Rarely a season goes by when Clarry Conners doesn’t have a two-year-old contesting a lead-up race to the Golden Slipper.
This year is no different with the four-time Slipper-winning trainer poised to have runners in both juvenile races at Rosehill on Saturday.
More Than Ready youngster Pewter is among the acceptances for the Group Three Canonbury Stakes while Happy Feet has been paid up for the Widden Stakes.
Both horses have also been entered for a maiden race at Kembla Grange but at $7.50 in opening Canonbury Stakes markets, Pewter shapes as a genuine chance to make a stakes race debut.
A son of More Than Ready, Pewter is raced by Conners’ long-time stable clients Newhaven Park.
The colt has finished second at his two recent barrier trials, both times closing strongly from back in the field.
“He’s a nice colt and he’s pretty foolproof,” Conners said.
“Wherever he goes I think he’ll perform well.”
Happy Feet finished fifth on debut at Randwick last Saturday when Conners said the filly got too far out of her ground on a wet track.
Her work since has been good enough for Conners to consider a quick back-up, albeit with a gear change.
“She jumped a bit awkward and just got too far back on a soft track,” Conners said.
“I’m putting blinkers on her and she’ll go forward.”
The Gai Waterhouse-trained So Serene, runner-up to Blue Diamond favourite Extreme Choice at her only start, heads Widden Stakes betting at $4.60.
Snowden Racing’s Defcon is an even-money favourite for the Canonbury on the strength of his impressive barrier trial performances.
