Sovereign Hill strikes gold as a four-year-old

Sovereign Hill’s promising career was interrupted, but the four-year-old is chasing a hat-trick at Randwick after spending 12 months sidelined and racing just eight times.

The last-start Rosehill winner rises to 59.5kg in the 1400m after leading throughout at Canterbury and Rosehill and, despite being a dual acceptor, co-trainer Adrian Bott favours the earlier race.

“He’s carrying a bit more weight but we feel the profile of the 1400m looks to be most effective at this point of his preparation,’’ Bott told Racing NSW.

“He’s hit a few very heavy tracks in his time and he has handled it to an extent, or his class has got him through, I think no doubt he’s best on top of the ground.

“It’s probably helped him be a little but more consistent this time through and no doubt he’s been given a bit of time to strengthen up and mature as well.”

Tulloch Lodge will also saddle three fillies in the Coolmore Pierro Plate (1100m), headed by Widden Stakes runner-up Miss Chanel, with Bott saying: “I expect her to take that next step,’’ while adding “She appreciated a much firmer surface and that natural progression from the experience.”