Gai Waterhouse’s two best chances at securing an incredible fourth Golden Slipper victory this year will both race at Warwick Farm on Saturday, current 2012 Slipper favourite Raceway and equal third elect Driefontein odds-on favourites for their respective races.
2Raceway is the shortest-priced favourite on the Warwick Farm race card this Saturday
The first of the exciting two-year-olds to run will be the undefeated Fastnet Rock filly Driefontein in Warwick Farm Race 2 – the $100,000 Listed Widden Stakes (1100m) at 1:50pm.
Making her first official appearance since winning the $2 million Magic Millions Classic on protest over her stablemate No Looking Back at the Gold Coast on January 14, Driefontein looks to have an easy task in the Widden on Saturday.
She faces just five rivals following the early scratching of #4 Extreme Impact, and should get the ideal run from ace hoop Tommy Berry after coming up trumps with the inside alley.
2012 Golden Slipper Odds
“Tommy (Berry) has ridden her fairly often in the last month and to say the least he is over the moon,” Denise Martin from Star Thoroughbreds, syndication owner of both Driefontein and Raceway, said.
“He believes she has gone ahead since the Magic Millions.
“She has developed further, she has matured and she handled the trip wonderfully well.”
Predictably Driefontein has opened odds-on in the Widden Stakes odds at Luxbet and the punters are already coming for her as she has shortened in from $1.80 to $1.75.
Hussousa has also seen some support for a Widden Stakes upset in from $2.70 to $2.60, the John Thompson-trained filly having won the Listed Gimcrack Stakes (1000m) at Randwick on October 1 in her sole career start to date.
“There are a couple of horses there on Saturday who have very decent form,” Martin said.
“The Gimcrack winner (Hussousa) looks very good.
“But from barrier one she (Driefontein) should be hard to catch.”
While Hussousa pays $17 in the futures markets at Luxbet for her grand autumn aim, the $3.5 million Group 1 AAMI Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on April 7, Driefontein is much shorter in the Golden Slipper odds paying $13.
This is an equal price with her stablemates No Looking Back – set to contest the 2012 Blue Diamond Stakes Saturday week first and Pierro, along with Peter Snowden’s unbeaten filly Meidung.
Golden Slipper betting favourite, however, is Waterhouse’s promising four-length Warwick Farm winner on debut Raceway at $6 through Luxbet.
“If he reproduces the same form on Saturday (that he did on debut) he will give them something to beat,” Martin said.
Raceway gets the chance to further secure his spot at the top of the Slipper markets when he runs in Warwick Farm Race 3 the $100,000 Listed Canonbury Stakes (1100m) at 2:30pm on Saturday against seven rivals.
Our preferred online bookmaker Luxbet also has Raceway odds-on to win their Saturday assignment, the youngster at a nearly Black Caviar price of $1.35.
Their only foreseeable dangers look to be Peter Snowden’s unraced Exceed And Excel colt Narcissus ($4.80 Luxbet) and the David Pfieffer-trained Nediym’s Quest ($9 Luxbet) coming off a smart 800-metre trial win at Warwick Farm from February 10.
Martin syndicated 2008 Golden Slipper winner Sebring, Raceway along the same breeding line being a son of More Than Ready out of a Flying Spur mare.
He is also following a similar Slipper lead-up, Sebring having saluted in the Canonbury two runs before their Golden Slipper success five years ago.
“He needs to win to be pretty close to securing a start in the Slipper but he may need another run as well to ensure he makes the Slipper field,” Martin said of Raceway.
Meanwhile the Canonbury Stakes roughie at $101 is Stylish Lad, trainer Clarry Conners believing the Olympus gelding is way over the odds for their debut considering they run a credible third behind Nediym’s Quest in the 800m Feb 10 hit-out.
Stylish Lad’s sire Olympus was also on Conners’ books, the four-time Golden Slipper winning horseman having trained and owned a part share of the injury-prone galloper.
While Conners knows they face a monumental maiden assignment, he is still hoping to see something from them to indicate they will make a nice two-year-old.
“I’ve thrown him in the deep end I know,” Conners said.
“But I’ve got to get him racing.
“It’s on his home track.
“I’m not thinking he’s going to beat the favourites, I just want him to run a nice race and then see where I head with him.”
To view the full Warwick Farm race odds for Saturday, and to get in on the generous futures prices of the Golden Slipper hopefuls before markets firm, head to Luxbet now!
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2012 Tom Cassar Widden Stakes Odds
Warwick Farm Race 2 – 1:50pm – 18/02/2012
| # | Horse (Barrier) | Odds* |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DRIEFONTEIN (1) | 1.75 Luxbet |
| 2 | HUSSOUSA (3) | 2.60 Luxbet |
| 3 | AGUEDA (2) | 15.00 Luxbet |
| 4 | EXTREME IMPACT (4) | - |
| 5 | BRAVE SOUL (6) | 26.00 Luxbet |
| 6 | SPRINGBOK GIRL (5) | 101.00 Luxbet |
| 7 | INCRIMINATION (7) | 6.00 Luxbet |
2012 Sharp Canonbury Stakes Odds
Warwick Farm Race 3 – 2:30pm – 18/02/2012
| # | Horse (Barrier) | Odds* |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | RACEWAY (5) | 1.35 Luxbet |
| 2 | RISE TO THE TOP (1) | 51.00 Luxbet |
| 3 | LANSDOWNE ROAD (8) | 26.00 Luxbet |
| 4 | NARCISSUS (3) | 4.80 Luxbet |
| 5 | NEDIYM’S QUEST (4) | 9.00 Luxbet |
| 6 | PeRDICARIS (7) | 21.00 Luxbet |
| 7 | SHELFORD (6) | 17.00 Luxbet |
| 8 | STYLISH LAD (2) | 101.00 Luxbet |
*Odds are Fixed Win and subject to change – see Luxbet for updates and to bet now!
