Bart Cummings trained Salade has taken out today’s Pago Pago Stakes at Rosehill racecourse ahead of Boys On Tour in second and the fast finishing Exceed And Exalt in third position.
Master trainer Bart Cummings confirmed at least one runner for next week’s Golden Slipper when debutant Salade overwhelmed his more experienced rivals in the Pago Pago Stakes at Rosehill.
Bart Cummings trained Salade has sprung into Golden Slipper contention after winning today's Pago Pago Stakes - Photo by Steve Hart
Cummings has won four Golden Slippers, the most recent with Century Miss in 1979, and said the timing was right with Salade.
“He had to win this race to get into the Slipper and you don’t want to wear them out beforehand,” Cummings said.
“It you race them too often they can go shin-sore and things like that.
“There is only one race that counts and if he was good enough he was going to get in.”
Melbourne visitor Golden Archer ($2.35 fav) took up the running with Corey Brown settling Salade ($9) back in Saturday’s Pago Pago Stakes (1200m).
Brown, who rode Salade in a recent barrier trial win, brought him down the outside of the track and he strode past Boys On Tour ($12) to win by 2-1/2 lengths.
Exceed And Exalt ($17) was a half-neck third and indications were he would not be paid up on Tuesday for the Slipper while Golden Archer was fourth.
The win guarantees Salade a start in the $3.5 million Slipper and he has been crunched from $101 on TAB Sportsbet’s market to $13.
Cummings also has Do You Think, another debut winner, waiting in the wings for a Slipper start.
He has just $27,000 in prizemoney and the trainer said if he got a run he would win.
Brown said he had not yet decided on a Slipper mount with the Gerald Ryan-trained Hot Snitzel his other option.
AAP TURF
