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Solar Charged leads Slipper favouritism

Saturday 6 March 2010
By Caryl Williamson

Flying filly Solar Charged has regained her place at the top of Golden Slipper markets with a dominant display in the Kindergarten Stakes at Warwick Farm.

Sent out the $1.80 favourite, Solar Charged took control of Saturday's Group Three race from the outset and held Elimbari ($7) at bay by 4-1/2 lengths with Georgette Silk ($5) another half length away third.

She immediately displaced Silver Slipper winner Chance Bye as TAB Sportsbet's Golden Slipper favourite firming from $7 to $4.60 with her rival steady at $6.

Trainer John O'Shea admitted he was supremely confident before the Kindergarten (1100m) but was afraid to express his thoughts out loud.

"We anticipated she would run like that but you don't want to say it aloud," O'Shea said.

"And it's another dimension to her to know that she can run like that on a slow track.

"She will have one more run before the Slipper in the Reisling Stakes, not because she needs it fitness wise but more that she needs a bit more seasoning."

Solar Charged is a daughter of Charge Forward who O'Shea trained to run a short neck second to Dance Hero in the 2004 Golden Slipper.

Charge Forward went on to win the Galaxy the following year and was then retired to Arrowfield Stud.

The original plan was to run Solar Charged in last week's Silver Slipper but she had a slight setback and the Kindergarten was put on the schedule.

That was bad news for Corey Brown who accepted an invitation to ride in Dubai this week leaving Hugh Bowman to take the mount.

Before he went overseas Brown copped a suspension which would have kept him out of Saturday's race anyway.

He will also miss the next two Saturdays through another ban but it's unlikely Bowman can be prised off.

"It's nothing I've done, it's all her," Bowman said.

"We always knew how good she was but it's nice to see her do it.

"She's a natural two-year-old and reminds me a lot of her father who was beaten a neck in the Slipper by the best two-year-old I've ever seen."

Trainer Kris Lees was encouraged by the effort of Elimbari.

"I'm very happy," he said.

"I thought she'd be a bit closer in the run but she made up good ground and her best work was late which is a good sign going forward.

"I think she ran into a pretty special filly but there are still positive signs."

The $3.5 million Golden Slipper (1200m) is at Rosehill on April 3.