best 3-year-olds in Australia and More Than Great also has plenty of admirers," Hartney said.

"Turf Express is second-up and the others are fit and seasoned but we couldn't have been happier with his first-up run. Everyone said Rothesay would win easily but our bloke gave a bit of cheek. He is a big, strong boy and he will improve a lot from the run."

Blake Shinn will partner Turf Express and Viking Legend who will represent Waterhouse in the Listed Dulcify Quality (1800m) after beating all but filly Lovemelikearock in the group three Spring Stakes (1600m) at Newcastle last week. Viking Legend has drawn ideally in barrier two and will use the Dulcify as a springboard into next week's Group One Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick.

- AAP