GOLDEN SLIPPER DAY WAS WELL WORTH THE WAIT

By Matt Moore | Sunday, March 28, 2021

After the washout from last week, Sydney turned on a spectacular day for one of the country’s biggest race days on Saturday with nine races on show, headlined by the world’s richest two-year-old race … the $3.5m Longines Golden Slipper.

It was great to see, with the rain that Sydney copped last week, and the hot and windy weather encountered in the day’s leading into yesterday’s action, we would start on Soft 7 track rating.

The Darby Munro Stakes

The first event on this massive day was the Listed Darby Munro over the 1200m and it was another win for Queensland in enemy territory. The Tony Gollan trained Isotope saluting with Ryan Maloney in the saddle who also headed down to Sydney from the Sunshine State.

Maloney settled the winner fifth back on the fence. In the approach to the home turn, Maloney made a move that put the filly well into the race.

With two pairs in front of him, leaders Bella Nipotina and Lord Olympus and the second pairing in Marboosha and Odeum, Maloney pulled off the fence. He sat off the leading four at the 300m mark and when they approached the 200m mark, a gap appeared between Odeum who was vying for the lead and Lord Olympus who was a length back.

A beautifully timed run by Maloney saw him grab the victory from Odeum by a neck.

Race Time: 1.10.77. Last 600m: 35.38.

Trainer Tony Gollan admitted and he admitted to “being a bit nervous in the run” as “she was under a little bit of pressure in the corner” with Maloney needing to “give her a slap.”

When asked his views on Isotope measuring up to this grade, Ryan Maloney said that he had “no doubt about her ability” and he “always felt she’s had exceptional X factor” after her she chased down Away Game at Doomben during the Brisbane Summer Carnival.

Her next run will be in The Arrowfield Stud Stakes at Royal Randwick in three weeks before connections bring her back to Brisbane for a break.

The Manion Cup

The second event at Rosehill was the Group 3 Manion Cup over the mile and a half and it was equal second favourite in Favorite Moon, for Kerrin McEvoy and trainer William Haggas, who took the first staying race on the card.

When the gates went crashing back, Nash Rawiller pushed the six-year-old gelding Hush Writer into the lead as they passed the winning post for the first time. Along the back straight, Robbie Dolan aboard the Mark Newnham trained Skymax went up to join the leader after finding himself midfield, three wide.

McEvoy had the gun sit three lengths off the leading pair. At the 700m mark, Nash kicked Hush Writer along, leaving Skymax behind while the rest of the field closed the gap. McEvoy remained on the fence and cut the corner beautifully into the home turn and then drifted off the fence. He kept chipping away at the leader in the straight and nabbed Hush Writer at the 150m to score by half a length.

Time: 2.31.68. Last 600m: 36.07.

McEvoy said “it was nice to get him into a good spot from the gate. He was able to step well and travel sweetly.”

The Epona Stakes

The Group 3 Epona Stakes, the third race on the card over the 1900m, was taken out by the trusty combination of Chris Waller and James McDonald and tPolly Grey.

JMac sat the winner midfield two off the fence but, as the things unfolded at the 1000m with two groups of three running barrelling along, JMac decided to push forward to sit in the third group three wide.

It proved to be the winning move.

As the field turned for home and those runners in front starting to spread, McDonald was seven wide and found himself chasing the John O’Shea trained Rondinella. Craig Williams aboard the Kris Lees runner in Aliferous joined in the party at the 300m but Polly Grey powered home strongly to win by half a length.

Time: 1.57.80. Last 600m: 36.88.

Chris Waller said, “She’s had a bit of bad luck go against her” in her previous runs, “but today was her day” adding that the Doomben Cup in the Brisbane Winter Carnival could be a potential target.

James McDonald said the race was a “stop / start sort of affair and was lucky enough to get her into the right spot, three wide, blended in. She was strong late."

The Ranvet Stakes

The first of our Group 1’s was the Ranvet Stakes and, as expected, it was a battle between last year’s winner in Addeybb and last year’s runnerup Verry Elleegant.

With the gates crashing back at the 2000m mark, it was Kerrin McEvoy aboard the Team Hawkes runner Angel of Truth dictating the speed. William Haggas’ Addeybb settled second with the Chris Waller runner trailling the Irish champion.

Pundits including myself thought the best way for last year’s Caulfield Cup winner to run this race was to settle off Addeybb and that’s the way James McDonald made it happen.

At the 600m mark, Addeybb seemed to be working hard to stay on terms with the leader whereas Verry Elleegant had done minimal work. On the turn, the two favourites found the best part of the track with Angel of Truth sticking to the rail.
The two favourites then left the early leader in their wake at the 150m and it was a classic sprint to the line with Veery Elleegant, The Chipping Norton Stakes winner, taking out this race by a length.

A fantastic finish between two champions and a race to race double for the Waller/McDonald combination. These two will reunite in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 3 weeks’ time at Royal Randwick like they did last year.
Time: 2.03.99. Last 600m: 35.66.

The victory gave trainer Chris Waller his 120th Group 1 win.

James McDonald said he, “was very pleased with her although she travelled a little bit stronger than he wanted her too, but the pace was just nice”. He also knew at the 600m he had a great chance of winning.

The Rosehill Guineas

The barriers stayed at the 2000m position for the second of the Group 1’s – The Rosehill Guineas which produced a massive victory for the Annabel Neasham runner in Mo’unga.

That run to finish second in the Randwick Guineas last start was eye catching as jockey Tommy Berry had to work hard to get the colt into clear air on that occasion. But that wasn’t going to be the case here.

From the favourable gate, Berry put Mo’unga a touch worse than midfield giving race leader Grandslam a decent start.

An ice cool Berry didn’t panic, using the track pattern to his advantage. Like Favourite Moon in the third event, Mo’unga was seven wide on the turn. Khoekhoe with Kerrin McEvoy led them into the straight with plenty of pressure coming on his outside. In another fantastic battle, Mo’unga and Sky Lab darted for the finish with the disappointment of that last start in the Randwick Guineas for Mo’unga turning into Group 1 Glory here.

Time: 2.04.85. Last 600m 36.95.

The win gave trainer Annabel Neasham her first Group 1 victory in her first year as a trainer. She admitted post-race she was “nervous in the run” as he thought Mo’unga might have sat closer to the speed but admitted Tommy Berry “knew what he was sitting on."

Tommy Berry was full of praise for Neasham’s achievements saying “she’s done an incredible job."

The George Ryder Stakes

When you think of Group 1’s you always think of the great Glen Boss. From his famous wins aboard Makybe Diva in those 3 consecutive Melbourne Cups to that image of him standing in the irons at a rain-soaked Moonee Valley last year crossing the line aboard Sir Dragonet to win the Cox Plate, but Bossy is his also most dangerous in Group 1’s is when he’s on an outsider … and that was the case in the George Ryder Stakes aboard the Kerry Packer trained Think It Over.

With a resumption this prep seeing the five-year-old gelding take out the Group 3 Liverpool City Cup at $51 then finish in second place at $20 in the Group 2 Ajax Stakes, little thought that Boss could back it up with a Group 1 victory here, especially with the quality of this field.

From Gate 8, Boss settled him towards the back of the field on the fence. In the earlier races, we’ve seen the outside to be the place to be, but the class of Boss showed here. Sticking to the rail on the approach and still third last, he went from that position to fourth in a short distance as the rest of the field drifted wide.

Dawn Passage led them into the straight with Dreamforce the rail. Boss made the slightest adjustment at the 400m mark on his mount and pierced a small gap on the outside of Dawn Passage and the inside of Kolding at the 200m.

With Dawn Passage spent at that point, Dreamforce hit the front going toe to toe with the winner, but we saw another perfectly timed ride for Boss to add to his impressive Group 1 CV.

Time: 1.30.71. Last 600m: 35.20.

Kerry Packer admitted he would have been “thrilled” to run within “a few lengths of them” but, “too win it…sensational”

Think It Over now heads to an automatic entry for The Doncaster Mile in two weeks at Royal Randwick.

The Golden Slipper

Tommy Berry made it a Group 1 double for the day with victory aboard Stay Inside for the Freedman camp here. In the process Berry claimed his third Golden Slipper win. And what a dominant performance it was.!

Race favourite Profiteer, as expected, exploded out of the gates to set a cracking tempo. Berry settled Sta Inside fourth, having the run of the race. Bowman aboard the favourite headed for home in front but with Berry four wide and in the “best part” of the track, it looked his to lose. He joined Profiteer at the 300m and powered past the Price/Kent runner showing that dominant victory two starts back in the Pierro which he won by four lengths was no fluke.

Getting identical track conditions here, Stay Inside was home at the 200m from a fast finishing Anamoe who was brilliant from Gate 15. The margin was two-and-a-half lengths.

Time: 1.10.76. Last 600m: 35.97.

Richard Freedman passed all the praise onto his brother for the work he’s done with the two-year-olds. Michael praised Tommy Berry for his professionalism and riding him “to absolute perfection.”

The Galaxy

It was the Joe Pride gelding Eduardo who put in a dominance performance to win the Group 1, The Galaxy over the 1100m.

The confidence would be had been high coming in after his win in the Group 2 Challenge Stakes beating Nature Strip on the line three weeks ago.

The two favourites in the market were Haut Brion Her for Chris Waller and James McDonald and Tailluer for Rachel King and James Cummings.

Nash Rawiller, aboard the winner, punched forward from Gate 5 and didn’t look back, leading from start to finish in a dominant display which saw the top weight win by three-and-a-half lengths.

Time: 1.03.45. Last 600m: 34.59 (quickest of the meeting).

The Birthday Card Stakes

Coming into the last race we got a track upgrade from a Soft 7 to a Soft 6 for the Group 3 Birthday Card Stakes over the 1200m which was taken out by Kerrin McEvoy aboard Seasons for Les Bridge.

The Godolphin runner Emanate jumped favourite but was drifting as they were at the back of the stalls. When they jumped, it was Rachel King who worked hard to put the favourite on speed with Vulpine.

McEvoy settled Seasons three back and on the fence. He came off the rail on the turn to loop around Written Beauty at the top of the straight and found the clear air needed to run home.

It was still Emanate and Vulpine leading at the 300m mark with Written Beauty and Seasons in hot pursuit on that pair’s outside a length off, but McEvoy put the hammer down on Seasons at the 200m to win by two-and-a-half lengths.

Time: 1.10.63. Last 600m: 35.51.

“She thoroughly deserved that win” said Les Bridge after the race. “She’s been knocking on the door. Conditions were perfect, sting out of the ground, great jockey”

Kerrin McEvoy added that Bridge has been happy with her knowing that she was going to improve in the race and that she’d enjoy the ground.

Ones To Follow

Race 2: Realm of Flowers. A massive run. The widest runner on the turn into the straight and making up ground on the winner. The Sydney Cup will be her next start at 3200m.

Race 3: She’s Ideel. The Gate did her no favours. Jason Collett had a mountain of traffic to negate being stuck to the fence. Once he eventually got some galloping room for her at the 200m, she stormed home to run third.

Race 7: Anamoe. Gate 15, sat near last, wide on the turn, barnstorming run home to finish second behind Stay Inside in the Slipper. A lower draw next start and sitting closer to the speed will do her wonders.

A fantastic day of Group racing at Rosehill for arguably the country’s biggest race day. Next Saturday we have Tancred Stakes Day at the same venue headlined by two Group 1 features.