Premiership winning jockey Hugh Bowman is keen on the chances of Good Standing winning the Group 1 $3.5m Longines Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill on March 19.
Hugh Bowman will stick with Good Standing in the Golden Slipper at Rosehill. Photo by Steve Hart.
Bowman is chasing his first win in the Golden Slipper and confirmed that he would be riding Good Standing after he steered the James Cummings trained colt to a three quarters of a length win in the Group 2 $175,000 Pro-Ride Skyline Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on February 27.
“Beautiful horse and I’m very excited about his prospects,” Bowman said.
“He’s not straight forward but hopefully we can get his mind right on the job because if he does I think he can mix it with the best of them.”
Good Standing still has a lot to learn according to Bowman, but he is certain that his Skyline Stakes win will improve him no end.
”I know he’s had a start but he still did a bit wrong,” Bowman said.
“He still ran around in the straight and I don’t think his mind was on the job at all. Therefore he ran with a good bit in hand.
“He doesn’t have a lot of time to learn what to do because the competition is not going to get any easier.”
Bowman’s decision to stick with Good Standing has boosted the confidence of Cummings heading into the Golden Slipper.
“With Hughie saying ‘yes, I’ll ride him’, that’s another piece of the puzzle in place,” Cummings said.
“I’m happy to say he’ll be aboard the horse in the Golden Slipper.”
“The horse is still learning his craft but if he can draw a barrier and get the Pierro run or the Overreach run, we know he’s got a strong finish.
“He’s the sort of horse that has got the scope to be a better horse beyond the Slipper but right now I’m really satisfied with how he is going and where he is at.”
Good Standing is exempt from the ballot for the Golden Slipper for his win in the Skyline Stakes and is listed as a $17 chance with Ladbrokes.com.au.
Blue Diamond Stakes winner Extreme Choice heads the market order at $2.80 ahead of his Mick Price trained stablemate Flying Artie at $6.50 and Todman Stakes winner Kiss And Make Up at $8.
Golden Slipper market order at Ladbrokes.com.au: $2.80 Extreme Choice, $6.50 Flying Artie, $8 Kiss And Make Up, $10 Astern, Capitalist, $17 Defcon, Good Standing, Scarlet Rain, Yankee Rose, $21 Weatherly, $26 Calliope, French Fern, Honesty Prevails, In The Vanguard, Souchez.
