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Slipper winner 'to run on Saturday'

Friday 19 March 2010
By Mathew Toogood

Top Sydney trainer John O'Shea believes the Golden Slipper winner will be seen at Rosehill on Saturday.

O'Shea prepares current Slipper favourite Solar Charged and is adamant Saturday's Reisling Slipper Trial for fillies is poised to be the most defining race yet ahead of Easter Saturday's $3.5 million feature.

Add to that Saturday's other juvenile race, the Todman Slipper Trial for colts and geldings featuring the Sydney debut of Blue Diamond Stakes winner Star Witness, and the Slipper picture will become a lot clearer.

"I think it (the Reisling) is an exceptionally strong race," O'Shea said.

The Reisling has only attracted eight runners but there is no shortage of quality with Solar Charged, Military Rose, Psychologist and Elimbari all lining up.

"I think it (the small field) is a reflection of the two-year-old crop this year. I think there's a long way between the top six or eight and the others, and I think there's a really strong quality of horse in that race on Saturday," O'Shea said.

"I think the Slipper winner will run on Saturday."

Solar Charged, unbeaten with two dominant wins so far, has taken benefit from her 4-1/2-length victory in the Group Three Kindergarten Stakes (1100m) at Warwick Farm on March 6 when she defeated Elimbari.

"She had a lot of improvement, she did a lot wrong and she still won convincingly," O'Shea said.

Elimbari will again line up against Solar Charged in the Reisling and added to the mix are the Magic Millions winner Military Rose and Blue Diamond Prelude winner Psychologist.

Queenslander Military Rose has been in Sydney for a couple of weeks preparing to resume in the Reisling after her emphatic 3-3/4 length win in the $2 million Magic Millions Classic on the Gold Coast on January 9.

She is unbeaten in four starts in Queensland.

Psychologist burst onto the scene with an outstanding 4-1/4-length debut win in the Group Three Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) for fillies at Caulfield.

She then had the outside barrier in the Group One Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) in which she was beaten less than a length and a half by Star Witness when fifth.

In both starts so far Solar Charged has displayed brilliant early speed to sit on the pace and then accelerate away.

On Saturday she'll have to contend with the outside barrier but that doesn't concern O'Shea, nor does it worry him if any of the other fancied runners wish to take on Solar Charged.

"I like the gate, I prefer her to be out of trouble and then letting Hugh (Bowman) dictate," he said.

"They'll sort themselves out - if they're going quick we won't lead and if they're not going quick we'll lead."