James McDonald’s path to his first Golden Slipper ride on Ashokan started seven months ago on an early spring morning at Randwick.
As McDonald prepared to put two of John O’Shea’s three Golden Slipper hopefuls through their paces in their final serious hitout this week, both trainer and jockey reflected on the road taken to get to the world’s richest race for two-year-olds.
“You remember you actually jumped these two colts out in their very first jumpouts last year?” O’Shea said to McDonald as he waited to work Ashokan and stablemate Shelford.
New Zealand’s champion jockey, 20-year-old McDonald not only rode the two colts in their first jumpouts but he was also in town for their first barrier trials at Canterbury on September 19.
“Isn’t that amazing,” O’Shea said.
“That just tells you how long we’ve waited to get to this day.”
Ashokan turned in a pleasing piece of work on the Randwick course proper on Tuesday which boosted McDonald’s confidence.
“Everything is pretty spot-on for him and he worked with a pretty good horse so we got a good line on him,” McDonald said.
That “pretty good horse” was three-year-old Foxwedge who had won the Group One William Reid Stakes defeating Hay List just 10 days earlier.
“He (Foxwedge) is a Group One winner and a three-year-old. A tough worker,” McDonald said.
“He (Ashokan) worked really well with him and that gives me some confidence heading into the race.”
On Wednesday one punter placed $15,000 on Ashokan at $35 with TAB Sportsbet which has shortened the Skyline Stakes winner’s price to $26.
McDonald said the development in Ashokan since last year had been incredible.
“It’s just amazing what six months does for a horse,” he said.
“I’m really looking forward to Saturday and I’m grateful to John for giving me the opportunity.”
O’Shea’s three Slipper runners all fared poorly at the barrier draw with Faustus (Jim Cassidy) in 13, Ashokan in 14 and Shelford (Brett Prebble) 15.
But as far as the colts’ preparations are concerned, O’Shea has been delighted.
“I couldn’t have asked for anything better,” O’Shea said of their final gallops.
“Their preparations have been fantastic which is important when you are trying to win Group Ones.
“There’s nothing between all three of them. They have all got their little idiosyncrasies in terms of what they prefer on the day and the one that gets things to go their way in terms of track conditions etcetera is going to be the most effective.”
Faustus and Shelford are both at $71 with unbeaten Blue Diamond Stakes winner Samaready from the Mick Price stable favourite at $2.50.
