Golden Slipper 2014 Form & Preview

Earthquake is the one to beat in this year's Golden Slipper field. Photo: Steve Hart.

This Saturday, April 5, the world’s richest juveniles’ race will light up Rosehill Gardens and below is the Races.com.au team’s exclusive 2014 Golden Slipper form guide analysis and betting preview.

Stealing the spotlight on a bumper nine-race program in Sydney this weekend, the $3.5 million Group 1 Tooheys New Golden Slipper (1200m) field features a capacity 16 starters plus an emergency runner in Scratch Me Lucky.

There is only one two-year-old that the bookies and punters want anything to do with this year however, and that is the Peter Snowden-trained Earthquake.

The talented daughter of Exceed And Excel came out of odds-on territory in the Golden Slipper betting markets following the barrier draw as she came up with a nasty gate 13 starting position.

She currently pays $2.50 to win the Golden Slipper from a gate no winner has jumped from going back to 1957, Earthquake remaining the clear cut favourite in the markets.

If the emergency doesn’t gain a start the shortie will come in one barrier to gate 12, still not ideal but not holding the same no-winner hoodoo as her current allocation.

Earthquake is also out to become the sixth Blue Diamond Stakes – Golden Slipper double winner in history, and the second for Snowden and Darley following the success of star colt Sepoy (2011).

The only other Golden Slipper hope this year under $10 in the markets is fellow filly Mossfun prepared by Hall of Fame trainer John Hawkes and his sons Michael and Wayne.

Mossfun has drawn barrier 11 for the weekend and pays $4.80 to score an upset Golden Slipper result.

A big four length winner of the Group 2 Silver Slipper Stakes at Rosehill two back where she relished a wet track, the promising daughter of Mossman comes off a second to Earthquake in the Group 2 Reisling Stakes (1200m) from March 22.

Also in the mix and on the bookies’ radar are the likes of Snowden’s Todman Stakes winner Ghibellines ($11), the Peter Moody-trained Bring Me The Maid ($11) coming off a Group 2 Magic Night Stakes win, Todman runner-up Unencumbered ($16) who won January’s $2 million MM 2YO Classic and Gai Waterhouse’s Fastnet Rock colt Valentia ($17) coming via a win in the Skyline Stakes from mid-march.

This is what the Golden Slipper betting markets have to say, but what about the race’s history, betting statistics and form guide?

Having gone over all the details below are the must know Golden Slipper facts so you can back a winner at a juicy price online this weekend through Ladbrokes.com.au.

2014 Golden Slipper Form Facts & Betting Stats

Last year’s Golden Slipper winner was the Gai Waterhouse-trained filly Overreach who jumped from barrier 1 (of 16) with Tommy Berry aboard, and who came off successive wins including a last-start Group 2 win at the track and distance
Overreach was Waterhouse’s fifth Golden Slipper winner, and her second in as many years following Pierro’s win in 2012, making her the second most successful trainer behind her father Tommy Smith (six winners)
This year Waterhouse will look for her third Golden Slipper win on the trot, and her sixth in total, with #4 Valentia ($17) and #6 Law ($61)
#4 Valentia is engaged to be ridden by last year’s winning hoop Tommy Berry, a chance he could miss the race after the tragic death of his twin brother Nathan Berry on Thursday
The two most successful Golden Slipper jockeys with a ride this year are Glen Boss (#2 Jabali) and Craig Williams (#1 Unencumbered) who have both ridden two previous winners
Overreach and Pierro both had the inside alley in the Golden Slipper field for their wins, as did Crystal Lily in 2010; barrier one belonging this year to #2 Jabali ($26) and is the most successful barrier in the race’s history providing nine winners since 1957

Horse Racing Tip #2 Jabali has drawn barrier one which is the most successful Golden Slipper barrier in history

At the other end of the scale barrier 13 has never produced a winner and was drawn this year by #9 Earthquake but which will belong to #1 Unencumbered if the emergency doesn’t get a run
The only horse to win from the outside barrier (16) in a Golden Slipper field was Phelan Ready (2009) in the wet; this year the barrier belongs to #15 Memorial (17 into 16)
There are then six last start winners in the mix with #3 Ghibellines (Group 2 Todman Stakes, 1200m, Rosehill, 22/03/2014), #4 Valentia (Group 2 Skyline Stakes, 1200m, Randwick, 15/03/2014), #9 Earthquake (Group 2 Reisling Stakes, 1200m, Rosehill, 22/03/2014), #12 Eloping (2YO Spec, 1000m, Bendigo, 15/03/2014), #14 Bring Me The Maid (Group 2 Magic Night Stakes, 1200m, Rosehill, 29/03/2014) and #16 Believe Yourself (Group 2 Sweet Embrace Stakes, 1200m, Randwick, 15/03/2014)

Of those #9 Earthquake (Peter Snowden) also won the Group 1 Blue Diamond two back and is out to become the sixth two-year-old to complete the lucrative double in history
#9 Earthquake ($2.50) is also the clear race favourite, the punters’ picks saluting three times since 2008 with Sebring (2008), Sepoy (2011) and Overreach (2013)
Fillies also have an excellent record in the Golden Slipper in recent times with nine winners since 1994, most recently Overreach last year
The 2YOs with the highest Win Rate are the undefeated #9 Earthquake (100%) and #16 Believe Yourself (100%) followed by #10 Mossfun (75%), #4 Valentia (67%), #14 Bring Me The Maid (67%), #1 Unencumbered (63%), #12 Eloping (60%) and #13 Alpha Miss (60%)
The best Place Percentage then belong to #9 Earthquake (100%), #4 Valentia (100%), #10 Mossfun (100%), #14 Bring Me The Maid (100%) and #16 Believe Yourself (100%) followed by #1 Unencumbered (88%), #5 Cornrow (80%), #12 Eloping (80%), #13 Alpha Miss (80%), #2 Jabali (75%), #11 Oakleigh Girl (75%) and #15 Memorial (75%)
Over the distance those with the best record are #9 Earthquake (2-2-0-0), #4 Valentia (2-2-0-0), #1 Unencumbered (3-2-1-0), #3 Ghibellines (2-1-0-0), #7 Modoc (4-1-1-1), #14 Bring Me The Maid (2-1-0-1), #16 Believe Yourself (1-1-0-0) and #17e Scratch Me Lucky (2-1-0-0)
At the track the ones to beat look to be #10 Mossfun (3-2-1-0), #15 Memorial (3-2-0-0), #3 Ghibellines (2-1-0-1), #9 Earthquake (1-1-0-0) and #14 Bring Me The Maid (1-1-0-0)
Hopes with a previous win at the Track & Distance are then #3 Ghibellines (1-1-0-0), #9 Earthquake (1-1-0-0) and #14 Bring Me The Maid (1-1-0-0)