The Rosehill track has been rated a heavy 10 for today’s 2017 Golden Slipper Race Day after receiving 91mm of rain over the last seven days with the rail our 3m for the entire course.
Queensland filly Houtzen, above, remains the favourite for the Golden Slipper at Rosehill. Photo by Steve Hart.
The Group 1 $3.5m Longines Golden Slipper (1200m) has a capacity field of sixteen two year olds to do battle with first emergency Chauffeur gaining a spot in the final field after the Team Snowden trained Invader was ruled out because of a stone bruise.
Second and third emergencies Showtime and The Mission failed to gain a start in the world’s richest two year old race.
Champion mare Winx will only have six opponents in the Group 1 $1m China Horse Club George Ryder (1500m) after her trainer Chris Waller scratched Irish import Endless Drama and leading Victorian trainer Darren Weir scratched Tosen Stardom who will take his place in the Group 2 $200,000 Incognitus Blamey Stakes (1600m) at Flemington today.
Waller also scratched Preferment from the Group 1 $700,000 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) because of the wet track, leaving seven runners to contest the feature weight for age race.
The other two Group 1 races on Golden Slipper Race Day, the $600,000 Sky Racing Rosehill Guineas (2000m) and the $700,000 Nathan’s Famous Hotdogs Galaxy (1100m) are free of scratchings with twelve three year olds to contest the Rosehill Guineas and fourteen sprinters to line up in the Galaxy.
Race 1 on the ten event program, the Group 3 $150,000 Irresistible Pools & Spas N E Manion Cup (2400m) for the stayers is free of scratchings with seven to run, while the field for the second race, the Group 3 $150,000 Birthday Card Stakes (1200m), has been reduced to eight runners with Hermosa Beach and Zara Bay coming out.
The Listed $125,000 Quickway Constructions Darby Munro Stakes (1200m) will see ten three year olds go around following the withdrawal of Glenall, Demolition and Raiment while eleven fillies and mares will contest the Group 3 $150,000 Bradford Black Epona Stakes (1900m) after Happy Hannah and Rose’s Song were withdrawn.
The $150,000 Provincial Championships Qualifier (1200m) will have a capacity field of sixteen to run following the withdrawal of Invincible George and Leami Astray and two of the four emergencies Calabasas and Gadfly.
