Blue Diamond Stakes champion Tagaloa has firmed into the narrow favourite in 2020 Golden Slipper betting for Saturday following the release of the final field and barriers for the Rosehill Gardens classic.

Blue Diamond winner Tagaloa is new favourite in 2020 Golden Slipper betting for Sydney this weekend. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

A capacity line-up of eager two-year-olds will take to the track in the weekend’s feature race in Sydney for the $3.5 million Group 1 Longines Golden Slipper (1200m).

Before the Golden Slipper barrier draw, it was the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Silver Slipper – Todman Stakes double winner Farnan leading the markets.

After the in-form colt, Waterhouse’s shot at a seventh Golden Slipper trophy, drew out wide in barrier 14 however his odds eased out to $5.50 through Ladbrokes.com.au.

Golden Slipper betting firmed on rival Tagaloa meanwhile as the Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young-trained Lord Kanaloa colt drew ideally in barrier six for jockey Michael Walker.

Tagaloa was brilliant winning the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) from a three wide position throughout at Caulfield two back before finishing second to Farnan in the Group 2 Todman Stakes (1200m) at Randwick earlier this month.

He was nearly two lengths beaten in his Sydney debut, but ran some of the best sectionals in the race and is now tipped to turn the tables on his last start conqueror when the duo faces off again in the Golden Slipper this weekend.

After some talks about adding blinkers to the gear of Tagaloa for Saturday, co-trainer Busuttin confirmed to the Sydney Morning Herald that would not be the case.

“If it’s not broke, don’t fix it,” Busuttin said this week.

“We galloped him twice in the blinkers and he didn’t go that well. I would say he wasn’t brilliant and I wasn’t convinced that it was the right thing to do in a Golden Slipper.

“He has been good enough without them to win a Blue Diamond, and I think he’ll be good enough in a Golden Slipper.”

Third elect following closely at Golden Slipper odds of $6.50 is then the Anthony Freedman-trained Hanseatic ($6.50) as the bookies tip the boys to return to form in the feature following the three straight wins in the Slipper by the fillies from 2017-19.

Drawn gate nine with Kerrin McEvoy to ride, Street Boss colt Hanseatic has won three of his four career starts with his only defeat being the Blue Diamond Stakes second back in February.

He has been kept fresh since and will face off with Tagaloa again this weekend for his first official start the Sydney way of racing on the back of a winning barrier trial over 1045m at Randwick on March 12.

McEvoy chases his second Golden Slipper winning ride since that aboard Sepoy in 2011.

Sepoy won the Blue Diamond, finished second in the Todman and then took out the world’s richest race for two-year-olds.

This is the exact form line the current favourite Tagaloa brings into the race for 2020.

Rounding out the current single-figure hopefuls at $9 is the best fancied of the fillies, Dame Giselle, for Peter & Paul Snowden.

Drawn barrier four with Tim Clark to ride, the daughter of I Am Invincible was outstanding at the track last November with her nearly four length win in the $1 million Golden Gift (1100m).

She was a first-up flop at Randwick when finishing third as the beaten odds-on favourite fresh before atoning on March 7 with her narrow victory over fellow Slipper hopefuls See You Soon (2^nd) and Mildred (3^rd) in the Group 2 Reisling Stakes (1200m).

Estijaab (2018) was the last filly to complete the Reisling Stakes – Golden Slipper double Dame Giselle chases this autumn, while co-trainer Peter Snowden is after his third victory in the Group 1 feature.

Click here for the latest Golden Slipper Stakes 2020 betting markets courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.