The countdown is on for Saturday’s $3.5 million Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) where a field of the season’s best two-year-olds will face off in the richest juveniles’ showdown in the world and here the Races.com.au team take a look at the latest 2011 Golden Slipper betting odds and market movers.
With a full field of 16 starters plus one emergency engaged for this year’s Golden Slipper showdown, racing fans and punters have been eagerly following their favourite young guns throughout the season to see which two-year-old is set to peak at the right time.
“Golden Slipper betting action has been lively for the past six weeks,” Luxbet’s Bookmaker Paul Vincent said this morning.
Smart Missile has been one of the best backed runners in the Golden Slipper markets
Continued favourite to win the Golden Slipper is Darley-owned colt and Blue Diamond Stakes champion Sepoy.
After the announcement of the 2011 Golden Slipper final field and barrier draw on Tuesday, Sepoy drifted out in the market now sitting at around $3.60 having drawn barrier 10.
Sepoy suffered his first and to date only defeat on the track last start when the Anthony Cummings-trained Smart Missile was able to overcome the favourite on a rain affected Rosehill track on March 19.
With persistent wet weather in Sydney and more rain predicted on Golden Slipper Day itself, punters are continuing to shy away from backing Sepoy to become the Golden Slipper winner.
“With the rain continuing around Sydney it will be interesting to see which horse can handle the conditions,” Vincent said.
After Fastnet Rock colt Smart Missile conquered Sepoy the solider in the Todman Stakes, bets are on that he can do so again on Saturday.
“Punters have launched into Smart Missile, firming from $4.80 into $4.40,” Vincent told Races.com.au exclusively.
Bets of 10k at $4.80 and 12k @ $4.60 have been placed on Smart Missile to win the Slipper through Luxbet after the colt came up trumps with barrier five.
The major market firmer, however, has been Bart Cummings’ first emergency Do You Think.
Although still not guaranteed a start in the Golden Slipper field, the lightly-raced son of Starcraft has firmed in from $61 to $31 in the markets.
As the sole emergency for this year’s Slipper, just one horse needs to be scratched from Saturday’s line-up in order for Do You Think to slip into the spotlight.
The next best backed hopeful in the 2011 Golden Slipper betting markets is one-time second favourite Karuta Queen.
Drawn wide in barrier 13 and having been beaten as the raging favourite in the Black Opal Stakes last start, Karuta Queen was out to around $18 in the post-field Slipper markets.
The well-bred Not A Single Doubt filly and Magic Millions winner is now into a quote of about $14 having impressed trainer Neville Layt, and obviously those in the know as well, with her trackwork earlier in the week.
Scheduled to run as Rosehill Race 7 at 4:05pm (AEDST) on Saturday, the 2011 AAMI Golden Slipper is the showpiece event on a bumper all back-type card that includes four other Group 1 features.
