Five years after tasting Golden Slipper success for the first time with Farnan, Adrian Bott is hoping history can repeat as he prepares to saddle up two of the young stallion’s sons.
Farnan is the sire of Tulloch Lodge colts North England and Farcited, who along with Zousain filly Bellazaine comprises Bott and training partner Gai Waterhouse’s three-pronged Slipper assault.
“He’s got three in the Slipper, two for us, so it’s a good effort for him in his first season and a good sign of what is to come from them,” Bott said.
North England, who has drawn barrier nine, staked his Golden Slipper claims early in the season with a solid third to ill-fated stablemate King Kirk in the Breeders’ Plate (1000m) and a tough victory in the Golden Gift (1100m).
Waterhouse and Bott had planned to give him two starts heading into Saturday’s showpiece but his build-up was interrupted when he was scratched from the Silver Slipper due to an irregular blood count.
He did get a run on the board when a fighting fifth in the Todman Stakes (1200m) and while Bott admitted they’d had to make some adjustments to his training schedule, he also felt they’d had the necessary time to compensate for the missed Silver Slipper run.
“We haven’t had to change too much. We knew the adjustments we were going to have to make in terms of the program,” Bott said.
“It was more changing our expectations in the lead-up and what to expect with the end result.
“But in saying that, we’ve been able to get him to where he needs to be now. We just needed that bit of extra time to get him there.”
Farcited has snuck into the $5 million feature courtesy of a high attrition race at acceptance time and while his main goal is the ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) a fortnight from Saturday, Bott can make a case for him to run well.
The youngster was touched out by Saturday’s rival King Of Pop, another son of Farnan, in the Black Opal Stakes (1200m) at Canberra when Bott felt he was left vulnerable late after leading.
Farcited does have a tough draw in barrier 17 and Bott hinted he could be ridden more conservatively pending their assessment of the speed map.
“We always looked at a potential Sires’ campaign with him and had it been a nose finish the other way in the Black Opal we would have been preparing for this race,” Bott said.
“As it worked out, the way the field fell, it’s a really good target race for those horses going through their preparations towards the Sires’. He is a big chance to run a big race as well.”
Bellazaine also drew wide in 15 but the stable plans to utilise the Group placegetter’s speed.
“She is one who will push forward,” Bott said.
“We’re not concerned by that draw with her, she has got the speed to offset that. We’ve seen her absorb and handle pressure in her races. She was in a high pressure race last start and she stuck on very well.
“She hasn’t gone backwards and she’s got the physical strength to be able to handle that pressure.”
