Trainer Peter Snowden has admitted that he is unsure how talented filly Earthquake will perform if the 2014 Golden Slipper was run on a rain affected Rosehill Gardens track this weekend.
Earthquake is primed for the 2014 Golden Slipper after recording her fourth straight victory in the Reisling Stakes just over a week ago. Photo by: Steve Hart
Earthquake has had four race starts for four wins during her racing career to date, including a win at Group 1 level in the 2014 Blue Diamond Stakes, and all have been on tracks rated a good three; with the daughter of Exceed And Excel having no exposure on wet tracks.
Snowden told TVN that he is worried about the prospect of the 2014 Golden Slipper being won on a wet track, but remains confident that the classy juvenile is on track to become just the sixth horse to win the Golden Slipper and the Blue Diamond Stakes in the same year.
“She’s never been on one so I can’t say yes or no, she will handle it,” Snowden said.
“I hope the track is in good order and takes out that guesswork; she’s never raced in that type of going
“You can’t really get a guide from trackwork and you just don’t know until you race on it.
“That’s the one thing we don’t know about, but everything else about her is excellent.”
Snowden has been happy with the condition of Earthquake since she returned to the races, after a brief freshen-up, with a win in the Group 2 Reisling Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 22 and said that she will have a quiet lead-up to the Golden Slipper this weekend; following the same preparation that she had in the lead-up to her impressive Blue Diamond Stakes victory.
“Everything is exactly the same as it was leading up to the Diamond,” Snowden said.
“We’re just hoping everything goes well in the next few days.”
Earthquake remains a clear favourite in 2014 Golden Slipper betting markets and is set to join Alinghi, who finished third behind Dance Hero in the 2004 edition of the race, as the only horse to start the Group 1 event as an odds-on favourite.
The Darley filly is currently available at 2014 Golden Slipper odds of $1.90 from Team Hawkes-trained Mossfun ($7), Magic Millions Classic winner Unencumbered ($12), stablemate Ghibellines ($13) and Danny Bougoure-trained Oakleigh Girl.
