2014 Golden Slipper Field And Barrier Draw

The 2014 Golden Slipper field and barrier draw has been released; with 16 talented juveniles set to contest the Group 1 event at Rosehill Gardens this Saturday.

Earthquake has the chance to become the sixth horse in history to win both the Golden Slipper and Blue Diamond Stakes.

Earthquake has the chance to become the sixth horse in history to win both the Golden Slipper and Blue Diamond Stakes. Photo by: Steve Hart

There were no major surprises in the 2014 Golden Slipper field, with Scratch Me Lucky the only addition as an emergency, and talented Darley filly Earthquake is set to start the race as one of the shortest priced favourites in the history of the race.

Earthquake made her racing debut with an impressive win in the Colin Pearce Plate (1000m) at Royal Randwick on November 9 and, after a stint in the spelling paddock, took out the Group 3 Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) at Caulfield on February 8 by an impressive three lengths.

The daughter of Exceed And Excel went into the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on February 22 on the second line of betting, but was far too strong for the rest of the field in the final stages of the race.

Earthquake has the opportunity to become the just the sixth juvenile to win the Golden Slipper and Blue Diamond in the same year and is chasing her fifth straight victory after adding a win in the Group 2 Reisling Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 22 to her racing resume.

The classy filly drew barrier 13 at the 2014 Golden Slipper barrier draw, a barrier that has never housed the winner of the race, but will start from barrier two once emergency Scratch Me Lucky is removed for the field.

Mossfun finished second behind Earthquake in the Reisling Stakes and will have the chance to turn-the-tables on the classy filly in the 2014 Golden Slipper this weekend.

The Mossman filly started her racing career with wins in the Inglis Nursery (1000m) at Randwick on December 14 and the Group 3 Widden Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens on February 15 before stamping herself as a leading Golden slipper contender with a dominant four lengths win in the Group 2 Silver Slipper Stakes (1100m) at the same venue on March 1.

Mossfun will be ridden by James McDonald, who is chasing his first win in the Golden Slipper, and has drawn barrier eleven.

Also backing up from the Reisling Stakes will be Gary Nickson-trained Alpha Miss (barrier nine), who made her racing debut with a win in the Listed Gimcrack Stakes (1000m) at Royal Randwick during the 2013 Spring Racing Carnival before securing a position in the 2014 Golden Slipper field with a surprise win in the Listed Lonhro Plate (1100m) at Warwick Farm on March 8.

Earthquake is not the only Darley representative in the Golden Slipper field; with Ghibellines and Memorial to contest the Group 1 event.

Ghibellines (barrier two) , the half-brother to glamour filly Guelph, made a slow start to his racing career, producing disappointing performances in the Listed Canonbury Stakes (1100m) and Listed Black Opal Stakes (1200m), but found his best form with a fast-finishing win in the Group 2 Todman Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 22.

Memorial (barrier 17) started her career with two impressive victories at Rosehill Gardens at the end of 2013, but suffered her first loss when she was beaten by Alpha Miss in the Lonhro Plate and finished at the tail of the field in the Reisling Stakes.

Magic Millions Classic form has historically not stood up particularly well in the Golden Slipper, but Bjorn Baker-trained Unencumbered (barrier 14will have the chance to become just the third horse in history to win both the Magic Millions Classic and the Golden Slipper.

Unencumbered returned to the races, following his Magic Millions Classic win, with a fifth place finish on an unsuitable track in the Silver Slipper Stakes before producing a much improved performance when second in the Todman Stakes.

Another horse backing up from the Magic Millions Classic is Danny Bougoure-trained Oakleigh Girl (barrier ten), who will be having her first race start since she finished second behind Unnumbered in the $2 million race.

Also included in the 2014 Golden Slipper field are Magic Night Stakes winner Bring Me The Maid (barrier five), the Gai Waterhouse-trained duo of Valentia (barrier four) and Law (barrier seven), talented filly Eloping (barrier 15), the Mick Price-trained duo of Jabali (barrier one) and Cornrow (barrier eight), Risen From Doubt (barrier six) and Modoc (barrier three).

# HORSE JOCKEY TRAINER BARRIER
1. Unencumbered Craig Williams Bjorn Baker 14
2. Jabali Glen Boss Mick Price 1
3. Ghibellines Hugh Bowman Peter Snowden 2
4. Valentia Tommy Berry Gai Waterhouse 4
5. Cornrow Damien Oliver Mick Price 8
6. Law Tim Clark Gai Waterhouse 7
7. Modoc Blake Shinn Paul Perry 3
8. Risen From Doubt Nash Rawiller Tony McEvoy 6
9. Earthquake Kerrin McEvoy Peter Snowden 13
10. Mossfun James McDonald Team Hawkes 11
11. Oakleigh Girl Craig Newitt Danny Bougure 10
12. Eloping Stephen Baster Peter Morgan & Craig Widdison 15
13. Alpha Miss Jason Collett Gary Nickson 9
14. Bring Me The Maid Chad Schofield Peter Moody 5
15. Memorial Christian Reith Peter Snowden 17
16. Believe Yourself Brenton Avdulla Gerald Ryan 16
17e. Scratch Me Lucky Glyn Schofield Paul Perry 12

About The Author

Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.