Cover image courtesy of Sportpix
Saturday’s G3 Pago Pago Stakes and G3 Magic Night Stakes offer the 2-year-olds a last chance to earn enough prizemoney to catapult themselves into the G1 Golden Slipper field. Currently 16th in the order is Agrarian Girl (Tassort) with $165,500 in earnings. Some of those above her are currently spelling, so it’s looking like earnings over $150,000 are required to make the field.
The winner of the either juvenile race in Sydney on Saturday earns a ballot exemption into the race, while running second earns $46,250 and third $22,400. The placegetters prizemoney could mean the difference in getting into the race for some of the runners.
The Pago Pago back up
In the past 30 years, only two horses have won both the G3 Pago Pago Stakes and G1 Golden Slipper, most recently Shinzo who now stands at Coolmore Stud. The other was Stratum, who sired a G1 Golden Slipper winner with Crystal Lily.
Nine of the last 30 winners of the G3 Pago Pago Stakes didn’t back up a week later into the G1 Golden Slipper, leaving 21 horses who did. Of those, there were two winners, and another six who ran second, third, or fourth, leaving 15 horses who ran fifth or worse in the Golden Slipper a week after winning the Pago Pago.
It’s a tough ask, but it’s doable.
Warwoven’s pathway into the race
Warwoven (Sword Of State) won his first two starts in succession and was installed as the early favourite for the G1 Golden Slipper, but a recent fourth in the G2 Skyline Stakes has seen him settle further back in the betting.
“I thought it was a good effort. You always want to win, the one negative is he probably didn’t run up to what he’s capable of. No doubt he’ll be better for the run and if he’s got improvement he’s going in a good chance,” trainer Bjorn Baker said.
A win will automatically gain him entry to the big one, but the prizemoney for second should be enough to make the field.
Warwoven | Image courtesy of Trackside Photography
“You can’t worry about it, first world problems. We’re running for good money in a good race on Saturday and backing up, if he does happen to make the race, mightn’t necessarily be a bad thing. He’s in good order, he has a little bit of a tricky gate but we can’t worry about that either.”
Baker also has Godolphin’s colt Euripedes (Street Boss {USA}) in the field. He’s placed in both his outings so far and with earnings of $24,300 so far, he would need to win to make the Golden Slipper.
“He’s not out of it, he was good last time. Both his runs have been good and he’s got a good gate, he has a good racing pattern so he will be able to put himself up there.” Euripedes’ dam Manicure (Exceed And Excel) won two races as a late juvenile, going on to add the G3 How Now Stakes as an older mare.
Euripedes | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
Central Europe to mimic Shinzo
Champion trainer Chris Waller knows how to back a horse up from the Pago Pago Stakes into the G1 Golden Slipper having achieved the double in 2023 with Shinzo. Shinzo ran third on debut in the G3 Canonbury Stakes, then second in the G2 Skyline Stakes before his pair of victories in this and the Slipper.
A similar ownership group have the 2-year-old colt Central Europe (Frankel {GB}) in this year’s edition. He ran second on debut in the G2 Skyline Stakes, mimicking Shinzo’s effort, so the stable will be attempting to follow the same pattern here.
“His first up run was equal to a win, I thought. The talk going into his first race was good and they were right, and he’s gone forward since. Kieran was rapt with him in his gallop on Monday and James McDonald rides,” Waller said.
Central Europe as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Central Europe might have been born in Australia, but his pedigree is all British Isles being by Champion Sire Frankel (GB) out of juvenile G1 Cheveley Park Stakes winner Tiggy Wiggy (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) who won six of her eight starts at two, training on to place in the G1 Newmarket One Thousand Guineas at three. Central Europe was sold by Coolmore Stud to Chris Waller and Guy Mulcaster at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale for $750,000, and Coolmore Stud retained a percentage of him for his racing career.
The stable will also debut Amazone (I Am Invincible) in the race. Armco Racing purchased him from Kulani Park’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft for $520,000. Amazone is the second foal of unraced Ludisia (GB) (Frankel {GB}), a daughter of Champion 3YO Sprinter in France in 2008 and G1 Doncaster Sprint Cup victrix African Rose (GB) (Observatory {USA}).
“It’s ambitious but his (Amazone) trials have been good. We’ll see where he fits in.” - Chris Waller
“It’s ambitious but his trials have been good. We’ll see where he fits in.”
| 1 | 2143 | Star Of Jamaica (Profiteer) | Chris & Corey Munce | Nash Rawiller | 9 | Nil | $ 92,450 |
| 2 | 114 | Warwoven (Sword Of State) | Bjorn Baker | Ms Rachel King | 10 | 18 | $ 156,750 |
| 3 | 3x65 | Plagiarism (Written By) | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Adam Hyeronimus | 6 | 26 | $ 103,200 |
| 4 | 518 | Outspan (Bivouac) | Michael Freedman | Sam Clipperton | 3 | 31 | $ 91,200 |
| 5 | 2 | Central Europe (Frankel {GB}) | Chris Waller | James McDonald | 8 | 41 | $ 56,000 |
| 6 | 1 | Forest King (Tiger Of Malay) | John O'Shea & Tom Charlton | Dylan Gibbons | 2 | 65 | $ 28,400 |
| 7 | 7x63 | Persian Wonder (NZ) (Hello Youmzain {Fr}) | David Payne | Chad Schofield | 11 | 66 | $ 28,000 |
| 8 | 3x2 | Euripedes (Street Boss {USA}) | Bjorn Baker | Kerrin McEvoy | 5 | 71 | $ 24,350 |
| 9 | 457 | High Alert (Street Boss {USA}) | Anthony & Sam Freedman | Jason Collett | 7 | 73 | $ 23,700 |
| 10 | 1 | Drumfire (Farnan) | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Tim Clark | 12 | Nil | $ 20,650 |
| 11 | 9 | Concrete Storm (NZ) (Hello Youmzain {Fr}) | John O'Shea & Tom Charlton | Zac Lloyd | 4 | 144 | $ 1,625 |
| 12 | Amazone (I Am Invincible) | Chris Waller | Tommy Berry | 1 | Nil | $ - |
Table: G3 Pago Pago Stakes field
Do the fillies fair any better?
The G3 Magic Night Stakes has seen only one filly in the past 30 years successfully win both this and the G1 Golden Slipper, being Kiamichi (Sidestep) in 2019. Her sire, Sidestep, won the G2 Pago Pago Stakes on this weekend, backing up into the G1 Golden Slipper to run second to Overreach (Exceed And Excel).
As with the Pago Pago Stakes, nine of the last 30 winners of the G3 Magic Night Stakes didn’t run in the Golden Slipper. One winner gives this race a worse record than the Pago Pago in terms of finding a winner, but more Magic Night winners have gone on to place in the G1 Golden Slipper. Nine winners of the Magic Night ended up running second, third or fourth in the G1 Golden Slipper on the back up.
Kiamichi winning the G1 Golden Slipper 2019 | Image courtesy of Sportpix
This leaves 11 horses who ran fifth or worse in the Slipper after winning the Magic Night, compared to 15 from the Pago Pago. Punters might not find the Golden Slipper winner from this race, but there’s a good chance that the placegetter will be here.
Ten of the field of 12 for this year’s G3 Magic Night Stakes hold an entry for the G1 Golden Slipper. Leading the field is Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained By Choice (Written By).
"She is going to appreciate high-pressure races, and appreciate a bit further in time. But she has been so honest throughout her career. She's tough, she puts herself up on pace and she has drawn to do so again," Bott said.
Pembrey (Prague) won easily on debut in Queensland by over five lengths, and was sent to Sydney by trainer Tony Gollan where she was fifth in the G2 Sweet Embrace Stakes. She gets the services of the in-form James McDonald and her connections would have to pay the late fee for the G1 Golden Slipper.
Pembrey | Image courtesy of Trackside Photography
“I take the last start defeat with a glass half full approach. I think it was all part of the learning experience for horse and rider. She learned how to race in a different format which is never a bad thing, and obviously James has had a seat on her. I think the whole partnership will be all around better the second time,” Gollan said.
“I’d imagine she either leads, sits outside lead or one-one. I’m really happy with everything we’ve seen from her in the last two weeks, I’m pleased with the way she’s trained on. She’s just settled in nicely. When you travel young horses away for the first time there’s so much to take in.
“She’s had time to settle into Randwick and get into a new routine and take it all in, she’s going a really good job of it. I’m sure she’s going to present in really good order. She’s a naturally fit, racey 2-year-old type.”
| 1 | 1533 | By Choice (Written By) | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Tim Clark | 4 | 25 | $ 112,750 |
| 2 | 127 | Lumbini (Russian Revolution) | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Adam Hyeronimus | 1 | 72 | $ 24,200 |
| 3 | 15 | Pembrey (Prague) | Tony Gollan | James McDonald | 10 | Nil | |
| 4 | 334 | Hardanger (Pinatubo {Ire}) | Michael Freedman | Tommy Berry | 9 | 46 | $ 49,650 |
| 5 | 1 | Lagunanini (I Am Immortal) | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | SCRATCHED | 8 | 74 | $ 23,475 |
| 6 | 49 | Wave Blaster (Pinatubo {Ire}) | Tracey Bartley | Ms Alysha Collett (late alt) | 2 | 89 | $ 10,800 |
| 7 | 3 | Affari (Home Affairs) | Chris Waller | Kerrin McEvoy | 6 | 108 | $ 5,500 |
| 8 | 9 | Zoo Dazzler (Zoustar) | Anthony & Sam Freedman | Jason Collett | 12 | 125 | $ 3,500 |
| 9 | 5 | Ektifire (I Am Invincible) | Anthony & Sam Freedman | Craig Williams | 11 | 137 | $ 2,350 |
| 10 | Hellenic Belle (Hellbent) | Annabel & Rob Archibald | Zac Lloyd | 7 | 162 | - | |
| 11 | 316 | Ciaron's Star (I Am Invincible) | Ciaron Maher | Chad Schofield | 3 | 28 | $ 100,500 |
| 12 | Arrest Warrant (Capitalist) | Mark Cross | Andrew Adkins | 5 | Nil |
Table : G3 Magic Night Stakes field
The first season sires with runners
Profiteer is represented in the G3 Pago Pago Stakes by Star Of Jamaica while Tiger Of Malay has John O’Shea and Tom Charleton-trained Forest King who won on debut heading into this assignment.
Chris and Corey Munce-trained Star Of Jamaica is an interesting entry from a Slipper perspective. The colt has earnings over $180,400, but the $88,000 he earned when running fourth in the R.Listed Inglis Millennium doesn’t count towards his eligible total thanks to entry clauses 2.3 b and 2.3 e.
Star Of Jamaica | Image courtesy of Trackside Photography
These clauses state that any prizemoney earned in a race with restricted entry, eg the Inglis Millennium, or any of the Magic Millions races, doesn’t count towards the total. Clause e provides an exception for the winner of the Inglis Millenium, but not the rest of the runners which Star Of Jamaica falls under.
Star Of Jamaica is not on the current G1 Golden Slipper order of entry, so will also need to pay the late entry fee if he qualifies to run. His current prizemoney (without the Millennium) puts him in around 28th in the order.
In the G3 Magic Night Stakes, two first season sires have representatives with Home Affairs’ daughter Affari coming into the race off a debut third.
Affari as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“She was brilliant on debut (when third). Three wide which is hard at Canterbury and she stuck on gamely. Home Affairs is doing a terrific job and she gets a chance at some black type,” said Waller.
Darley’s Pinatubo (Ire) has two runners, Michael Freedman-trainer Hardanger and Tracey Bartley-trained Wave Blaster. Both are maidens.
