2023 Golden Slipper betting preview & tips | Saturday, March 18

The Group 1 Golden Slipper headlines a blockbuster Rosehill Gardens program on Saturday afternoon, bringing together the best two-year-olds all over the country as they stake their claim for the $5 million in prizemoney on offer. The 1200m contest has drawn an incredible field of 16 runners, and with chances all over the page, it’s easy to see why punters think this may be one of the more open editions of the great race.

Blue Diamond Stakes winner Little Brose will attempt to do a two-year-old Group 1 double, while all the lead-up races converge on Rosehill with winners of last weekend’s Magic Night Stakes (Steel City) and Pago Pago Stakes (Shinzo) looking to back up into the Slipper. The chances do not end there, with the likes of Cylinder, coming here off winning the Silver Slipper Stakes and Todman Stakes, and Learning to Fly, who took out the Inglis Millennium and Reisling Stakes, looking for more success.

2023 GOLDEN SLIPPER ODDS

After two strong lead-up wins in the Silver Slipper Stakes and Todman Stakes, respectively, online bookmakers have installed Cylinder as the favourite for this year’s edition of the Golden Slipper. The second line of betting sees Learning To Fly ($6) lead the fillies in the market, while long-standing Golden Slipper favourite, King’s Gambit, has drifted out to an $8 chance. You’ll be getting a double-figure quote for every other galloper in the race, with the likes of Don Corleone ($11) and Shinzo ($13) seeing some early support.

2023 GOLDEN SLIPPER SPEED MAP

We’ve got speed drawn all over the map for this year’s Golden Slipper, but it’s hard to see any other galloper showing more early toe than Red Resistance. He’s drawn barrier 17 and knows only one way, which is to speed across and find the running rail. Platinum Jubilee has been positive in her previous efforts and is likely to sit outside Red Resistance. Of the Godolphin trio, Exploring looks the obvious pacemaker, setting up a nice speed for Barber and Cylinder, who look to get nice mid-field sits from their gates. Little Brose should get a gun run throughout, as will the likes of Don Corleone, Shinzo and King’s Gambit. Meanwhile, Steel City, Blanc De Blanc and Lazzago are all likely to be dragged back.

2023 GOLDEN SLIPPER PREVIEW & FORM

There are many different ways to look at this year’s edition of the Group 1 Golden Slipper, but we’re happy to have Learning To Fly on top. This Annabel Neasham-trained filly has been ultra-consistent since debuting on January 28 in the Widden Stakes and has remained undefeated ever since. She took out the Inglis Millennium in stylish fashion and then held on bravely in the Reisling Stakes on March 4. She’s an out-and-out winner and should get a much more suitable run than she did in the Reisling, where she was forced to lead in the small field. Her best performance came when getting cover and storming down the middle of the track in the Inglis Millennium, and we think that’s exactly what jockey Chad Schofield will do from barrier four this Saturday. We can’t see Learning To Fly getting into a speed battle, and with the one-one in mind for her, the $6 on offer with the top betting sites is too good to pass up.

There’s no doubt King’s Gambit has been slightly disappointing since returning from his success in the Debutant Stakes at Caulfield last October; however, we’ve got confidence the Peter & Paul Snowden camp will have him peaking here. Despite being beaten a length by Cylinder in the Silver Slipper Stakes, you can be somewhat forgiving of that performance; he got back in the small field before hitting the line well enough, finding the minor money. This son of I Am Invincible should appreciate the bigger field to chase on Saturday, and with a genuine tempo to sprint from, we must give King’s Gambit one more chance.

Blanc De Blanc is the horse in this race at the wrong price. Despite being beaten 2.65 lengths in last weekend’s Magic Night Stakes, she has managed to claim a spot in the Golden Slipper. Her performance last Saturday was enormous, after being forced back yet again from a horror barrier, Blanc De Blanc closed off beautifully on a day where it was clearly an advantage to be on the speed. By the time Blanc De Blanc had gotten the revs up, Steel City was off and gone. This time Damian Lane gets the task of finding some cover and producing a more positive ride. Whatever happens, this price is simply too good to ignore.

Cylinder is absolutely flying and undoubtedly a fair favourite for the race, but there are others at better odds who appear just as strong a chance. The $3.50 on offer in a wide-open edition of the Golden Slipper is just too short to get excited about. He’s a must for multiples and exotics if you’re playing them, and a win clearly wouldn’t shock, but he’s a no bet for us.

The chances don’t end there. You can make a case for almost the entire field on Saturday afternoon in what is going to be an exciting race.

2023 Golden Slipper selections & best bets

• 10

  LEARNING TO FLY

• 8

  KING’S GAMBIT

• 12

  BLANC DE BLANC

• 5

  CYLINDER

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