It’s been 17 years since Clarry Conners trained the most recent of his four Golden Slipper winners but he has never lost his appetite for the race.
Conners came close to winning a fifth in 2010 when Decision Time ran a half-length second to Crystal Lily.
Decision Time is the only horse from that Slipper still racing, defying his age with a win in an open handicap at Flemington in December.
And while Decision Time is inevitably moving towards retirement, Conners and the gelding’s owner Barry Garforth are hoping Torvill can make her way to next month’s Slipper with victory in Saturday’s Sweet Embrace Stakes at Randwick.
The filly was entered to make her debut at Rosehill on Wednesday but Conners decided to roll the dice to try to get her qualified for the $3.5 million Slipper.
“If she won on Wednesday it wouldn’t get her into the Slipper but if she wins on Saturday she’s qualified,” Conners said.
“She’s drawn a good barrier (3) and she’s got Corey Brown to ride so we’ll see what happens.
“She’s got the same owner as Decision Time and is a nice filly so I’d like to get her in.”
Torvill has had two barrier trials, running third in her second on February 14 won by Sweet Embrace rival Songlike.
As for Decision Time, he is not done with yet.
“He’s going to run in the Bert Lillye Memorial at the Kembla Grange meeting next month,” Conners said.
CLARRY CONNERS-TRAINED GOLDEN SLIPPER WINNERS
* 1991 Tierce
* 1992 Burst
* 1998 Prowl
* 2000 Belle Du Jour
