Yes, it’s the $6.7m Pathway express that’s terminating at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday for the $5m TAB Golden Slipper, a journey that’s been seven months in the making.
Under the direction of former ATC Gen. Manager Racing Services Peter Downs, this journey began with Espionage winning the Breeders’ Plate on Saturday 30 September at Royal Randwick.
In being the first 2yo event of 2023-24, and for the males over 1000m run at the Sydney Everest Carnival, today he’s $16 with Ladbrokes as the emergency, with Tommy Berry in Gate 12.
A $1m Magic Millions buy for James Herron Bloodstock for trainer by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, next it was Manaal who won the fillies Gimcrack Stakes for trainer Michael Freedman.
Home bred by Emirates Park and sired by Tassort, Manaal is weighted the fillies 54.5kg for Jason Collett drawn 17, last winning the Sweet Embrace Stakes and second in the Widden Stakes.
However, there’s no Golden Slipper without ‘headlines’ and it’s power-house Coolmore Australia who have ownership in the Slipper favourites, Storm Boy at $2.20 and Switzerland $4.60.
Recently purchased for $50m by Coolmore, Storm Boy will be ridden by Irish champion Ryan Moore for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, and having drawn 2 of 16 runners will carry 56.5kg,
To stand at their Hunter Valley stud on his retirement from racing, he has won all four race starts and was exempt from the Golden Slipper ballot in winning the Skyline Stakes over 1200m.
Previously scoring a convincing 2.5 length victory in the $3m Magic Millions 2YO Classic, he equalled that in the B.J. McLaughlan Stakes, both over 1200m, and won his first race start at 1100m.
In fact, Coolmore bred Storm Boy, being by their international leading sire Justify and the first foal of the winning Fastnet Rock mare Pelican, a daughter of NZ Horse of The Year in Seachange.
Consigned by Coolmore at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearlings, he sold to Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott for $460,000 who this year bought his Pierro half-brother for $375,000.
Victory for Storm Boy will place him in the class of just four juveniles in joining the Australian Champion 2YO and leading sire Capitalist to claim the Golden Slipper – MM 2YO Classic double.
And again its Coolmore Australia, this time with Slipper second-pick Switzerland in the hands of champion James McDonald for Hall Fame trainer Chris Waller, who will jump from 7.
In winning three from three in this being his first preparation, he previously defeated Straight Charge and Shangri La Express in the Todman Stakes, and Shangri La Express in the Pierro Plate.
A $1.5m first foal of the Gr3 winning Canadian mare Ms Bad Behavior from Arrowfild Stud, he’s looking to be the third Slipper winner of his sire Snitzel, with his full-brother to sell at Easter.
And with Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott have … runners in the Golden Slipper, it’s their Silver Slipper winner Straight Charge who was a good second to Switzerland in the Todman Stakes.
Priced as the $9 third-pick and with Tim Clark starting from Barrier 9, he was a $270,000 buy at the 2023 MM Gold Coast Yearling Sale, sired by Written By from the family of Winning Rupert.
‘Gai and Adrian’ also have the Pathway’s Widden Stakes winner Lady of Camelot, the Canonbury winner in Prost, Shangri La Express the Golden Gift winner and Fully Lit of the Inglis Millennium.
In addition, its Ciaron Maher with Euno’s Cube having won the Reisling Stakes and Odinson the Inglis Nursery, with Annabel Neasham having Castanya win the Lonhro Plate, Peter and Paul Snowden with Drifting in the Magic Night and Tony and Calvin McEvoy in the Pago Pago Stakes with Dublin Down.
