IT'S ALL THE WAY FOR SLIPPIN' JIMMY IN THE $500 000 MAGIC MILLIONS COUNTRY CUP

By Graham Potter | Saturday, January 11, 2025

The David Vandyke trained Slippin’ Jimmy took his form to the next level with an end-to-end win in the $500 000, Magic Millions Country Cup over 1200m at the Gold Coast.

The chestnut son of Pariah did give his connections an anxious moment prior to the start when he underwent a pre-race veterinary examination after a minor incident in the mounting yard and was cleared to start.

With the green light to go … with the number one barrier draw to take advantage of … and with arguably the country’s top front-running rider in the saddle in the form of Tim Clark … the team were not going to die wondering with Clark asking Slippin’ Jimmy, the $3.50 race favourite, to extend from the very first stride and to push forward to secure the early lead.

Once there, the mastery of Clark was seen at its best.

The $26 outsider Clover’s Prince raced right to Slippin’ Jimmy’s outside, providing nuisance value until turning into the home straight, with Clark quite prepared to tolerate that one’s presence while also being content to keep Slippin’ Jimmy at an steady gallop for the most part, as the field bunched up behind him with the next ten horses all travelling withing five lengths of the Vandyke trained runner as Slippin’ Jimmy brought the field to the home turn.

On straightening, Clark immediately started to push Slippin’ Jimmy out and the four-year-old responded on cue, kicking away with an effort that almost immediately proved too strong for Clover’s Prince, who was then still Slippin’ Jimmys closest rival, to handle.

That left King Gu Tho ($26) and Flying Birds ($9.50), who were running on late, as the only two other runners left to try and threaten Slippin’ Jimmy’s superiority on the day … but, in truth, the lead Slippin’ Jimmy had already established halfway up the straight was always going to be a winning one.

King Gu Tho (who finished second) and Fkying Birds (third) ultimately both finished just under a length off the winner at the line, but that was aways going to be a chase to decide the minor placings as Slippin’ Jimmy already had the race in his safe keeping by the time these two place getters emerged out of the pack.

It was arguably even a better win than it looks on paper because Slippin’ Jimmy was first-up here … on heavy going … following a break of five months away from race action.

This was Slippin’s Jimmy’s sixth win from only ten starts, testament to Vandyke’s impressive management of the horse’s racing schedule.

The Magic Millions Country Cup was, in fact, Slippin Jimmy’s third successive race victory and his fifth win in his last six starts dating back to May 2024 with his win in a modest BM60 at Kilcoy.

The gelding has won over distances ranging from 1000m to 1400m and has saluted on good, soft and heavy going.

Slippin' Jimmy, who is owned by M W Cook, K L Hill, Albury's Own (Mgr: P A Mathewson), Mrs J Dahl, Ms S M Reguson, DVD Racing (Mgr: D J Vandyke), M Speers, S Dodds, T J Brown, G Doherty, K C Bell, R G Whalley, D Souvannavong & High Calibre Racing (Mgr: D Maguire), was a $160 000 purchase by Mark Cook/RM Racing/Vandyke Racing at the 2022 MM Gold Coast Yearling Sale (Lot 635).

More articles