Another order of entry shuffle illuminates a possible final Golden Slipper field

Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything

There is just two weeks until the 2025 edition of the G1 Golden Slipper Stakes, and the order of entry has taken another shuffle after a massive weekend of juvenile racing. The race for one of the 16 spots in front of the starter - plus four emergencies - on March 22 is a tight one, and it will only get narrower from this point on, with only limited opportunities left to collect sufficient prize money to guarantee a spot.

Colts dominate the top of the order

The gender split swings more in favour of the colts in the current order of entry; seven of the top 10 entrants are colts, including three of the ballot exempt runners. It’s an interesting split, considering the race has favoured the fillies; 11 colts and geldings (out of 25 winners) have won the event since the 2000 edition.

Kris Lees’ unbeaten son of Too Darn Hot (GB), Rivellino, won the G2 Skyline Stakes at the beginning of the month, which is emerging as a good source of Slipper placegetters over the last few years. Recent Skyline winners to place in the Slipper include Storm Boy (Justify {USA}), Mamaragan (Wandjina), and Microphone. The Australian shared on Monday that top jockey Hugh Bowman will take a break from Hong Kong to ride the colt on the big day.

Fellow unbeaten galloper Return To Conquer (Snitzel) had been considered for a trip across the Tasman, but Te Akau Racing’s Sam Bergerson confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that the colt would now head to the paddock for a break. The last start G1 Sistema Stakes winner has won four in a row and has never been out of stakes company.

“It is not easy to do what he has done, he is four from four, and he has gone up against some pretty decent horses going forward,” Bergerson told Loveracing.nz. “He is off for a well deserved break now as well. It was quite a tough run on Saturday and would have been too hard to turn him around in two weeks’ time for the Golden Slipper. He is another one to look forward to next season.”

Connections of G1 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Devil Night (Extreme Choice), current top seed by eligible prize money, confirmed earlier in the week that the colt is still on a Slipper path and has returned to the Hawkes Racing team’s Rosehill stable.

“He's here in Sydney, he's in the stable and he is progressing well,” co-trainer Michael Hawkes told RSN on Saturday. “We'll take him one step at a time, but he is a live chance of lining up. We want to be 100 per cent happy, that's what we've got to make our decision on, and everything is okay at the moment.”

Fellow Yulong-owned Tycoon Star (Written Tycoon) and $1 million Golden Gift winner North England (Farnan) round out the top 10 with ballot-exempt Godolphin colts Beiwacht (Bivouac) and Tentyris (Street Boss {USA}). Co-trainer Ben Hayes is confident the son of Written Tycoon can improve immensely off of his last start fourth in the G2 Todman Stakes on Saturday.

“He will improve out of sight from that experience,” Hayes told JustHorseRacing on Monday. “He pulled up fantastic and is right on track for the Slipper. We will be going into the race confident he can do it.”

Fifth on resumption in the Todman, North England is safe thanks to the Golden Gift’s huge first prize, and has pleased his trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott with his return.

“I thought it was a very game performance,’’ Bott said to The Australian. “He wasn’t beaten far after absorbing a lot of pressure throughout the race, and probably peaked on his run in the last 100 metres He definitely has some improvement to come.’’

Table: Status of top 10 horses in the Golden Slipper order of entry as of March 11

The boys (and girls) in blue

Godolphin head into the Slipper with a strong hand; three of the five ballot exempt runners belong to the Blue Army and James Cummings has a further two entries within the top 30, the colts Comedy (Snitzel) and Aleppo Pine (Blue Point {Ire}), the former of which will bid this weekend for a spot as he heads to the G3 Pago Pago Stakes.

However, the team was dealt a big blow on Monday when it was announced that leading hope, the Anthony and and Sam Freedman-trained Tentyris - who was a narrow second in the Blue Diamond before winning the Todman Stakes at the weekend - had pulled up lame behind and was headed for the paddock. The colt won’t be back until the spring.

Gallery: Two Godolphin gallopers en route to the Slipper

That leaves Beiwacht, winner of the G2 Silver Slipper Stakes, and filly Tempted (Street Boss {USA}) as Godolphin’s ballot exempt runners, both trained by Cummings. Beiwacht also came through the Todman, which sets him up with two weeks until the Slipper.

Tempted continues the strong form line emerging from this year’s Blue Diamond; she was seventh in Flemington, before heading to Randwick on Saturday where she won the G2 Reisling Stakes to secure her spot in the Slipper. Cummings confirmed on Monday that the filly will line up on March 22.

Table: Status of Godolphin-owned horses within the top 30 in the Golden Slipper order of entry as of March 11

Small number of fillies amongst top hopes

The potential final field takes on a new shape after investigation of the fillies within the top 15 in the order. Aside from Tempted, Bjorn Baker’s Within The Law (Lucky Vega {Ire}) is also exempt from the ballot - her chances of entry would otherwise be hanging in the balance with only $172,000 of her $1.145 million in prize money being eligible for the Slipper ballot, as most of it has been won in restricted Inglis graduate races. What is encouraging is that Jason Collett has retained the ride from the G2 Sweet Embrace Stakes, whereas Bowman fills in on Rivellino, who Collett rode to win the Skyline on the same day.

“Definitely exciting for her (...) to put her hand up and get a run in the Slipper,” Baker said after the filly’s Sweet Embrace victory. “Before today she had zero (eligible) prize money unfortunately, but she goes there as a live chance.”

The top fillies in the order by prize money have mostly been tipped out, dramatically changing the field of play; The Playwright (Written By) and My Gladiola (I Am Invincible) were both tipped out after unplaced runs in the Blue Diamond, and Icarian Dream (Blue Point {Ire}) has been spelling since being scratched by vets the day before the Diamond, where she presented with lameness behind. Further down the order, G3 Gimcrack Stakes winner Bel Merci (Extreme Choice) has also been spelled, having finished near the back of the field in the Reisling.

Bellazaine (Zousain) is the next highest filly who is active in the order of entry, and was a smart trial winner on Monday at Randwick.

“We were trying to navigate the best way of having Bellazaine there for the Slipper,’’ co-trainer Adrian Bott told The Australian. “It looks like she is in the Slipper field now so we decided to trial her, where she went very well. We are happy with her and she keeps improving.’’

La Bella Boom (Spirit Of Boom) is next in the order, and while she is numbered 19th in the official order, she moves up into 12th position after the removal of spellers. She is the highest-placed runner to not win or place in a stakes race, apart from North England, and hasn’t been seen in eight weeks since finishing at the rear of the field in the R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic. She is currently listed as active, and would be heading into the Slipper first-up if she accepts for the final field.

Table: Status of fillies within the top 30 in the Golden Slipper order of entry as of March 11

Win (or place) and you’re in

Two sons of Wootton Bassett (GB), Wodeton and West Of Swindon, have both secured their spots in the final without a stakes win to their name yet. Early favourite Wodeton was impressive when winning on debut, and has subsequently placed twice behind Godolphin colts in the Silver Slipper and the Todman. In the latter, he needed that second placing to ensure his entry, so at least he definitely has a chance to justify that early favouritism. Chris Waller and the same main owners was victorious two years ago with Shinzo, and are no doubt keen to repeat the result.

The Hawkes racing team has confirmed on Monday that West Of Swindon, second in the Silver Slipper, will take his place in the Slipper. The same morning, the colt had a good hit-out at Randwick in preparation for the big day, where he was second with a strong finish.

Gallery: Sons of Wootton Bassett heading to the Golden Slipper, images courtesy of Sportpix

There’s the last chances this weekend to earn sufficient prize money to boost into the field with the G3 Pago Pago Stakes and the G3 Magic Night Stakes at Rosehill Gardens, where first place takes home $140,000. The one-week back-up into the Slipper is a tight one, but it’s not impossible; Shinzo won the Pago Pago en route to his Slipper, whereas Kiamichi (Sidestep) won the Magic Night. West Of Swindon leads the Pago Pago nominations, joined by Slipper hopefuls Extractor (I Am Invincible), Comedy, and Quietly Arrogant (Capitalist). Skyhook (Written Tycoon), who sits outside the top 30, also hopes this can boost him into the final field.

“He (Skyhook) needs to win to get into the Golden Slipper,’’ co-trainer Gerald Ryan said to The Australian on Monday. “I’m confident King Of Pop is high enough in the order of entry to make the Slipper field after his Black Opal win. He’s a talented colt.”

The son of Farnan led home a quinella for his sire in the G3 Black Opal Stakes at the weekend, and is assured of a spot after withdrawing spellers.

Table: Status of remaining colts within the top 30 in the Golden Slipper order of entry as of March 11

Over in the Magic Night, Open Secret (King’s Legacy) could bully her way into a spot with victory - she needs at least the $46,250 awarded to second place to bring her eligible prize money up to a competing spot. Top seed for the race, Memo (Capitalist) could be in the final field as well if she won; most of her prize money is tied up in Magic Millions restricted races and she is still a maiden, so a win would be the only way to secure her place.

With only two horses in the top 30 on the order actually outside of the current final field after withdrawing spellers, the picture continues to evolve. No horse is a sure thing until the gates fly back in the Slipper itself.

Table: The current Golden Slipper final field as of March 11