No Golden Rose for Converge

One of the most exciting 3YO colts in the country will miss the Gr1 Golden Rose next month, reports racenet.com.au. Trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, Frankel colt Converge produced a below par run in last weekend’s Gr2 Run To The Rose (1200m) and is now being treated with antibiotics for a probable infection. Although the 1200m trip at Kembla Grange last Saturday is not the ideal distance for the son of champion racehorse and sire Frankel (Galileo), his performance lacked the powerhouse finish that he displayed when annihilating a top-class field in the season’s final Group 1 race for 2YOs, the JJ Atkins (1600m). Although Converge still remains in the market for the stallion-making Gr1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m), he is now rated an $11 chance, with both the Gr1 Inglis Sires Produce winner Anamoe (Street Boss; $2.50) and Gr1 Blue Diamond winner Artorious (Flying Artie, $5) ahead of him. Racing NSW stewards confirmed following his latest start that blood taken from Converge, who also holds a nom for the Gr1 Epsom (1600m), came back with abnormalities that pointed to an infection. From his 7 starts to date, Converge has also won the Listed Fernhill Stakes (1600m), and been placed in the Gr1 Champagne Stakes (1400m), Gr2 BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) and Gr3 Baillieu Handicap (1400m).