THE WORLD’S richest and most significant two-year-old race – the Golden Slipper Stakes – is often a nightmare for punters.
Today’s version of the $3.5 million dash for cash is quite possibly the toughest two-year-old race punters have faced in modern times.
Perhaps the best indicator of the strength of the race is to have a look at the horses who fought out the Group 1 $1.5 million Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield.
The winner, Godolphin’s LYRE trained by Anthony Freedman is marked a $12 chance, the runner-up, LANKAN STAR for Team Hayes is at $71, and the third-placed FREE OF DEBT is at $41.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with the form of all three and yet two of the three have virtually been discarded as winning chances.
The latest TABCORP market has Peter and Paul Snowden’s COSMIC FORCE marked favourite at $4.40 following his dominant win in the Group 3 Pago Pago Stakes last week.
That was on a ‘heavy 10’ track and while the Rosehill track will be rain-affected for the Slipper, it’s officially rated this morning as a ‘heavy 8’.
Godolphin has a huge hand in the Slipper with quality colt MICROPHONE ($7.50), along with its super string of top fillies TENLEY ($6.00), LYRE ($12), KIAMICHI ($61), PINSEC ($19) and Magic Millions winner EXHILIRATES ($19).
All have outstanding form and a win from any of them would not be a surprise.
Former Darren Weir-trained YES YES YES ($7.00), now in Chris Waller’s barn, was outstanding coming from the back to win the Group 2 Todman two weeks ago.
He’s another who could definitely win the race.
Gary Portelli’s TIME TO REIGN ($16) was brilliant winning the Group 2 Silver Slipper before starting favourite when fourth to YES YES YES in the Todman.
TENLEY ($6.00) is unbeaten in three starts and keeps getting the job done as trainer James Cummings keeps raising the bar.
Her run-on win in the Group 2 Reisling Slipper was stunning and to my eye she’s the horse to beat in this race.
Godolphin’s KIAMICHI is marked extraordinary odds at $61 following her all-the-way win in the Magic Night – I wonder why?
Talented young Adelaide trainer Chris Bieg takes the grossly under-rated FREE OF DEBT into the race following impressive wins at his first two starts, before his close third in the Blue Diamond.
You can have $41 for that son of Unemcumbered – quite remarkable.
In fact, without being silly about it, just about every runner in this race can win if he or she turned up in the best form of their short careers and got the right run!
It really is a fabulous contest in that regard but presents punters with a real conundrum.
My advice would be to back whatever you want to – it you like a name or some racing colours or your favourite jockey has a mount, then back it.
For mine the horse to beat is TENLEY and the best roughies are FREE OF DEBT at $41 and LANKAN STAR at $71.