Race favourite Storm Boy has come up trumps with barrier two in his bid to remain undefeated with a victory for the punters in the 2024 Golden Slipper Stakes field this weekend in Sydney.

Gun colt Storm Boy for Waterhouse & Bott is clear favourite in the 2024 Golden Slipper Stakes field this weekend. Photo: Steve Hart.

The world’s richest race for two-year-olds headlines the Rosehill racing action on Saturday with a capacity field of juveniles accepted for the Group 1 $4.92 million Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m).

Sitting top of the Golden Slipper final field and latest betting markets at $2.30 through Ladbrokes.com.au is the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Storm Boy.

The Justify colt has won all four of his starts to date and is already a three-time winner over the Golden Slipper distance.

The Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner at the Gold Coast in January was given a freshen-up between that $3 million feature and his final Slipper lead-up when saluting with ease as the odds-on favourite at Randwick on March 2 in the Group 2 Skyline Stakes (1200m).

It has been a long time since a horse completed the Skyline Stakes – Golden Slipper double with Dance Hero (2004) the last to do so.

Still, the money is firm for Storm Boy to be the next from his inside alley with Ryan Moore to ride this year’s Slipper top elect.

Co-trainer Waterhouse has prepared more Golden Slipper Stakes winners than any other trainer with seven.

Along with Storm Boy, she and Bott dominate the Slipper field this autumn with a total of seven final acceptances.

Their other key contender looking at the updated Golden Slipper Stakes odds online is their Silver Slipper champ Straight Charge ($9) who has run top two in all four of his starts and lines-up in gate nine with Tim Clark in the saddle.

Lady Of Camelot ($12) is also well drawn for the Waterhouse/Bott contingent with the Written By filly in gate five with Blake Shinn riding.

She is the best fancied of the girls to beat home the boys after a last start Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes second on February 24 in Melbourne, with Fireburn (2022) the last Golden Slipper winning filly.

Drawn the inside alley with Sam Clipperton to ride is their Inglis Millennium winning Hellbent colt Fully Lit ($19) coming off a Group 3 Black Opal Stakes second in Canberra.

Shangri La Express ($21) also fared well with gate three racing fit now third-up with a Todman third at his latest start.

Skyline Stakes runner-up Prost gets the chance to turn the tables on his stablemate from wider out in gate 11 with Adam Hyeronimus aboard the 50/1 shot.

The stable also have the sole emergency Espionage (barrier 12) in the mix with Tommy Berry on standby for the ride with the Zoustar colt kept fairly safe in markets at $16.

Following Storm Boy in Golden Slipper betting on the final field however is another unbeaten, Coolmore-raced colt in Switzerland for trainer Chris Waller.

Waller won his first Golden Slipper last year with Shinzo and is back with a livewire chance at back-to-back wins with Switzerland at $4.60 in the post-acceptance markets.

Ace hoop James McDonald rides the three-time winning son of Snitzel who was last seen beating home Straight Charge and Shangri La Express in the Group 2 Todman Stakes (1200m).

There is now support for him to take out the Todman – Slipper double for the first time since Farnan (2020).

The other most notable Golden Slipper hopeful this season at a generous quote of $15 is the continually underrated Blue Diamond Stakes winning filly Hayasugi.

Clinton McDonald’s history-making daughter of Royal Meeting suffered an early blow with a wide alley (16), but after becoming just the seven filly ever to do the Preview – Prelude – Blue Diamond treble there is no doubting her class.

She is yet to race in Sydney and only had a narrow margin on the line over Lady Of Camelot for her Group 1 win, but remains a shot as a Group 1 winner who continues to surprise.

Click here for the latest Golden Slipper Stakes odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.

2024 Golden Slipper Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

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