THE GOLDEN SLIPPER
1200m, $3.5 million, two-year-old race at Rosehill
HISTORY
* Todman won the inaugural Slipper in 1957 by eight lengths and started at 1-6
* Magic Night (1961) the first filly to win
* Won by 28 colts, seven geldings and 25 fillies
* Eighteen favourites have won, the latest Vancouver (2015)
* TJ Smith is the only person to have bred, owned and trained a Golden Slipper winner – Bounding Away in 1986
* Smith also shares the Slipper training record of six wins – Fairy Walk (1971), John’s Hope (1972), Hartshill (1974), Toy Show (1975), Bounding Away (1986) and Star Watch in 1988
* Smith’s daughter Gai Waterhouse has also trained six, while Bart Cummings, Lee Freedman and Clarry Conners have won it four times
* Waterhouse trained the trifecta in 2001 when her first winner Ha Ha beat Excellerator and Red Hannigan
* Waterhouse’s other Slipper winners are: Dance Hero (2004), Sebring (2008), Pierro (2012), Overreach (2013) and Vancouver (2015).
* Last year’s winner Capitalist is the first two-year-old to sweep the Listed Breeders’ Plate, Gold Coast Magic Millions Classic, and Golden Slipper.
TALKING POINTS:
* Barrier one is the most successful producing nine winners.
* Barrier 13 is the most unlucky – no winners
* Winning barriers and the last winner to jump from them are: Barrier 1 – nine winners (Overreach 2013); 2 – three (Capitalist 2016); 3 – six (Catbird 1999); 4 – five (Century Miss 1979); 5 – four (Sebring 2008); 6 – three (Stratum 2005); 7 – two (Miss Finland 2006); 8 – six (Sepoy 2011); 9 – three (Sweet Embrace 1967); 10 – five (Danzero 1994); 11 – four (Mossfun); 12 – two (Inspired 1984); 13 – nil (-); 14 – four (Polar Success 2003); 15 – one (Star Watch 1988); 16 – two (Vancouver 2015).
* Only two horses have broken their maiden with a Slipper win – Sweet Embrace (1967) and Fairy Walk (1971).
* Gai Waterhouse will be a spectator with the trainer without a runner for the first time since 1998.
WHAT SOME OF THE MAIN PLAYERS ARE SAYING:
* “To get in a race like this is winning lotto, we’re blessed. We’re just the luckiest people going around”- Syndicate member Andrew Pieper on She Will Reign.
* “I expect her to lead from that barrier (16). She’s a speed horse and such a good gate horse. She comes out fast and can cross them with the others a second behind” – Houtzen’s trainer Toby Edmonds.
* I’ve had five or six Slipper runners before but it’s great to be going there with a couple of genuine chances” – Gary Portelli, trainer of She Will Reign and Single Bullet.
* He’s (Veranillo) going to get the blinkers on this week and I expect that to pick him up a bit, he doesn’t need to find a lot to be in the finish. He’s effective in the (wet) ground. Trekking has drawn badly irrespective of how the track’s playing” – Godolphin trainer John O’Shea.
MARKET
Houtzen is the $4.40 favourite with WilliamHill.com.au ahead of She Will Reign at $5.50.
