Maiden filly GLISTENING (Zoustar – Beethog) has given Team Freedman a second string runner in the upcoming Gr 1 $3million Golden Slipper over 1200m at Rosehill on 20 March.
They will also saddle Stay Inside, who was luckless in the Todman Stakes when 4th.
But what a great backup this filly Glistening is, who was coming off a 2nd placing at Canberra into this.
She led all the way today and ran it out hard to win by a wart from the fast finishing SWIFT WITNESS (Star Witness – Taylor’s Command) who burst from the pack to run past the winner one stride after the race.
BUT….if the 3rd horse home TRIFACCIA (I Am Invincible – Mascareri) gets a start in the Slipper she will beat them all.
At the moment she isn’t in the field after a pair of 3rd placings to her name and sits at $51 to win it. She can have one final crack to make the field next week in the Gr 3 Magic Night Stakes over 1200m.
She would have to win that to make it and then back up in the Slipper meaning, as a 2YO filly she would have had three starts in three weekends in a row. She has firmed from $101 for the 2021 Golden Slipper into $34 with Sportsbet.
But Glistening’s win hasn’t shaken the Slipper market a great deal.
The girls ran 1:09:27, which was about 4 lengths slower than the boys in the Todman.
They do get a 2kg weight allowance in the Slipper but it would be a brave man to say she can beat the boys. She was $101 before this race and has firmed to $31 now.
“I’m thrilled for our apprentice Jean (Van Overmeir). He does a lot of hard work and even though she led today I think she is a better filly when allowed to settle and come home.
“She’s in the field now and we are all very thrilled,” said Michael Freedman the co-trainer along with brother Richard.
Swift Witness is on the cusp of making the Golden Slipper field.
Given how the Slipper will be run, if she makes the race she can run home hard.
She firms into a $15 chance.
But mark the name Trifaccia down. She should have won this race today but a comfortable margin and she is on an amazing improvement curve.
Perhaps the Gr 1 Sires’ Produce over 1400m may be her main target.
