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The Golden Slipper is back, and this time it’s bigger than ever before.
Last Saturday's Rosehill washout has shifted the entire program - including the five Group 1 races - back seven days. Nominations where reopened for every race except the Golden Slipper where the final field and barrier draw was carried forward.
This has resulted in 24 individual Group 1 winners being nominated – an Australian record for any single raceday.
When you add All Star Mile winner Mugatoo into the mix, it's shaping as one of the best Golden Slipper days in memory.
Form guru Gary Crispe said the sheer quality and depth of entries for Rosehill on Saturday is comparable to any of the major meetings in world racing.
"I can't recall having 24 individual Group 1 winners at a single Australian race meeting," Crispe said.
"If they all run, there are more big-race winners at Rosehill on Saturday than you would find on a single day at Royal Ascot.
"The only comparable race meeting anywhere in the world with so many Group 1 winners is a US Breeders Cup Day where every race is a Grade (Group) 1 race."
When final acceptances were taken for the Slipper meeting last week, there was 14 Group 1 winners due to compete on the nine-race program.
But after nominations were opened again, another 10 Group 1 winners have been entered for Rosehill including super sprinter Nature Strip, Cox Plate winner Sir Dragonet, plus the likes of outstanding mares Colette and Toffee Tongue.
The Ranvet Stakes (2000m) initially had a five-horse field and was being billed last week as a match race between English champ Addeybb and Sydney's glamour mare Verry Elleegant.
But the decision to re-open nominations means the star duo suddenly have some real competition with the Ranvet swelling to 20 entries including 12 individual Group 1 winners.
THE GROUP 1 WINNERS
Golden Slipper – Artorius
Ranvet – Addeybb, Angel Of Truth, Best Of Days, Colette, Funstar, Miami Bound, Nettoyer, Prince Fawaz, Quick Thinker, Sir Dragonet, Toffee Tongue, Verry Elleegant
George Ryder – Arcadia Queen, Avilius, Best Of Days (also nominated for the Ranvet), Dreamforce, Funstar (also nominated for the Ranvet), Kolding, Prince Fawaz (also nominated for the Ranvet), Samadoubt
The Galaxy – Nature Strip, Celebrity Queen, Pippie
Rosehill Guineas – Lion's Roar, Montefilia
Manion Cup – Miami Bound, Quick Thinker, Shraaoh
Note: Best Of Days, Funstar, Miami Bound, Prince Fawaz and Quick Thinker are nominated for two races.
TAB Fixed Odds has retained Addeybb as favourite at $2 ahead over Verry Elleegant at $2.50 but it is far from a two-horse race now with the likes of noted wet trackers Colette ($6) and Sir Dragonet ($11) among the likely runners.
The William Haggas-trained Addeybb, who edged out Verry Elleegant in an epic Ranvet Stakes last year, will have a solid workout with stablemate Favourite Moon (Manion Cup) at Canterbury this morning.
The Galaxy (1100m) now has 21 nominations with Group 1 winners Nature Strip, Celebrity Queen and Pippie plus brilliant mare Libertini among those added to the feature race.
Godolphin's Tailleur remains Galaxy favourite at $4 in an open betting market ahead of Haut Brion Her ($5), Wild Ruler ($7), and Nature Strip, Eduardo and Jungle Edge at $8.
Avilius, a stablemate of Tailleur, is the $3.50 favourite for the George Ryder Stakes which now has 26 entries including Funstar who is on the second line of betting at $5.
Trainer Kris Lees has put a nomination in for Mugatoo ($6) and Perth mare Arcadia Queen ($7) has been re-entered after she was scratched late last week.
Golden Slipper betting remains unchanged with Profiteer favourite at $4 just ahead of Stay Inside ($5) and Four Moves Ahead ($6).
Sydney's grass tracks will be closed for trackwork this morning due to the extremely heavy conditions but the artificial Polytracks which have been installed at Rosehill, Randwick, Warwick Farm, Canterbury, Hawkesbury and Kembla Grange are being put to good use.
"The Polytracks are doing what they are designed to do and that is cope with all this rain and provide a safe surface for fast gallops," ATC's Nevesh Ramdhani said. "It means that no horse is missing any work."
Ramdhani remains very confident that the Rosehill course proper will be safe for racing next Saturday despite the deluge it has copped in recent days.
"All we need is one day of dry weather and the track will recover very quickly," Ramdhani said.
"The forecast is for about 40mls of rain (Tuesday) but that's the end of it, the weather will clear to a fine, warm day on Wednesday then the rest of the week there is only a slight chance of a shower."
Online article taken from the racenet.
