Trainer Gerald Ryan has no doubt that Believe Yourself deserves her place in the Group 1 $3.5m Tooheys New Golden Slipper field over 1200m at Rosehill on Saturday.
Believe Yourself, orange colours, deserves her place in the Golden Slipper after winning the Sweet Embrace Stakes. Photo by Steve Hart.
Believe Yourself goes into Saturday’s race undefeated from two race starts and Ryan can’t fault her condition after a last to first win in the Group 2 $175,000 Les Johnson Memorial Sweet Embrace Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on March 15.
“She doesn’t need much work, very clean winded and she totally deserves her place in the field,” Ryan told TVN.
The top Rosehill trainer took the Sebring filly to Kembla Grange for her debut to win a 1000m two year old maiden before he sent her for a short break.
Not known as a flash track worker, Believe Yourself was sent out at the good odds of $11 for the Sweet Embrace with Jason Collett aboard and will be at good odds again for the Golden Slipper with $41 on offer with Ladbrokes.com.au.
“She’s an amazing filly really,” Ryan said.
“She’s not a great track worker and doesn’t really show you much at home, but she’s a racehorse when you get to the track.”
Sydney jockey Brenton Avdulla takes over from Collett but will have to use the same tactics that he used and settle Believe Yourself back in the field after drawing sixteen out of seventeen in the original barrier draw.
“There is good speed and the speed is drawn around her, so she will go back,” Ryan said.
“She will go back and hope they overdo it up front to give her a chance to hit the line.
“Even though she was second last at the turn she wasn’t too far off them, but they didn’t go too quick up front either.
“She has come off a slow speed, given them a start and still come over the top of them and that gives you a bit of credit.”
Darley’s undefeated filly Earthquake maintains her stranglehold on the Golden Slipper market order even though she has eased slightly to $2.50 while second favourite Mossfun remains steady at $5.
Earthquake’s stablemate Ghibellines and Peter Moody’s filly Bring Me The Maid share the next line of betting at $11 ahead of Melbourne colt Cornrow at $15 and the Gai Waterhouse trained Valentia at $17.
