Although it looks as if there will be a small field for the Todman Stakes, it is a race that will have a big effect on the Golden Slipper.
Long-time Slipper favourite Capitalist has been displaced by Saturday’s Blue Diamond Stakes winner Extreme Choice as the market leader.
Extreme Choice is at $3.60 with Capitalist now $4.60 while Blue Diamond runner-up Flying Artie is at $8 and Godolphin’s Astern at $11.
Just six two-year-olds, including Astern and Capitalist, were entered for Saturday’s Group Two Todman (1200m) for colts and geldings at Randwick and all bar one has a perfect record.
The Paul Messara-trained Weatherly made a mess of the start on debut in the Blue Diamond Preview but made amends with his win in the Talindert Stakes at Flemington on February 20.
He earned $76,200 for that win which places him at No.20 in the order of entry for the $3.5 million Slipper (1200m) on March 19 with Messara trying to ensure he garners some more prize money to cement a start.
The winners of the Todman and Saturday’s Reisling Stakes for fillies gain automatic entry to the Slipper which has a field limit of 16.
Although the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained Capitalist has earned more than $1.4 million from his three starts, only the $90,000 from his Breeders’ Plate win counts towards the Slipper with the rest of the unbeaten colt’s prize money coming from Magic Millions sales-restricted races.
Capitalist is No.16 in the latest order of entry.
The Reisling Stakes attracted 13 entries headed by Brisbane filly Zelady’s Night Out.
Trained by Tony Gollan, Zelady’s Night Out won her first three starts, two at stakes level, before finishing ninth, nine lengths from Capitalist in the $2 million Magic Millions Classic at the Gold Coast in January.
