Salade has earned a place in the Golden Slipper field after winning the 2011 Pago Pago Stakes
After impressing in a barrier trial at Rosehill on March 5, Salade earned a shot at the Golden Slipper with jockey Corey Brown saying if the debutant won the Pago Pago today he would ride him all the way in the $3.5 million juvenile’s feature on April 2.
Brown now looks to have booked that Golden Slipper ride, Salade showing stacks of ability to upset a field of other promising two-year-olds in Rosehill Race 2 this afternoon.
Hot favourite in the odds, Peter Moody’s stakes winner Golden Archer got away fast from their wide barrier eight draw and did some work early to cross a fast-away Flying Zero and hit the lead.
Glyn Schofield, who had just scored a win in the Rosehill Race 1 aboard Sea Lord, kept the favourite at the front of the field all the way into the straight, Golden Archer leading two lengths from the Chris Waller-trained Flying Zero.
In the final few hundred metres Boys On Tour rushed down trying to find the lead, but with 100m left to travel Brown and Salade bounded to the front in one great stride.
Flying on the outside, Salade produced a scintillating late run on debut to win ahead of Boys On Tour while Exceed And Exalt came in for third.
Golden Archer couldn’t hold and eventually tiered to finish fourth.
Cummings commented post race that all going well Salade was a certain Golden Slipper starter having earned a ballot exemption with today’s win.
If Salade does the near impossible and takes out the Golden Slipper Stakes next Saturday, he will become the first Golden Slipper winner in history to have debuted just seven days prior.
Yesterday in the 2011 Golden Slipper Future Field & Odds Salade was a $201 roughie.
This price is sure to firm right in when betting resumes at Luxbet, but Salade’s price will still be no match for favourites including Sepoy and Smart Missile.
To get in on the best Golden Slipper odds and betting make sure you have an account open with Luxbet and while you’re there check out the latest odds for today’s feature showdown, the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) jumping at 4:10pm (AEDST).
Pago Pago Stakes 2011 – Rosehill Race 2 Results
| Pos | Horse | Margin | Price | Barrier | Weight | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 8.SALADE | $9.00 | 6 | 55.5 | Corey Brown | Bart Cummings | |
| 02 | 6.BOYS ON TOUR | 2.5 | $12.00 | 3 | 55.5 | Jim Byrne | John P Thompson |
| 03 | 3.EXCEED AND EXALT | 2.7 | $17.00 | 5 | 55.5 | Nathan Berry (a) | Guy Walter |
| 04 | 1.GOLDEN ARCHER | 3.2 | $2.35F | 8 | 55.5 | Glyn Schofield | Peter G Moody |
| 05 | 7.ROCK MONSTER | 3.3 | $31.00 | 7 | 55.5 | Hugh Bowman | Gerald Ryan |
| 06 | 5.FLYING ZERO | 6.1 | $16.00 | 4 | 55.5 | Nash Rawiller | Chris Waller |
| 07 | 9.FULL BLAST | 7.2 | $31.00 | 1 | 55.5 | Tim Clark | Jason Coyle |
| 08 | 4.WRITTEN CONSENT | 8.9 | $8.50 | 2 | 55.5 | Brenton Avdulla | Grahame Begg |
| 09 | 2.YOU’RE CANNY | 12.5 | $5.50 | 9 | 55.5 | Glen Boss | Gratz Vella |
