The Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) is the feature race running at Rosehill this Saturday, quite a feat considering there are a total of five Group One races running on the day.
Vancouver remains favourite in the Group 1 Golden Slipper betting. Photo by Steve Hart.
A capacity field of 16 runners plus three emergencies feature in the race’s final field, giving punters a variety of betting opportunities; however only two of the runners are offering single figure odds in the betting market at Ladbrokes.com.au.
Headlining the betting is the Gai Waterhouse-trained Vancouver at $3. The colt drew a wide gate (18) in Tuesday morning’s barrier draw, however he is still the favourite though his price has eased from $2.50 since the betting market went live two days ago.
Vancouver is set to come into gate 15 if the first two emergencies fail to make the Golden Slipper field, and only won winner has jumped from barrier 15 in the past 32 years. However you can’t discard the colt’s form, winning all three of his career starts, especially when it involves winning the Group 2 Todman Stakes (1200m) by three and a quarter lengths. Only time will tell if he’s good enough to defy a wide starting gate.
Waterhouse is on the verge of winning her sixth Golden Slipper title, which would put her even with her father TJ Smith. The trainer will saddle another two runners in the race in her quest for victory – English ($17) and Speak Fondly ($34).
English drew barrier six with Blake Shinn due to ride while Speak Fondly will jump from barrier 12 (into 10) with Damien Oliver.
Two-year-old filly English is a last-start winner of the Group 2 Reisling Stakes (1200m) on March 7 while Speak Fondly finished runner-up in the Group 2 Sweet Embrace Stakes (1200m) on February 28 before winning the Group 2 Magic Night Stakes (1200m) last Saturday, which means the filly will be backing-up with just one week’s rest.
The only other single figure hopeful in the 2015 Golden Slipper betting is John O’Shea’s Exosphere, who has seen his price firm from $4.60 into $4.
Exosphere is one of four Godolphin juveniles set to run on Saturday, scoring a jump from barrier 10 with defending champion jockey James McDonald. The colt has won his last two starts, including the Group 2 Skyline Stakes (1200m) by four lengths last month.
All four Godolphin runners have drawn ideal barriers in the Golden Slipper. Haptic ($16) will jump from barrier three, lone filly Ottoman ($31) from eight, and Furnaces ($14) will get the coveted start from barrier one.
Barrier one has delivered the most winners of the Golden Slipper since 1957, including three of the last six, which means Furnaces will have an upper hand over his rivals.
The colt finished runner-up in both the Listed Lonhro Plate (1100m) and Todman Stakes but maybe this Saturday is his chance to finish in the winner’s circle.
Other runners in the 2015 Golden Slipper include Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) runner-ups Reemah ($41) and Lake Geneva ($18), Group 3 Widden Stakes (1100m) winner Fireworks ($41), and Group 2 Silver Slipper (1100m) winner Headwater ($12).
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