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Jockey Tim Clark sees no reason why Straight Charge can’t consolidate his position as the challenger to Storm Boy’s hold on the Golden Slipper by beating a group of gun colts jostling for that position at Randwick on Saturday.
The Sliver Slipper winner, also trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, does battle with stablemates Espionage and Shangri La Express, Chris Waller's unbeaten Switzerland and another unbeaten colt in Bodyguard prepared by Peter and Paul Snowden.
It sets up an intriguing edition of the Group 2 $300,000 UNSW Todman Stakes (1200m) where Straight Charge was $2.70 favourite with TAB on Friday and $8 second favourite for the $5m TAB Golden Slipper on March 23.
"This is traditionally the main lead up so it's generally a strong race, this year is no different,'' Tim Clark said.
"They need to be running well in a Todman to then run well in a Slipper.
"This race has a lot of depth apart from Storm Boy not being there. There's a lot of really talented colts lining up so it's going to give everyone a good gauge on where they sit heading into the Slipper."
Clark took control of the Silver Slipper on Straight Charge and the youngster led throughout, holding 1-1/4 lengths on Espionage in the 1100m Group 2.
On that occasion he jumped from the outside gate, he has the inside alley this time but he showed at Rosehill he has the speed to make some use of it and Clark said he can only have improved from the first-up win.
"I'm not generally a barrier one lover but we'll see how it pans out,'' he said.
"He's a very fast, precocious, colt that has a great cruising speed and he can quicken off it.
"But he's very straightforward, very tractable, and I'm looking forward to getting back on him."
Impressive debut winner Too Darn Lizzie re-emerges to make a late bid for a Slipper berth in the Group 2 $300,000 Yarraman Park Reisling Stakes (1200m).
The filly hasn't started since Magic Millions Day on the Gold Coast where she took out the fillies division of the $500,000 The Debut over 1000m.
Clark said the youngster has been seasoned with two nice barrier trials since that January 13 win and feels the absence of the likes of Manaal and Lady Of Camelot makes it a winnable race.
"She toughed it out really well, she went there off the back of one trial so she was relatively inexperienced,'' he said.
"I liked how she fought it out when she was challenged.
"It's a lovely draw, the race doesn't have a heap of depth. I think the fillies races have been a little bit like that this season."
C'Est Magique searches for a breakthrough win in the Group 3 $250,000 Toyota Forklifts Wenona Girl Quality (1200m) and Clark said she's clearly improved from her first-up third behind Semana in the Triscay two weeks ago.
From a favourable barrier, he said there should be no excuses and, while she's Group 1 placed, would just like to see her get the job done given she's won once in 10 starts.
"I've been riding her a bit of work and she's come on nicely from her first-up run,'' he said.
"She draws to get a nice soft run again.
"She probably needs to get another win on the board, she hasn't won since her first start so it's important she gets another win to her name but she's going well."
Tim Clark on Keenan (race 4): "He seems to have come back well, he's ging to be better suited over a little bit further but he's a nice strong colt. He seemed more tractable with the cross over nose band on, it seems to really settle him down and I think that will help him when he steps out to 1200m-1400m."
On Ganbare (race 8): "I think he will take good improvement, although he had three trials he still looked a bit big first-up. He's had a couple of really strong gallops between runs so I think he will run better than his odds suggest."
