Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Since the year 2000 when Belle Du Jour (Dehere {USA}) visually stunned viewers with her victory, statistics show fillies have held the upper hand, winning the race 12 times in comparison to the colts and geldings with 10 victories in the great race.
A notable statistic is that no winner of the Slipper in over 20 years has come through a non-Sydney lead-up race.
On closer examination, two lead-up races stand out. The G2 Reisling S. and the G2 Todman S. both held at Royal Randwick over 1200 metres and have provided seven winners apiece. All of which augurs well for this year’s winners and placegetters in the respective events. Cylinder (Exceed And Excel) and Red Resistance (Russian Revolution) quinellaed the G2 Todman S.
While Learning To Fly (Justify {USA}), who won the G2 Reisling will be the only representative from that event to take their place in G1 Golden Slipper this year.
Interestingly, the winners of either the G2 Todman S. or G2 Reisling S. have not always been the ones first past the post come the big day. Only three of seven colts won the Todman S. prior to their Slipper success -Farnan, Vancouver and Pierro, all trained by the Slipper’s most successful trainer, Gai Waterhouse. Sepoy and Capitalist both suffered shock defeats in the 2011 and 2016 Todman S. prior to their Slipper success.
While seven fillies have come through the Reisling S., only three eventual Slipper winners won their editions of the lead-up event Estijaab (Snitzel), Overreach (Exceed And Excel) and Polar Success (Success Express {USA}). A further three Slipper winners competed in the G2 Sweet Embrace S. at their prior start including last year’s winner Fireburn (Rebel Dane) while two backed up from the Magic Night S., most recently being Godolphin's Kiamichi (Sidestep) in 2019.
Kiamichi winning the 2019 edition of the G1 Golden Slipper | Image courtesy of The Image is Everything
Of the other key lead-up races, winners of the G2 Silver Slipper S. (1100 metres) have progressed to win the Golden Slipper seven times in history.
The Todman Stakes
Four of this year’s five Todman runners line up in Saturday's feature event. Homebred Godolphin colt Cylinder is out to hand James Cummings his second Golden Slipper winner and become the seventh horse to complete the Todman S./Golden Slipper double.
In a field of just five runners, the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Red Resistance (Russian Revolution) jumped cleanly and controlled the race in front from the onset. Beginning awkwardly Cylinder was quick to regather, sitting 1l off Red Resistance in the running. Under James McDonald, the Godolphin colt took some urging but gave a solid kick to put a 0.66l margin on the previously unbeaten Red Resistance who was five weeks between runs. The duo spaced the rest of the field including Saturday’s emergency Militarize (NZ) (Dundeel {NZ}) who was beaten 3.3l in third and G3 Breeders' Plate (1000 metres) winner Empire Of Japan (Snitzel) finishing a disappointing fourth.
Red Resistance | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Racing on a Soft 6 surface, the colts ran the 1200 metres event in 01:09.70, which was 0.3s faster than the fillies' edition. Encouragingly, they also ran a faster time than the G3 Wenona Girl S. for 4-year-old mares which was conducted on an upgraded Soft 5 surface later in the day.
A more furnished individual this time around, Cylinder has won both times this preparation including the Silver Slipper when overcoming the other Waterhouse and Bott representative in Platinum Jubilee (Zoustar). While questions surrounding the field sizes of his latest victories and ability to absorb race pressure, he has drawn favourably in barrier three which should give him every chance.
The Resiling Stakes
One-time race favourite and unbeaten filly, Learning To Fly continued her unbeaten streak with a tough victory in the Reisling S. at Randwick.
The R. Listed Inglis Millennium (1200 metres) winner was made to work early to hold her spot after Facilie’s (Trapeze Artist) rider Tim Clark served it up to the boom filly in the early stages of the race. In doing so, Learning To Fly clocked the fastest 1000 metres - 800 metres split of the race and a slick first 600 metres in 34.53s leaving the odds on favourite unsurprisingly vulnerable late. To her credit, the Annabel Neasham-trained filly stuck on well to edge out Facile by a head on the line. It was well-documented that the filly is happier ridden a touch quieter, so no doubt the team will look to have her follow the leaders just off the speed from barrier four on Saturday.
Annabel Neasham with Learning To Fly, Alix Turpin and Tom Magnier | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Lazzago (Capitalist) swooped run to land the ballot-exempt ticket to the Slipper and give Chris Waller a chance at a maiden Slipper victory. The Capitalist filly was a winner on debut in December followed by an encouraging fourth in the Inglis Millennium when collecting the ‘Pink Series Bonus’ for her female ownership group. A get-back and run-on type of filly, she will need some luck in running but her form around the fancied fillies gives Chris Waller another live chance of his maiden Golden Slipper.
The Blue Diamond
This year’s Slipper field features five juveniles who contested Melbourne’s premier 2-year-old event, the G1 Blue Diamond S. (1200 metres). The last horse to complete the Blue Diamond/Slipper double was Sepoy in 2010. This year’s edition featured some important runners that have form lines around some of the well-fancied contenders.
The Ben and JD Hayes-trained Little Brose (Per Incanto {USA}) handed them their second Group 1 winner and the Hayes family’s 10th Blue Diamond S. victory. Guided by Michael Dee, the colt raced a touch keen between runners early in the piece before taking a gap with a strong turn-of-foot and putting the race to bed. Following a track upgrade to a Good 3, the juveniles stopped the clock at 1:10:00 which was 0.19s faster than the 3-year-old fillies in the Zeditative S. held earlier in the program on a Good 4.
Little Brose winning the G1 Blue Diamond S. | Image courtesy of The Image is Everything
Second on debut in the G3 Maribyrnong S. (1000 metres) up the straight, the $200,000 Magic Millions purchase then defeated current race favourite Cylinder by over 1l when winning the Listed Merson Cooper S. at Caulfield in November. Drawing ideally on Saturday in barrier five, the striking colt maps to get a lovely run on Saturday and his form lines say he has the ability to overcome the unfavourable history against visiting contenders.
Second across the line was the luckless Peter and Paul Snowden-trained Don Corleone (Extreme Choice) who was held up for clear running from the 400 metres to the 200 metres, yet ran the fastest final 400 metres of the race (22.77s). Once clear at the 200 metres, he accelerated through the gap smarty and was closing better than any other runner in the race. The colt was impressive on debut before a disappointing effort when odds on favourite in the Pierro Plate where he was fourth beaten 2.79l behind Cafe Millenium (Not A Single Doubt) who was well beaten by Cylinder and Red Resistance in the Todman S. three weeks later.
The second of the Lindsay Park Slipper contenders Arkansaw Kid (Harry Angel {Ire}) was also luckless when held up for clear running from the 400 metres until passing the 200 metres. Starting as a clear outsider at $61, the all-female-owned colt gave a solid account of himself when nabbed on the line by Don Corleone for a close third. A winner on debut in the R. Listed Inglis Banner (1000 metres) at Moonee Valley, forget he went around in the Inglis Millennium when beaten 5.3l after being held up for clear running in the straight and being severely checked at the 300 metres. Drawn awkwardly in 13, he is an honest colt that appears one of the better rough chances.
Arkansaw Kid winning the R. Listed Inglis Banner | Image courtesy of The Image is Everything
The G2 Blue Diamond Prelude (Fillies, 1100 metres) winner Exploring (Brazen Beau) set a solid tempo in front to eventually fade to seventh, while race favourite Barber was disappointing when only labouring to the line to finish ninth. Rider Jamie Kah reported the colt did not appreciate racing inside horses and while the Golden Gift (1100 metres) winner clearly has ability, he will need to overcome this issue in what promises to be a high-pressure race.
The Silver Slipper
Both Platinum Jubilee and King’s Gambit (I Am Invincible) head into Saturday a month in between runs following their placings in the Silver Slipper behind Cylinder who went on to win the Todman S. The last horse to win the Slipper off the back of a trial was Sebring in 2007, who was six weeks between runs.
A 5l winner on debut in the Listed Debutant S. (1000 metres) at Caulfield, King’s Gambit is yet to show the promise of his first-start romp this campaign. The Peter and Paul Snowden-trained colt was beaten by 1l in the Canonbury S. behind Red Resistance before racing fiercely in the Silver Slipper when chasing Cylinder and Platinum Jubilee into the placings. With the addition of a Cross-over Nose Band, the colt appeared more tractable in running in an impressive Randwick trial under Mark Zahra last week.
King’s Gambit | Image courtesy of The Image is Everything
The well-travelled Platinum Jubilee heads into Saturday following an impressive tick-over trial at Warwick Farm two weeks ago. The G3 Gimcrack S. (1000 metres) winner was second behind Skirt The Law (Better Than Ready) in the R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200 metres) who subsequently failed to fire in her Sweet Embrace S. assault when odds on favourite. Most recently, the tenacious filly pushed Cylinder to 0.5l when second in the Silver Slipper after doing plenty of work early. While enduring a lengthy campaign, she has shown versatility in her ability to race both on and off the speed in high-pressure races.
Backing Up
With form lines around Red Resistance and King’s Gambit though his solid third in the G3 Canonbury S. (1100 metre), Chris Waller-trained colt Shinzu (Snitzel) is attempting to complete the G3 Pago Pago S. (1200 metre)/Golden Slipper double. A tough ask for a juvenile, this feat has only been won three times including Inspired (Vain) (1984), Rory's Jester (1985) and most recently Stratum (2005). While it was an impressive swooping win, the blue-blood colt stopped the clock at 1:10.56 - almost half-a-second slower than the fillies edition two races later (1:10.08).
The luckless Blanc De Blanc (I Am Invincible) also snuck into the field following her solid second in last week's event. Forced to be restrained to gain cover, she posted a slick 0:33.79 for her final 600 metres, over half-a-second faster than the winner of the race who controlled the tempo from the onset. Drawing 10 or worse at every start since her debut win, the Michael Freedman-trained filly has matched motors with key contenders including Learning To Fly when finishing a close second in the Inglis Millennium.
