The Australian Turf Club has released the Order of Entry for this year’s Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m), which will be run at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday, March 19.
The two-year-old feature has attracted 339 entries, headlined by Best Of Bordeaux, Sejardan, Revolutionary Miss and Coolangatta, but only 16 horses and a further four emergencies will make the final field.
Kacy Fogden’s Best Of Bordeaux cemented his spot in the Golden Slipper when leading all of the way in Saturday’s Silver Slipper Stakes, which offered ballot exemption for the Group 1 feature.
Sitting second in the Order of Entry on eligible prizemoney earnings is Gary Portelli’s colt Sejardan, who won the $1 million Golden Gift at the end of 2021, while the runner-up in that race, Shalatin, sits fifth in the ballot.
That’s two from two for @KCFogdenRacing colt Best Of Bordeaux as he defies his rivals to win the Group 2 Fujitsu General Silver Slipper from the fast finishing Magic and Cythera in third. @tabcomau pic.twitter.com/UFpQsaoIpL
— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) February 19, 2022
The Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Revolutionary Miss has secured herself a start in the March 19 event, with $234,400 in prizemoney putting her on the third line of entry after a dominant win in the Blue Diamond Prelude (F) on February 12.
Even though Coolangatta’s win in the $2 million Gold Coast Magic Millions 2YO Classic in January doesn’t contribute towards the Order of Entry for the Golden Slipper, she is still guaranteed a start having earnt $229,000 in prizemoney through her earlier wins in the Gimcrack Stakes and the B.J. McLachlan Stakes.
Coolangatta is set to begin her Golden Slipper campaign this Saturday in the Group 2 Sweet Embrace Stakes at Royal Randwick, with that race offering ballot exemption for the $5 million Rosehill feature, as does the Skyline Stakes, which is exclusive to colts and geldings.
That’s two from two for @KCFogdenRacing colt Best Of Bordeaux as he defies his rivals to win the Group 2 Fujitsu General Silver Slipper from the fast finishing Magic and Cythera in third. @tabcomau pic.twitter.com/UFpQsaoIpL
— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) February 19, 2022
Most gallopers on the cusp of gaining a start in the Golden Slipper will look towards one of the six upcoming ballot-exemption races, while a number of them will also look to win enough prizemoney to book themselves a start in the Rosehill Gardens classic when they run in this Saturday’s Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield.
The likes of Counttheheadlights (22nd), Jacquinot (24th), Semillion (29th), Rampant Lion (30th) and English Riviera (31st) have earnt between $85,000 and $50,000, so a top-eight finish in the Blue Diamond is crucial to their chances of gaining a start in the Golden Slipper.
Similarly to the Magic Millions 2YO Classic, prizemoney won in the $2 million Inglis Millennium does not contribute towards the Golden Slipper Order of Entry, so this year’s Millennium winner, Xtravagant Star, only has $88,750 in eligible prizemoney to her name.
The Tony & Calvin McEvoy runner currently sits at 20th in the order, which would be enough to see her in the final field as an emergency, but connections will also be looking to this Saturday’s Sweet Embrace Stakes.
All honours go to Xtravagant Star in the @inglis_sales Millennium!
@mcevoymitchell @SchofieldChad @aus_turf_club pic.twitter.com/KrjSJsvt1r
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) February 5, 2022
After an eye-catching debut on Saturday in the Silver Slipper, $2.5 million colt Magic is 34th in the Order of Entry with $46,800 in prizemoney.
That horse is a full-brother to last year’s Group 1 Thousand Guineas winner, Yearning, and is also trained by Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes.
Coolangatta is the $4 favourite for the Golden Slipper with online bookmakers, while Russian Conquest ($8) and Best Of Bordeaux ($9) round out the runners in single figures.
Magic ($11), Xtravagant Star ($13), Sejardan ($15) and Greece ($15) are the next few horses in the market, with the latter likely to debut in the Reisling Stakes on Saturday week following two impressive trial victories earlier in the month.
