With the Golden Slipper just five weeks away, the countdown to the southern hemisphere’s richest race for two-year-olds is on in earnest and several youngsters will be bidding to stake their claims at Randwick.
Three of the 11 runners in the Pierro Plate (1100m) are marked $26 and under for the Slipper – Saturday’s $2.30 race favourite Pallaton ($11 for the Golden Slipper)), Coolmore’s United States ($15) and the James Cummings-trained Comedy ($26).
The latter was a winner of his only start at Randwick in October and Cummings has put blinkers on for his return this weekend.
“We’ve toyed with some gear changes and we like the way he has trained ahead of this event,” Cummings said.
“Any horse with Slipper aspirations needs to be running well against the field assembled here.
“He’s training along like a horse who is capable of mixing it with those horses.”
Michael Freedman also has a healthy regard for Pallaton, who made a strong impression with a dominant debut win over the summer, accounting for Comedy’s stablemate Chergui by almost three lengths.
By Wootton Bassett, the same sire as Golden Slipper favourite Wodeton, the colt is expected to be given every opportunity from barrier two and has pleased Freedman with his no-nonsense attitude.
“He had a couple of weeks off after he won, as much to give him a mental freshen up as anything,” Freedman said.
“It was a good win. He caught the eye and he’s up in the markets for the Slipper.
“He is a very professional two-year-old type, so hopefully if he can take the next step over the next few weeks, we can aim him towards the big one in March.”
Snitzel youngster United States is also being kept safe in betting markets for both races.
The Chris Waller-trained colt settled back in the field before steaming home to just miss behind Open Secret at Randwick last month and should relish the extra 100m of Saturday’s race.