The race to two year old features like the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) and the Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) starts in earnest at Caulfield’s Australia Day meeting on Wednesday.
With sales restricted races like the Magic Millions Classic and the Inglis Classic now over for another year, the quest to find the next juvenile champion begins.
Wednesday sees the running of the Listed Blue Diamond Previews over 1000m, run in two divisions – the colts/geldings and the fillies.
The last filly to complete the Preview – Blue Diamond Stakes double was Midnight Fever in 1987.
However, last year’s Golden Slipper winner Crystal Lily also won the Preview for fillies.
It is far more likely that the winner of the Preview for colts and geldings will go on to take out the Blue Diamond Stakes, with Reward for Effort (2009), Reaan (2008), Bel Esprit (2002) and Knowledge (1997) recent winners of the double.
In the colts and geldings division, the favourites are likely to include unraced Patinack runner Boys on Tour, who was the standout trialler at the first juvenile trials in Sydney; Hussonet colt Envious – who was backed from $71 to $17 for the Blue Diamond last week – and recent Sydney winner Bossdon City.
In the fillies division, Blue Diamond second favourite One Last Dance is expected to be well supported, as are Listed winner Spectrolite and the unbeaten Jessica Rose.
Meanwhile, in Sydney, trainers are beginning to prepare their charges for a crack at the world’s richest two year old race, the Golden Slipper.
Warwick Farm trainer Clarry Conners, who has won four Slippers with Tierce (1991), Burst (1992), Prowl (1998) and Belle du Jour (2000), will have two fillies aimed at this year’s Golden Slipper.
City Tattersalls Plate winner Satin Shoes and Dehere filly Invest, who was beaten a half length by Karuta Queen on debut.
The owner of Satin Shoes, Dr Edmund Bateman, will also be hoping to be represented by star colt Foxwedge, trained by John O’Shea.
The Daily Telegraph reports that Foxwedge is due to make his reappearance in the Group 2 Silver Slipper (1100m) on February 26.
The Silver Slipper guarantees the winner a start in the Golden Slipper.
Also slated to start in the Silver Slipper are Breeders Plate winner Smart Missile and Gimcrack Stakes winner Defiant Dame.
Written by Andrew Hawkins
