After witnessing Sunlight and Written By rubberstamp their Golden Slipper credentials, Adrian Bott is happy with a more relaxed build-up for Santos.
The Golden Slipper frontrunners face a seven-day back-up into the $3.5 million Golden Slipper at Rosehill on Saturday, while Santos has been working away quietly since winning the Group Two Skyline Stakes at Randwick on March 3.
Santos won a barrier trial at Randwick last Thursday when Tim Clark guided him over 740m.
“He was a little bit slow away but the most pleasing aspect for us was he was able to get in behind horses and switch off and relax,” co-trainer Bott said.
“We saw in his last start he had a tendency to over-race a little bit up on the speed but he switched off beautifully and showed a lovely turn of foot.”
Bott trains in partnership with Gai Waterhouse who is looking for her seventh Slipper.
“We can’t get this horse any fitter. He’s at the top of his game and ready to go. All the hard work is done,” Bott said.
“He’ll have a light bit of work during the week, we’ll see how we draw and go from there.”
Santos was on the fourth line of betting in the TAB market with the Hawkes Racing-trained filly Estijaab at $8 on Sunday.
Sunlight ($3.50) and Written By ($5) leading the pecking order ahead of the Chris Waller-trained Performer ($7).
Written By won Saturday’s Pago Pago Stakes and Sunlight the Magic Night.
“The colt coming up from Melbourne was very impressive, Sunlight also did what she had to again,” Bott said.
Sandbar and Spin filled the minor placings behind Written By after being beaten by Santos in the Skyline Stakes.
“The form around Santos stood up well,” Bott said.
Waterhouse and Bott had hoped to have two Slipper runners but Setsuna sustained cuts to a hind leg when she was galloped on in Magic Night.