Trainer Mick Price has enjoyed total domination of the Victorian 2-year-old ranks this year thanks to Extreme Choice (Aus) (Not A Single Doubt {Aus}) and Flying Artie (Aus) (Artie Schiller), and the Caulfield-based trainer will look to transfer the magic to Sydney and notch a first-ever win the G1 Golden Slipper, the world's richest 2-year-old race with a pot of A$3.5 million, at Rosehill Gardens Saturday.
The unbeaten Extreme Choice has shown power from near the front end in each of his three starts to date, including a near two-length score in the G1 Blue Diamond S. three weeks ago; however, some feel Blue Diamond runner-up Flying Artie is poised to turn the tables, having flashed home at Caulfield after enduring a wide, traffic-troubled trip from an outside barrier. After dealing with double-digit barriers in his last two outings, Flying Artie has at last been handed a good barrier for Saturday, as he is set to exit gate five.
One aspect that could throw Flying Artie a curveball, however, is the experience of racing the 'Sydney way'–righthanded–for the first time. The Price-trained Ready For Victory (Aus) (More Than Ready) cost himself many lengths before finishing fourth in last year's Golden Slipper when bearing out on the turn while racing clockwise for the first time. Price told Racenet.com.au he had taken measures to prepare Flying Artie for his first righthanded voyage, but he could not predict how it would pan out. Extreme Choice has experience running the opposite way, having broken his maiden at Randwick in Sydney in December.
“We've prepared for that via reverse way gallops for both of these horses,” Price said. “We know Extreme Choice gets it right but until he gets under race conditions, we don't know how Flying Artie will be. Flying Artie was pretty good [training at Rosehill Tuesday] so we think he'll be OK.”
Artie Schiller, who shuttles from WinStar Farm in Kentucky to Emirates Park Stud in the Hunter Valley, is represented by not one, but two starters in the Slipper, and Good Standing (Aus) (Artie Schiller) would provide a poignant result were he to triumph. He will be the first Slipper starter sent out by trainer James Cummings, who trained in partnership with his legendary Hall of Fame grandfather, Bart Cummings, until the latter's death last August. Good Standing, who has firmed into 12-1, was second on debut at Rosehill Nov. 21 and returned to break his maiden in Randwick's 1200 metre G2 Skyline S. Feb. 27. Cummings sent the bay to Rosehill to gallop between races last Saturday, and told Racenet he was pleased with the outcome.
“It's a big day on Saturday and it can get to a 2-year-old,” Cummings told the site. “There'll be a lot of people around, the noise is like nothing else they've experienced on a raceday so like everyone else I will be hoping he copes with that. That's why I'm glad I took him there last Saturday. He got an opportunity to experience the atmosphere attached to a big carnival day. He got a lot more out of his gallop at Rosehill last Saturday than he would have trudging around [Randwick] on Saturday morning or on Tuesday in the gloomy wet conditions.”
Gai Looks For Solo Record…
Trainer Gai Waterhouse seeks a record-setting seventh Slipper win Saturday, having pulled even with the mark of her late Hall of Fame father TJ Smith last year with the win of Vancouver (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro). Waterhouse has won the Slipper from the extreme outside and inside, and her unbeaten filly Scarlet Rain (Aus) (Manhattan Rain {Aus}) will exit from the same gate 16, under the same rider in Tommy Berry, as Vancouver. Waterhouse also saddles John Singleton's third betting choice Kiss And Make Up (Aus) (More Than Ready) (9-1), who broke his maiden going 1200 metres at Canterbury at first asking Feb. 17 and handed Capitalist (Aus) (Written Tycoon {Aus}) his first defeat in the G2 Todman S. two weeks ago.
“There is no pressure on us, everyone is talking about the Melbourne colts but mine is unbeaten too,” Waterhouse told Racing.com of Kiss And Make Up. “I've always thought he was a real Golden Slipper horse and he is just starting to come into his own.”
There could also be a sense of deju vu if Godolphin's Astern (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) is able to overcome the widest barrier like Vancouver–who shares the same sire–did last year. The unbeaten Astern, who won the Feb. 20 G2 Silver Slipper S. over Defcon (Aus) (Choisir {Aus}), sits at 12-1. He will be joined by two John O'Shea stablemates in Skyline fourth Telperion (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}) and the filly Calliope (Aus) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}), winner of the G2 Magic Night S. last weekend. They also did not enjoy the luck of the draw, landing in 12 and 15, respectively.
One who could sneak onto the board at 33-1 is Yankee Rose (Aus) (All American {Aus}), who is unbeaten with two clear-cut victories over this track late last year but hasn't started since Nov. 21. She has trialled twice into this, however, so should be fit.
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