Golden Slipper preview
The Golden Slipper takes place this Saturday at Rosehill Gardens. Has it been lost in all the hype surrounding ‘The Championships’? Let’s hope not.
The barrier draw took place at Martin Place on Tuesday where race favourite Earthquake drew barrier 13. It’s been highly publicised that no winner has come from that barrier but if the emergency is scratched, Earthquake will move in to barrier 12 and Unencumbered will move into the 13 gate. The past two winners Overreach and Pierro, both trained by Gai Waterhouse, drew barrier one which went to Mick Price’s Jabali this year.
Earthquake is one of three runners for Peter Snowden and the Darley team – the others being Ghibellines (an impressive last start winner) and Memorial (currently $71 in betting and drawn the widest gate). Earthquake is four wins from four starts which includes a Group One Blue Diamond win where she jumped from barrier 15, and the filly is only one of two runners who is yet to taste defeat. Gerald Ryan’s, Believe Yourself, the other.
Team Hawkes have been on fire of late and they’ll saddle up Mossfun. The filly is three wins from four starts and her only defeat was to Earthquake at her last run. She is one who will enjoy any rain and is one of a few who have been backed since the barrier draw.
Gai Waterhouse’s hopes of a third consecutive Golden Slipper lie in the hands of Valentia and Law. Valentia is a winner of his past two and is one who might appreciate a bit of speed in the race while Law, a Breeders Plate winner in the spring, comes into the race off a trial two weeks ago. Oakleigh Girl was the winner of that trial and interestingly they were split by Time for War who was a winner in the Pago Pago Stakes last week.
Time for War won’t back up in the Slipper but Bring Me The Maid will, after she took out the Magic Night stakes last week. The Peter Moody-trained filly was as much as $51 in Slipper betting before that win but is now into $13.
Unencumbered is a Magic Millions winner and has already won nearly $2 million in prize money, Alpha Miss (a $6,000 purchase) and Risen From Doubt are both Listed winners last spring, while Mick Price’s pair of Jabali and Cornrow are both maidens.
Eloping did run second to Earthquake in the Blue Diamond and is an impressive last start winner while Paul Perry saddles up Modoc and Scratch Me Lucky, the latter the only emergency in the race and if he doesn’t gain a start can be seen in race one.