The 2014 Golden Slipper has been won by Mossfun who recovered from missing the start to score a narrow win over pre-race favourite Earthquake.
Mossfun was the last horse out of the gates in the 2014 Golden Slipper, but was given a great ride by James McDonald and stormed home on the inside of the track to score her maiden win at Group 1 level.
Earthquake will start the 2014 Golden Slipper as favourite from Miss Mossman, Bring Me The Maid and Ghibellines. Photo by: Steve Hart
Earthquake was considered a near moral to take out the 2014 Golden Slipper less than a week ago and was an clear odds-on favourite, but a number of things have gone against the Blue Diamond Stakes winner in the days leading up to the feature juvenile event.
There is a question mark over the credentials of Earthquake on a rain affected track, with the daughter of Exceed And Excel having all four of her race starts on tracks rated a good four, and her Golden Slipper odds also drifted when trainer Peter Snowden revealed that she had suffered from a mild temperature on Sunday morning.
Earthquake is still set to start the 2014 Golden Slipper as favourite, but the best-backed runner in the field has been Mossfun; with punters backing the filly into odds of $4.20 after she was available at a quote of $7 after the barrier draw was conducted on Tuesday.
Mossfun was beaten by Earthquake in the Group 2 Reisling Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 22, but the Mossman filly has an excellent chance of turning-the-tables on a wet track after she showed she is capable of performing well on slow ground with her win in the Group 2 Silver Slipper Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 1.
Bring Me The Maid stormed into 2014 Golden Slipper calculations with a fast-finishing win in the Group 2 Magic Night Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 29 and has been well-backed to give trainer Peter Moody his first win in the Group 1 event.
No horse has come through the Magic Night Stakes to win the Golden Slipper since Calaway Gal in 2002 and no horse has done the double since Bint Marscay in 1993, but that has not stopped punters backing the daughter of Sebring into a quote of $9.
Ghibellines, a half-brother to Guelph, was touted as a leading 2014 Golden Slipper before he had even had a race start and he made a slow start to his racing career; finishing fourth in the Listed Breeders Plate (1000m), third in the Listed Canonbury Plate (1100m) and fifth in the Listed Black Opal Stakes (1200m).
The Shamardal colt started the Todman Stakes at huge odds, but was able to storm home late to record an upset win and put himself back in the Golden Slipper reckoning.
The 2014 Golden Slipper will be run at Rosehill Gardens at 5PM this afternoon and you will be able to find all the Golden Slipper results at horseracing.com.au.
