Who Will The Slipper Fit?

WHO WILL THE SLIPPER FIT? 
Rosehill Gardens in Sydney, Australia tomorrow hosts the 31st running of the A$3.5 million G1 Golden Slipper, the world’s richest juvenile race and one of the most important contests on the Australian calendar. While it is the G1 Melbourne Cup that draws the eyes and captures the imagination of the world, it is the Golden Slipper that has defined breeding excellence in the country, its roll of honor including such influential sires as Flying Spur (Aus), Canny Lad (Aus), Stratum (Aus), Marauding (NZ) and Rory’s Jester (Aus). More recent winners include promising young sire Sebring (Aus), world champion sophomore sprinter Sepoy (Aus), and 2-year-old Triple Crown champion Pierro (Aus). 
Fillies have won the race 13 times, including two of the last four runnings, and Darley homebred Earthquake (Aus) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) is the heavy favorite to add her name to that list. The unbeaten winner of the G1 Blue Diamond S. Feb. 22, Earthquake overcame a seemingly impossible post 15 of 16 to take Victoria’s most important juvenile race, and she will have to display similar heroics if she is to emulate the accomplishments of Darley’s Sepoy, who took both races in 2011. Earthquake drew post 13 of 17 for this assignment, but will likely move into 12 should the also eligible Scratch Me Lucky (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}) be forced to withdraw. Earthquake warmed up for the Slipper with another effortless, wire-to-wire score in the G2 Reisling S. Mar. 22. The imposing bay may have given her connections a few grey hairs when running a slight temperature earlier in the week, but after a postponed gallop Wednesday, jockey Kerrin McEvoy expressed confidence in his charge’s fitness: “She worked over 800 meters sprinting up the last 400 and she was nice and sharp,” McEvoy told Racenet.com.au. 
“She worked with a mate and I was really happy.” A second Golden Slipper victory for Earthquake’s trainer Peter Snowden would provide a storybook ending to the conditioner’s six-year run as head trainer for Darley. Snowden and his son Paul will wrap up their tenure with Sheikh Mohammed’s operation and start their own public training operation at the end of the month. Snowden and Darley have three chances in the race, as they also send out Ghibellines (Aus) (Shamardal) and Memorial (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}). Saturday could prove to be a day for the ladies, as Mossfun (Aus) (Mossman {Aus}), a clear-cut second choice in the betting, is also a filly. An apparent bargain buy for A$85,000 by Emirates Park at Inglis Easter last year, Mossfun won the G3 Widden S. over this strip Feb. 15, and two weeks later added the G2 Silver Slipper S. by four lengths. The only hiccup on her resume came when chasing Earthquake home in the Reisling, where she finished second after traveling wide throughout. Mossfun will also have to overcome a wide barrier when she breaks from gate 11. Ghibellines, a half-brother to Darley’s four-time Group 1 winner Guelph (Aus) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}), thrust himself into Golden Slipper contention with an upset maiden-breaking victory in the G2 Todman S. here Mar. 22. Behind the bay that day were Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner Unencumbered (Aus) (Testa Rossa {Aus}), who has lost both starts since that landmark victory, and Cornrow (Aus) (Duporth {Aus}), making his first start since finishing an unlucky third in the Blue Diamond. Bring Me The Maid (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}) is well fancied after a course and distance win in the G2 Magic Night S. Mar. 29, and trainer Peter Moody has expressed confidence. “The gap [between Bring Me The Maid and Earthquake] mightn’t be as big as people suggest,” Moody told Racenet.com.au. “She’s proven on any ground and can take a sit or race on the pace. It was always the plan to be here if she was going to be good enough.”