Winners For The 2017 Golden Slipper Day

The huge Golden Slipper meeting will be held at Rosehill Gardens this Saturday. The course proper was rated a Heavy 9 on Thursday and with light showers in Sydney leading up to the weekend, Rosehill is likely to be racing on a Heavy track on raceday.

The meeting consists of 5 Group 1 races and the first of them on the program is the Ranvet Stakes (Sydney Race 4, 2000m). Hartnell is arguably Sydney’s second best galloper (behind Winx) and he looks the horse to beat in the Ranvet. First up in the Chipping Norton Stakes, he was looming up to win in the straight but his condition gave out on a Heavy 9 track. Godolphin assistant trainer Darren Beadman has said that Hartnell ‘has come through the run very well and has a spring back in his step’. The 6YO has won 5 times on tracks rated Soft or worse and he loves Rosehill having won his two starts at the venue. William Buick will park Hartnell somewhere mid-field and he’ll be hard to hold out.

The last time a Victorian horse winning the Golden Slipper was Crystal Lily in 2010 and Catchy can replicate Crystal Lily’s effort in this year’s renewal on Saturday (Sydney Race 7, 1200m). The Hayes & Dabernig-trained filly is unbeaten so far winning all her 4 starts. Last start in the Blue Diamond Stakes, Catchy drawn wide and had to settle further back than expected, but she came from 3rd last to win convincingly. Drawn well in barrier 8 in the Slipper, Craig Williams will be able to settle her closer in mid-field. Even though Catchy has never raced on rain affected tracks, her dam Cats Whisker was a prolific Soft track performer hence I am banking on Catchy to be able to handle the anticipated wet condition. Catchy has a good turn-of-foot, is tough, and looks to have the ability to run out a strong 7 furlongs so she is an ideal Golden Slipper horse. Catchy has been backed into $6.00 third favourite for the Slipper and she surely will give her backers a great sight.

The Team Snowden-trained Redzel is primed to peak 2nd up in The Galaxy (Sydney Race 8, 1100m). Before his spell, the Snitzel gelding showed his class by beating subsequent Group 1 Lightning Stakes winner Terravista and the talented Hellbent in the Mumm Stakes during the Melbourne Cup carnival. First up in the Challenge Stakes (1000m) two weeks ago, Redzel was beaten a nose by English on a Heavy 10 track. Stepping up to 1100m will suit Redzel perfectly as he has won 4 times with a further 2 placings from 8 starts at the trip. Under the handicap condition, the 4YO will drop to only 54.5kg and from barrier 11, Dwayne Dunn is likely to go forward and settle just behind the leaders. Currently, Redzel is at great value at $9.00 in the fixed odds market.

By Owens Wong, Editor

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